Sky Cable, the country's leading cable television (CATV) service provider, has allocated P700 million for its capital expenditures this year and is targeting the affluent male market in the Philippines – 5 percent of the population – for its newly launched high definition TV (HDTV).

HDTV, which allows viewers to see pictures two to five times sharper than ordinary TV in a wide-screen format, the same used in movie theaters, is the new standard in TV technology now sweeping across the U.S., Europe and Asia.

At present 40 per cent, or 100,000 of Sky Cable's 250,000 CATV subscribers in Metro Manila, is already using digital platform. Some 90 percent is digital-ready. Over 70 percent of the CATV firm's market is in the metropolis.

However, SkyCable only needs to haul in 2,000 HD subscribers by year-end 2009 to recoup its around P6-million investments in HDTV. "A big part of our HDTV investments is in the payment to programmers for the rights," notes Sky Cable's Head of Marketing, Ray Montinola.

Problem is, Asia does not have much available HD content, "Hence, we can only offer two channels for our HD TV service initially," he added. Still, the company hopes to add a third HD channel by December, with more to follow.

SkyCable now offers Discovery HD channel featuring the wonders of the world, from culture, science and natural history to travel and lifestyle.