Technology from News Corp's NDS Group has enabled Korean broadcaster SkyLife to securely deliver programming to over one million subscribers. It has become one of Asia's largest and fastest growing pay-TV platforms.

SkyLife launched Korea's only digital satellite TV service in March 2002. Since then it has grown quickly to gain market share of 6.1 per cent of television households. SkyLife research shows that this growth rate far surpasses expansion of satellite broadcasting in America, which reached only 3.4 per cent market share after two years, and only 1.4 per cent market share in Japan in the same time frame.

SkyLife has stated that it pioneered a new market under challenging circumstances. The service has grown to one million subscribers in just one year and eight months. An official release informs that this is proof that Korean viewers are rapidly accepting digital satellite broadcasting and welcoming the harmony of broadcast and communication.

With piracy a continuing problem across the Asia Pacific region, the security of NDS VideoGuard conditional access has allowed SkyLife to build their business without concerns about piracy. VideoGuard conditional access will continue to play a key role in securing the pay-TV programming of SkyLife and protecting revenue from new services such as interactive TV states the release.

NDS supported SkyLife to leverage the investment in leading digital broadcasting technology to offer new services to viewers. In May 2003, SkyLife became one of the world's first pay-TV operators to launch MHP broadcast services with conditional access. The SkyTouch DVB-MHP interactive television service is based on VideoGuard conditional access and runs on the SkyLife Smart Box 2.0 set-top box. SkyTouch interactive TV service delivers 14 categories of interactive services, such as games, quizzes, data services, weather forecasts and real estate prices.

SkyLife has also capitalised on technology to commence a 24-hour SkyHD high definition channel and mobile services for pay TV reception in private vehicles. NDS VideoGuard is uniquely able to support revenue generation through these varied transmission methods the release adds.