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NORTH KOREA IS rolling out an on-demand TV catch-up service, allowing people with some sort of internet access to enjoy the highly-propagandised output of its four state-run TV channels at their leisure.
The system, which goes by the name ‘Manbang’ (‘Everywhere’), functions like a sharply pared-down Netflix with an on-demand service menu that divides programming by channel and genre.
Viewers can scroll through the day’s programmes – usually aired during a 3pm-11pm window – and select a particular TV show to watch at their leisure.
A programme introducing the service that aired on Korean Central Television (KCTV) last week said it was available to any institute, company or household that subscribes to North Korea’s state-operated intranet.
The number of intranet subscribers in North Korea is unknown, but KCTV said “hundreds” of people had signed up to the Manbang service in Sinuiju – one of three cities where the system is being rolled out.
Set up in 2000, the intranet only allows access to selected, government-approved websites and mostly functions as a communication platform between government agencies, universities, industry and commerce.
Outside of hotels catering to foreigners, access to the full-blown internet in North Korea is for the super-elite only – a few hundred people or maybe 1,000 at most.
The KCTV programme interviewed a housewife who explained how she had been able to perfect a recipe by watching and re-watching her favourite cooking programme.
The new service “demonstrates a technological advancement”, said Martyn Williams, editor of the North Korea Tech website.
“But it is unclear how many apartment buildings and houses in North Korea have access to the kind of high-speed data service that such a service relies on,” Williams said.
The service also provides access to selected study sources, suggesting it could be used to enhance distance learning.
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Don’t Google Manbang
They will be trilled in Finglas, reports here yesterday suggesting a link with Finglas and North Korea, this will give the great access to Dear Leader.
Dear Leader is in north korea? i thought he was the TD for louth?
Gabby,
You are confused, our dear leader is the elected rep for jobstown. He took over from the other now retired Dear Leader Kim Joe Higgins.
No prob, ever since Google dropped Palestine from their Google Map service, there won’t be any googling anything. Duckduckgo is a very nice alternative search engine.
They’ll surely show the highlights of them beating Brazil 7-0 in the World Cup final.
That’s after they air the long lost footage of their best astronaut holding Neil Armstrong in a headlock on the moon.
I heard Lil kim scored 2 perfect hat tricks that day Coco
Wonder is it showing “The Interview”..
I’ve got to get me one of these…
“Manbang and Chill” doesn’t sound as inconspicuous as “Netflix and Chill”
Its showing a documentary explaining how north Korea won WW 2 and how they crushed everyone to leave them the only superpower on earth
Gok Wan or whatever yer man in charge is called will probably binge watch Love/Hate. Just to get him up to speed on Finglas before the twinning.
Poor citizens can binge on House of Kim’s, Kims of Anarchy & Breaking Kim
Proper Internet for a few hundred people… just like Ireland then.
Chances are North Korea broadband infrastructures is better than ours.
I hear the Koreans can get eir sports and BT sports unlike Virgin media customers.
They are all copy cats, but they still have nothing to match our booming to service!
AERTEL
Right. Need to get a VPN for that!!!
Proper Internet only available to a few hundred people? Just like Ireland then.
Just announced RTE has sold the rights to Fair City and The Late Late Show to South Korea KCTV TV3 have sold Red Rock
Well that’s enough to completely destabilise the peninsula and start ww3 anyway.
management..sounds like a gay porn channel.
you sound like a subscriber?
I was on a North Korean chat forum last night.
Huge debate about the Irish Olympic ticket scandal going on.
Really interesting debate.
It’s about time, seeing as Kim man bang invented the Internet in the first place.
Some fans of the auld hurling over there, should be delighted to watch Tipp beat the cats in the final after the Finglas deal went through.
have your say