Singapore – A number of key industry players have taken a co-operative approach to help stimulate the growth of HDTV in the region. Rivalries have been put aside to bring together a High Definition (HD) video distribution solution tailor-made for the Asian market. The solution has been developed with Scientific-Atlanta and Tandberg Television providing the MPEG-4 compression systems, and Ascent Media and Pacific Century Matrix providing the play-out and uplink services from Singapore and Hong Kong respectively. The new MEASAT-3 satellite is providing its single C-Band beam, offering access to 100 countries. Says Terry Bleakley, MEASAT’s vice president sales and marketing, “To develop a strong and viable HD segment in the region, the industry needs to adopt a business approach that addresses the challenges of the Asian market while exploiting the opportunities. While competition will be key in the longer term, the unique factors of the Asian market also suggest that cooperation in the short term will significantly accelerate the timing and speed of the market development.”