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Star Chinese Movies (Chinese: 衛視電影台) was a Chinese language pay television channel owned by Disney Networks Group Pacific Ltd. The channel mainly broadcast Chinese-language films (including Chinese films, Cantonese films, Taiwanese films, Singaporean films, and Malaysian films), as well as bilingual Japanese films, Japanese animations (strip TV series and theatrical versions), Korean films, Thai films, etc., and digitally restored some Hong Kong action films. At the time of the channel's expansion into Thailand and Indonesia, its owner Fox International Channels claimed that it was the most widely distributed Chinese-language entertainment channel.[1]
| Country |
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|---|---|
| Broadcast area |
|
| Headquarters |
|
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | |
| Picture format | HDTV 1080i (downscaled to 576i for the SDTV feed) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Disney Networks Group Asia Pacific |
| Sister channels | Star Chinese Channel |
| History | |
| Launched | 1 May 1994 (Taiwan) 1 June 1996 (Malaysia, Astro) (First incarnation) |
| Closed |
|
| Replaced by | Phoenix Movies Channel (Southeast Asia and Mainland China) Catchplay Movie Channel (Taiwan) Astro AEC (Malaysia, Astro) |
| Former names | Star Mandarin Movies (1 May 1994–31 March 1996) |
History
editIt was launched on 1 May 1994 as Star Mandarin Movies as a replacement for BBC World Service Television.[2] At that time, it screened both Hollywood and Chinese-language films and was focused to a pan-Asian audience split into two television channels: Star Movies International (now Fox Movies) and Star Mandarin Movies (now Star Chinese Movies).
Their movies during the launch were acquired by Star Chinese Channel, which originally launched back in 1991, timesharing with the Western version for 2 years, it also aired Western movies at various times.
On 1 February 1996, the channel logo was changed from a STAR wordmark to a box-type star logo and it continues to air Western movies (the voice was English, French, or other European languages, but the capture was traditional Chinese) until 30 June 1998.
On 31 March 1996, both English and Chinese content were split off from Star Movies, Star Chinese Movies is now focused on Southeast Asia (including Taiwan), Hong Kong and Macau, and Mainland China, and it was aired on several markets including Astro (Malaysia), SKY PerfecTV! (Japan) and more providers.
It was launched in Malaysia on 1 June 1996.
The channel was previously broadcast across Malaysia on 31 August 1997 at 23:59 Malaysia Time and in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Macau, and Mainland China on 28 August 1998 at 19:00 Hong Kong Time, Star TV split STAR Chinese Movies into certain areas and reduced its broadcasting area to just Taiwan (Viewers in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Macau, and Mainland China were offered Phoenix Movies Channel instead and Malaysia were offered Astro AEC instead).
On 1 April 1999, the channel had a first major logo change from vertical to horizontal, along with other STAR TV channels.
On 26 September 2003, Star Chinese Movies was launched on Now TV in Hong Kong. Later, a similar situation occurred in Singapore (via StarHub Cable TV), and in the Philippines (via SkyCable). On the same day, it relaunched localized feeds in Hong Kong and Macau (in Cantonese), Singapore (in Mandarin), Southeast Asia (in Mandarin), and Malaysia (Southeast Asian feed in Cantonese).
On 25 January 2008, a sister channel named Star Chinese Movies 2 was launched,[3] the HD and VOD channels launched a few years later.
On 19 May 2012, The channel logo was changed from a star to a stylized crown.[4]
On 1 November 2013, the channel was expanded to more countries, including Thailand and Indonesia: GMMZ, MeTV, First Media, Big TV, Skyindo, and Parabola Orange TV. After a month, it was available on Aora TV.
On 1 September 2014, it was launched on HyppTV in Malaysia bringing back the channel in Malaysia after 16 years, the alternatives that also have more Chinese movie content are Star Chinese Movies Legend and Star Movies Asia (Malaysia only).
On April 29, 2017, Star Chinese Movies provided bilingual services, and most of the movies were broadcast in Mandarin and original sound simultaneously.
In addition, they also obtained the pay TV broadcasting rights of the Hong Kong Film Awards and the Golden Horse Awards for Hong Kong, Macau and Southeast Asia (except Singapore and Malaysia, in which sold to their local broadcaster).
As Disney, who had previously brought FOX International Networks, decided to further enroll Disney+ across the Asian markets, they had decided to cease their entire pay TV networks, including Star Chinese Movies. The channel has ceased operation in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Macau on October 1, 2023, while the Taiwanese feed (alongside its separated HD feed) closed down on January 1, 2024.[5] The channel's Taiwanese feed was later replaced by Catchplay Movie Channel following the closure.[6]
Feeds
edit| Country/Region | Star Chinese Movies | Star Chinese Movies Legend |
|---|---|---|
 Taiwan
|
1 May 1994–31 December 2023; launched alongside separated Star Chinese Movies HD (星衛HD電影台) | None |
 Hong Kong Macau (localized)
|
Star Chinese Movies (衛視電影台)
Phoenix Movies Channel (鳳凰衛視電影台): 28 August 1998–Today |
15 December 2007–30 September 2021 |
 Singapore (localized)
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*Southeast Asia Myanmar Maldives Thailand Cambodia Laos Vietnam Philippines Indonesia Timor-Leste Papua New Guinea Brunei
| ||
 Malaysia (SEA Feed; in Cantonese)
| ||
 Australia New Zealand
|
Australia: 2013–2018 New Zealand: 1 March 2016–28 February 2018 |
None |
 United States Canada
|
2010–2018 (Titles from SCM Legend lasted till 2013) |
Star Chinese Movies Legend
edit| Country | Singapore |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area |
|
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | Cantonese |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| History | |
| Launched | 15 December 2007 |
| Closed | 1 October 2021 |
| Former names | Star Chinese Movies 2 (2007-2012) |
Star Chinese Movies Legend (Chinese: 衛視卡式台) (also known as SCM Legend) was a sister movie channel of Star Chinese Movies based in Singapore.[7] First launched on 25 January 2008[3] as Star Chinese Movies 2 (Chinese: 衛視電影2台), later rebranded on 1 October 2012[8] as Star Chinese Movies Legend. The channel broadcast British Hong Kong oldies historical heritage and colonial movies from 1 January 1970 to 31 December 1992. 23 Years was officially the main production company that took place by STAR TV Filmed Entertainment.
As Disney continued to expand Disney+ across Asian territories, they decided to shutting down many of their pay TV channels, which include Star Chinese Movies Legend, on October 1, 2021.[9]
References
edit- ^ Middleton, Richard (1 November 2013). "FIC adds SCM to Thailand, Indonesia". C21Media. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ "Murdoch's STAR TV to drop BBC". UPI. 22 March 1994. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ a b "Singapore gets Star treatment". C21Media. 23 January 2008. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ "Fox International and NBCUniversal rebrand channels in Asia". Campaign Asia. 5 October 2012.
- ^ Frater, Patrick (14 June 2023). "Disney to Close Remaining Linear TV Channels in Southeast Asia and Korea". Variety. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
- ^ "迪士尼撤台！CATCHPLAY接手「邵雨薇床戰鳳小岳」超狂片單全公佈". SET News (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 27 December 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ "STAR CHINESE MOVIE LEGENDS". Lumbre. Archived from the original on 11 June 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
- ^ "衛視電影2台革新成衛視卡式台" [Star Chinese Movies 2 was transformed into Star Chinese Movies Legend]. Macau Cable TV (in Chinese). 15 October 2012. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ Multiple sources:
- Frater, Patrick (27 April 2021). "Disney Slashes Linear TV in Asia With 18-Channel Closure, Shifts Focus to Disney Plus". Variety. Archived from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
- Kanter, Jake (27 April 2021). "Disney Closes 18 Asia TV Channels As It Shifts Focus To Disney+". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
- Lai, Adrian (29 April 2021). "Disney To Shut Down 18 Channels In Southeast Asia". IGN. Archived from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
External links
edit- STAR Chinese Movies Taiwan (in Chinese)
- STAR Chinese Movies HD Taiwan (in Chinese)
- STAR Chinese Movies Hong Kong
- STAR Chinese Movies Hong Kong (at Now TV)