NHK on Demand Service Begins

  On December 1, 2008, NHK began a service called “NHK on Demand,” in which programs broadcasted by NHK in the past can be accessed by PCs and compatible TVs via broadband internet connection in Japan. The goal of this service is to actively provide subscribers with the huge volumes of high-definition programs that have been accumulated by NHK.

  The service for TV viewing offers programs in high quality with high-definition format. From the start of the service, more than 1,000 high-definition programs are provided. This is very unique in the world.

  NHK on Demand, the first example of NHK’s entry into the paid VOD (Video on Demand) business, comprises two main services: “Catch-up Programs,” in which 10-15 current programs being broadcast each day are made available for about one week starting on the day after the original broadcast, and the “NHK Archives Selection,” which provides access to about 1,200 large-scale documentaries and other programs previously offered through NHK.

  NHK plans to further enhance these NHK on Demand, so that they will play a major role in public broadcasting in the future.