By Kim Tong-hyung
Staff reporter

A Korean cable television firm will launch an Internet-based video-on-demand service (VOD) that allows viewers to access their favorite shows anywhere.

The new service by CJ HelloVision, dubbed "Tving," will make its debut today and offers 53 live channels at the fingertips of mouse-wielding viewers.

The service is similar to "TV Everywhere" provided by American cable operator Comcast, which is competing with a growing number of firms such as Hulu for supremacy in Web-based television.

Although Tving will only initially be enabled on personal computing devices like desktops and laptops, CJ HelloVision also plans to introduce a version for mobile devices.

One of the ideas is collaborating with handset vendors to introduce a series of "Hello Phones," or mobile phones equipped to play digital broadcasting.

CJ HelloVision plans to start its own wireless access point business to help boost content use on Hello Phones, and is also considering launching an Internet telephony service to connect with its Web-based television offerings.

The push for Web-based broadcasting, a goal shared by other cable providers as well, is part of the industry's effort to defend its pay-television supremacy against the challenge of the threatening new platform, Internet protocol television (IPTV).

"Our 'N-Screen' strategy, which is aimed at providing cable television across a variety of platforms such as the Internet and mobile-phones, is rapidly gaining importance in our overall business operations," said a HelloVision spokesman.

"The launching of Tving signals CJ HelloVision's conversion from a conventional cable firm to a legitimate convergence provider that offers blended broadcasting and telecommunications services."

Interactivity will be a distinguished strength for Tving, claims CJ HelloVision, which partnered with Internet broadcast firm Gom TV to add live chatting and search ratings updates over its VOD offerings.

Perhaps, the more immediate charm of Tving will be its role as a personal fallback screen when the family decides to monopolize the living room television set.

Getting 50 or more channels on a laptop surely beats squinting at tiny mobile-phone screens to pick up digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) mobile television signals.

To access Tving, users can sign up to the service's Web site (www.tving.com) and agree to pay 3,500 won ($3) per month.

The fee will be lowered to either 1,500 won or 2,000 won per month for existing customers of CJ HelloVision's cable television channels.