Star Movies
Star Movies is an Asian pay television network originally owned by Fox Networks Group Asia, Middle East and Star TV India. In March 2019, The Walt Disney Company acquired Star TV for $71 billion with 21st Century Fox.[1] Star Movies was originally launched as a single channel broadcast across Asia, but it was regionalised into different localised channels since then. Fox Networks Group Asia Pacific have since rebranded some of the network's international feeds in Hong Kong, Taiwan (SD Feed Only) and Southeast Asia as Fox Movies, but retains the Star Movies brand in Mainland China (Hong Kong),Taiwan (HD Feed),Middle East & South Asia (except Maldives). Star India continues to operate the Indian feed of the network as a channel specialised in Western films, while the Middle Eastern feed, operated by Fox Networks Group Middle East, co-exists with Fox Movies. Star Movies HD in Taiwan is operated by Fox Network Group Taiwan which is the advertisement-free offering of Fox Movies Taiwan. Star Movies in Middle East is operated by Fox Network Group Middle East. Star Movies has been changed into Star Movies HD on January 10, 2021.
 | |
| Broadcast area | Bangladesh India Nepal Sri Lanka Middle East and North Africa China Taiwan (HD only) |
|---|---|
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English Mandarin Chinese (Taiwan) |
| Picture format | 1080i HDTV (downscaled to letterboxed 576i for the SDTV feed) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Fox Networks Group Asia Pacific Star India Fox Networks Group Middle East (Middle East and North Africa) |
| Sister channels | List
|
| History | |
| Launched | 14 October 1991 10 January 2021 (Changed Channel) |
| Replaced | BBC World Service Television Asia 14 October 1991–1 May 1994 |
| Replaced by | Fox Movies Premium (2012–2017; Southeast Asia) Fox Movies (2017; Southeast Asia, Taiwan) |
| Former names | BBC World Service Television Asia 14 October 1991–1 May 1994 |
| Availability | |
| Cable | |
| Hathway | Channel 140 |
| Asianet Digital | Channel 463 (SD) Channel 830 (HD) |
| Bengal Digital (Bangladesh) | Channel 282 (India SD) Channel 283 (India HD) |
| Satellite | |
| Tata Sky | Channel 402 (HD) Channel 403 (SD) |
| Dish TV | Channel 241 (SD) Channel 548 (HD) |
| Sun Direct TV | Channel 97 (SD) Channel 968 (HD) |
| Airtel digital TV | Channel 243 (SD) Channel 244 (HD) |
| Videocon D2H | Channel 241 (SD) Channel 943 (HD) |
| Akash DTH (Bangladesh) | Channel 254 (India HD) |
History
STAR Movies split up from STAR Plus on 1 May 1994, which usually aired movies in the early years of STAR TV from 1991 to 1994. At launch, its programming lineup was consisted of both Hollywood and Chinese films and catered to pan-Asian audiences.
As Star TV planned to remove BBC World Service Television from its channel lineup for Northeast Asia by mid-April 1994, the company planned to replace it with a Chinese-language film channel.[2] Star Movies would focus on Western world films from then on. Star TV has since regionalized the channel's operation.
A localised feed intended for the Philippines was launched on 1 January 2010. Four months later, a high-definition channel, Star Movies HD, was launched. A video on demand channel was also launched on 16 September of that same year.[3]
On 1 January 2012, Star Movies was rebranded as Fox Movies Premium and available in Hong Kong, the Maldives and most of Southeast Asia.
On 10 June 2017, the Philippine feed of the channel was rebranded as Fox Movies Philippines.
On 1 November 2017, the Vietnamese feed of Star Movies was rebranded as Fox Movies Vietnam.[4]
Star Movies Changes
Star Movies has been changed into Star Movies HD on January 10, 2021.
Programming
Star Movies has first-run contracts for movies distributed by Disney (20th Century Studios, Pixar, Marvel Studios), Columbia Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and DreamWorks and sub-run contracts for movies from Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. for countries where Star Movies is available. It also features movies from other movie distributors including: Lions Gate Entertainment, Summit Entertainment and The Weinstein Company. Star Movies mainly airs Disney Movies during the daytime hours. However Star Movies India over the years been doing less premieres compared to its Asian counterparts sometimes showing programs like Masterchef Australia and pushing more premium movies into their OTT platform Disney+ Hotstar.
Operating channels
Star Movies Asia
Star Movies Asia was formerly broadcast in Southeast Asia, parts of South Asia and China as a single, ad-free channel.
As of 2017, Star Movies Asia is limited to subscribers in China due to the gradual rebrand of the channel's localised feeds to Fox Movies Premium.
Star Movies Vietnam used to air a program called "Thảm đỏ (Red Carpet)" to introduce the movies which are scheduled to broadcast on the channel, all in Vietnamese language and hosted by Vietnamese presenters.
After the rebranding of Star Movies to Fox Movies Premium, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka[5] were switched over to the ad supported Indian version of Star Movies.
Star Movies India
The channel is distributed in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and is ad supported. Movie premieres are less frequent compared to other feeds.
Star Movies India ceased broadcasting in Sri Lanka from 1 February 2015 due to content rights issues, leaving the country with no Star Movies or Fox Movies channel.[6] The channel was relaunched in Sri Lanka in 2019 after 4 years.[7]
Star Movies Select HD was launched in 2015 showcasing niche films.[8]
Star Movies MENA
Star Movies Middle East and Africa features a hardcoded Arabic-language subtitle track (except for Israel). The channel is available on both OSN and beIN.
Star Movies Taiwan
An ad-supported feed of Star Movies was launched for Taiwan specifically. It was the most localised feed of the television network, since most voice-overs in promotions for up-coming movies were done in Mandarin Chinese. The SD feed of the channel was rebranded as Fox Movies Taiwan on 18 January 2018, while the HD feed still retains is independent programming and branding.
Star Movies Philippines
Star Movies was launched on 30 November 2009 in the Philippines as an ad-supported channel. It used to simulcast with the Southeast Asian and Chinese feeds until 31 December 2009, when a localised feed was launched specifically for the Philippines. After the rebranding of Star Movies Asia as Fox Movies Premium on 1 January 2012 in most of Southeast Asia, the Philippine feed remained broadcasting until 10 June 2017 when it followed suit.
Star Movies Action
It was launched in 2 June 2013 only in India, replacing Fox Action Movies (not to be confused with its Southeast Asian counterpart) after its temporal closedown on 11 May 2013. The channel airs action- and horror-themed movies . In 2017, the channel was shutdown.[9][10]
References
- IANS (20 March 2019). "Disney now owns Star India after $71bn Fox deal". Business Standard India. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
- "Murdoch's STAR TV to drop BBC" UPI March 22, 1994
- STAR Movies HD in Asiasat 5 retrieved via http://www.lyngsat.com 05-26-2010
- FOX Movies và FOX Life chính thức lên sóng truyền hình MobiTV retrieved via http://mobitv.hanoi.vn 10-20-2017
- Lanka, Tv & Radio Sri (19 December 2011). "Dialog TV Forum: Star Movies Asia replaced with Star Movies India & HTV is kaput". Dialog TV Forum. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
- Lanka, Tv & Radio Sri (29 January 2015). "Dialog TV Forum: MGM Channel, Star World Premiere HD, Australia plus..." Dialog TV Forum. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
- "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
- "Star announces launch of Star Movies Select HD - Exchange4media". Indian Advertising Media & Marketing News – exchange4media. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
- Star Movies Action to replace Fox Action Movies retrieved via http://www.bestmediainfo.com 10-20-2013
- Star India gears-up for more action; All set to launch Star Movies Action retrieved via http://www.adgully.com 10-22-2013
