SINGAPORE: Singapore has joined an elite group of nations in the digital world by rolling out High-Definition (HD) television programmes to homes.

Offered by StarHub, the subscription-based service promising crisp, lifelike images was launched on Thursday - but not before running into some local publicity controversies.

Days before the first commercial launch of HDTV in South-east Asia, service providers were jostling to broadcast their "pioneering" plans for HD, whose picture quality satisfied 96 per cent of StarHub's survey respondents.

On Monday, StarHub sent out media invites for its commercial launch. But the next day, rival SingTel issued a news release saying its own HD channels will appear later this year.

"SingTel wants to shape the Singapore market with the most HD programming and the best HD content," said executive vice president of consumer Quek Peck Leng.

The move so "amused" StarHub's head of integrated products and marketing Mike Reynolds that he said in a statement before its launch on Thursday: "I can't say that their announcement is well-timed.

"As the industry and media are well aware, StarHub will launch our HDTV service this Thursday, and we will be the first operator to do so in Singapore."

Quietly, newcomer M2B World Asia Pacific jumped into the ring on Wednesday.

The company, which launched broadband TV here last year, gave reporters a preview of its HD channels slated to start streaming in March.

Surveying the fast growth of the television market, Dr Lee Boon Yang, Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, said the developments "bode well for TV consumers and will contribute towards Singapore's vision of a vibrant and thriving media hub". Mica expects about 200 hours of Made-by-Singapore HD content this year - double last year's production. - TODAY