world_of_dth
Regular
😗
Anil Ambani's much talked about 'BIGTV' DTH platform had commenced test transmissions more than 2 months ago, from the MeaSat-3 satellite at 91.5 degrees East. In early February, BIGTV commenced trial commercial operations by seeding its STBs with employees and employee associates.
While the market is expecting the BIGTV launch in March-April, SCaT has reliably learnt that the launch is likely only in May 2008. Sources indicate that the hardware is not yet ready, and the company would prefer the launch after school vacations commence in May 2008. This will also be convenient for accounting the DTH operations in RCom, in the new financial year only.
Anil Ambani's Reliance BIGTV DTH platform is a subsidiary of the publicly listed Reliance Communications Ltd. It is not part of privately owned Reliance Entertainment. Hence, the launch of BIGTV is likely to impact share prices of RComm.
12 TRANSPONDERS ?
BIGTV has commenced test transmissions from 7 KU band transponders on the MEASAT 3 satellite. Unconfirmed reports are that BIGTV has the option for taking upto 12 transponders on the satellite. Rumour is that BIGTV plans to offer 300 DTH channels. If true, it would require all 12 transponders.
There is a scarcity of KU band transponders with footprints over India. As a result all new DTH platforms will be deploying the new MPEG-4 technology which provides for carriage of twice as many channels per transponder compared to MPEG-2.
Reports are that BIGTV intends to provide 200 channels which would imply 25 channels per transponder, for 8 transponders, all using MPEG-4. Of course it remains to be seen as to how a 'channel' is defined. Often DTH platforms provide 1 channel with 3 alternate audio (language) options and claim to deliver 3 channels.
SUN DTH Launched About 6 Months Ago - Is India's First MPEG-4 DTH service.
MPEG-4
MPEG-4 is the latest version of the Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) which offers much greater channel capacity using digital compression.
This increased channel capacity can be used for providing larger number of channels. Alternately it can be used to provide High Definition Television (HDTV).
Sun DTH launched about 6 months ago has the distinction of being India's first MPEG-4 DTH service.
The INX9 Hindi General Entertainment channel, launched on 12th November 2007 was the first MPEG-4 channel for retransmission by cable networks.
MPEG4 FOR Tata Sky & DISHTV
For several years before DTH was commercially launched in the country, the Indian Govt. has steadfastly maintained that all DTH STBs should be inter-operable so that consumers need not buy new STBs if they change their service provider. This consumer friendly regulation has been a unique corner stone with Indian DTH.
However, technology marches on. While the new MPEG-4 STBs can receive the earlier MPEG-2 transmissions (i.e. they are backward compatible), the older MPEG-2 STBs currently deployed by TATA SKY & Dish TV cannot be used for receiving MPEG-4 transmissions from SUN DTH & BIGTV.
Hence, the TRAI has recommended that 6 months after a declared date, TATA SKY & Dish TV will also have to provide only MPEG-4 STBs to their new subscribers. Ofcourse, the existing MPEG-2 customers will continue with their older technology boxes.
NO HDTV
High Definition Television requires substantially more bandwidth per HDTV channel compared to the regular Standard Definition (SDTV). However, MPEG-4 with its much larger compression capability can carry HDTV in approximately the same bandwidth that MPEG-2 utilises for SDTV. As a result, MPEG-4 has been widely deployed worldwide for delivering HDTV.
However, HDTV reception requires (expensive) HDTV STBs.
At least for now, BIGTV, SUN DTH or even Bharati have not declared any plans to offer HDTV. The Beijing Olympics in August 2008 will be transmitted in full HDTV and it is hoped that the event will provide a boost for HDTV worldwide. Will Indians have the privilege of receiving 2 HDTV transmissions on their high definition LCD and Plasma TVs during the Olympics. For now it seems unlikely.
DEALER ENQUIRIES
Given the keen interest on BIGTV prior to its launch, there have been several enquiries from individuals and retailers who want to take on retail sales of BIGTV DTH STBs. While we have no confirmed news, market reports indicate that BIGTV has tied up with Videocon and BIGTV STBs will be offered to consumers through Videocon's existing dealer network countrywide. This of course remains an unconfirmed rumour.
CHANNEL BOUQUET
While trial operations were in progress, Big TV had obtained all Doordarshan, STAR, Sony, Zee and NDTV channels along with some other sports, regional news and regional entertainment channels.
Notably, the Sun Network channels are not available through the platform as of now.
Readers will recall that the current laws make it compulsory for all broadcasters to share their channels, on all DTH and Cable TV platforms, if requested by the platform. Hence there is no possibility of BIGTV offering any unique TV channels as a special feature of its service, which other platforms cannot offer their consumers.
EMPLOYEE OFFER:thumbsup:
BIGTV has reportedly offered its employees the STBs at Rs 1,000, along with a monthly subscription package of Rs 325, which would entitle them to watch the channels being aired and also provide them with Rs 100 worth of Pay Per View (PPV) movies. Subscribers will have access to 32 PPV channels, which will showcase Bollywood, Hollywood and regional films.
The channel claims to have 86 channels on air right now, with 64 expected to come on board over the next couple of weeks.
Reliance employees can subscribe to this service till February 28, & they can even refer up to 4 relatives or friends for the new service at these current rates.
PRICE WAR ?
Pre-launch, it is still not clear if the BIGTV STB will be offered to the public at Rs 1,500 or at Rs 1,000. :yahoo:
In Feb, TataSky slashed its STB price to Rs 1,500 to meet the anticipated challenge.
DishTV too offered STBs at Rs 999 thru the Big Bazar chain, shortly after the Big Bazar group bought a stake in DishTV, earlier this year.
Neither TataSky nor DishTV offers caused a surge in subscriber numbers.
DTH operators also have to pay broadcasters for each of the pay channels delivered to subscribers. As a result they cannot drop monthly subscription prices significantly, as a business strategy. Further, the cost of transponder rentals and DTH operations are far higher than the overheads of a cable TV distribution company. As a result DTH practically cannot match the monthly subscriber rates offered by Cable TV.
DTH Cannot Match The Monthly Subscriber Rates Offered By Cable TV.
NO COMPETITION FOR CATV
While the STB price / down payment can induce potential subscribers to initially loosen their purse strings, subscribers are wise enough to look at the recurring monthly subscriptions, before opting for DTH. This consumer behaviour is apparent, with the lack of any flood of new subscriptions when TataSky and DishTV offered 6 months free subscriptions, or slashed their STB prices to Rs 1,500 or even lower.
Today, digital Cable TV is technologically, by far, the most advanced option, offering the largest bandwidth into the subscriber's homes, at the lowest cost. 😗
Most Indian CATV homes receive the full compliment of channels at a price ranging from Rs 150 to Rs 300 per month, which is well below even BIGTV's anticipated launch price of Rs 325 per month. The poorer sections of society also do not receive any concessional pricing.
If the TRAI's proposal that CATV networks should be permitted to receive channels individually, and consequently reduce subscribers bills to Rs 220 to Rs 275, DTH would face even more severe competition from Cable TV. n
Satellite & Cable TV
Anil Ambani's much talked about 'BIGTV' DTH platform had commenced test transmissions more than 2 months ago, from the MeaSat-3 satellite at 91.5 degrees East. In early February, BIGTV commenced trial commercial operations by seeding its STBs with employees and employee associates.
While the market is expecting the BIGTV launch in March-April, SCaT has reliably learnt that the launch is likely only in May 2008. Sources indicate that the hardware is not yet ready, and the company would prefer the launch after school vacations commence in May 2008. This will also be convenient for accounting the DTH operations in RCom, in the new financial year only.
Anil Ambani's Reliance BIGTV DTH platform is a subsidiary of the publicly listed Reliance Communications Ltd. It is not part of privately owned Reliance Entertainment. Hence, the launch of BIGTV is likely to impact share prices of RComm.
12 TRANSPONDERS ?
BIGTV has commenced test transmissions from 7 KU band transponders on the MEASAT 3 satellite. Unconfirmed reports are that BIGTV has the option for taking upto 12 transponders on the satellite. Rumour is that BIGTV plans to offer 300 DTH channels. If true, it would require all 12 transponders.
There is a scarcity of KU band transponders with footprints over India. As a result all new DTH platforms will be deploying the new MPEG-4 technology which provides for carriage of twice as many channels per transponder compared to MPEG-2.
Reports are that BIGTV intends to provide 200 channels which would imply 25 channels per transponder, for 8 transponders, all using MPEG-4. Of course it remains to be seen as to how a 'channel' is defined. Often DTH platforms provide 1 channel with 3 alternate audio (language) options and claim to deliver 3 channels.
SUN DTH Launched About 6 Months Ago - Is India's First MPEG-4 DTH service.
MPEG-4
MPEG-4 is the latest version of the Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) which offers much greater channel capacity using digital compression.
This increased channel capacity can be used for providing larger number of channels. Alternately it can be used to provide High Definition Television (HDTV).
Sun DTH launched about 6 months ago has the distinction of being India's first MPEG-4 DTH service.
The INX9 Hindi General Entertainment channel, launched on 12th November 2007 was the first MPEG-4 channel for retransmission by cable networks.
MPEG4 FOR Tata Sky & DISHTV
For several years before DTH was commercially launched in the country, the Indian Govt. has steadfastly maintained that all DTH STBs should be inter-operable so that consumers need not buy new STBs if they change their service provider. This consumer friendly regulation has been a unique corner stone with Indian DTH.
However, technology marches on. While the new MPEG-4 STBs can receive the earlier MPEG-2 transmissions (i.e. they are backward compatible), the older MPEG-2 STBs currently deployed by TATA SKY & Dish TV cannot be used for receiving MPEG-4 transmissions from SUN DTH & BIGTV.
Hence, the TRAI has recommended that 6 months after a declared date, TATA SKY & Dish TV will also have to provide only MPEG-4 STBs to their new subscribers. Ofcourse, the existing MPEG-2 customers will continue with their older technology boxes.
NO HDTV
High Definition Television requires substantially more bandwidth per HDTV channel compared to the regular Standard Definition (SDTV). However, MPEG-4 with its much larger compression capability can carry HDTV in approximately the same bandwidth that MPEG-2 utilises for SDTV. As a result, MPEG-4 has been widely deployed worldwide for delivering HDTV.
However, HDTV reception requires (expensive) HDTV STBs.
At least for now, BIGTV, SUN DTH or even Bharati have not declared any plans to offer HDTV. The Beijing Olympics in August 2008 will be transmitted in full HDTV and it is hoped that the event will provide a boost for HDTV worldwide. Will Indians have the privilege of receiving 2 HDTV transmissions on their high definition LCD and Plasma TVs during the Olympics. For now it seems unlikely.
DEALER ENQUIRIES
Given the keen interest on BIGTV prior to its launch, there have been several enquiries from individuals and retailers who want to take on retail sales of BIGTV DTH STBs. While we have no confirmed news, market reports indicate that BIGTV has tied up with Videocon and BIGTV STBs will be offered to consumers through Videocon's existing dealer network countrywide. This of course remains an unconfirmed rumour.
CHANNEL BOUQUET
While trial operations were in progress, Big TV had obtained all Doordarshan, STAR, Sony, Zee and NDTV channels along with some other sports, regional news and regional entertainment channels.
Notably, the Sun Network channels are not available through the platform as of now.
Readers will recall that the current laws make it compulsory for all broadcasters to share their channels, on all DTH and Cable TV platforms, if requested by the platform. Hence there is no possibility of BIGTV offering any unique TV channels as a special feature of its service, which other platforms cannot offer their consumers.
EMPLOYEE OFFER:thumbsup:
BIGTV has reportedly offered its employees the STBs at Rs 1,000, along with a monthly subscription package of Rs 325, which would entitle them to watch the channels being aired and also provide them with Rs 100 worth of Pay Per View (PPV) movies. Subscribers will have access to 32 PPV channels, which will showcase Bollywood, Hollywood and regional films.
The channel claims to have 86 channels on air right now, with 64 expected to come on board over the next couple of weeks.
Reliance employees can subscribe to this service till February 28, & they can even refer up to 4 relatives or friends for the new service at these current rates.
PRICE WAR ?
Pre-launch, it is still not clear if the BIGTV STB will be offered to the public at Rs 1,500 or at Rs 1,000. :yahoo:
In Feb, TataSky slashed its STB price to Rs 1,500 to meet the anticipated challenge.
DishTV too offered STBs at Rs 999 thru the Big Bazar chain, shortly after the Big Bazar group bought a stake in DishTV, earlier this year.
Neither TataSky nor DishTV offers caused a surge in subscriber numbers.
DTH operators also have to pay broadcasters for each of the pay channels delivered to subscribers. As a result they cannot drop monthly subscription prices significantly, as a business strategy. Further, the cost of transponder rentals and DTH operations are far higher than the overheads of a cable TV distribution company. As a result DTH practically cannot match the monthly subscriber rates offered by Cable TV.
DTH Cannot Match The Monthly Subscriber Rates Offered By Cable TV.
NO COMPETITION FOR CATV
While the STB price / down payment can induce potential subscribers to initially loosen their purse strings, subscribers are wise enough to look at the recurring monthly subscriptions, before opting for DTH. This consumer behaviour is apparent, with the lack of any flood of new subscriptions when TataSky and DishTV offered 6 months free subscriptions, or slashed their STB prices to Rs 1,500 or even lower.
Today, digital Cable TV is technologically, by far, the most advanced option, offering the largest bandwidth into the subscriber's homes, at the lowest cost. 😗
Most Indian CATV homes receive the full compliment of channels at a price ranging from Rs 150 to Rs 300 per month, which is well below even BIGTV's anticipated launch price of Rs 325 per month. The poorer sections of society also do not receive any concessional pricing.
If the TRAI's proposal that CATV networks should be permitted to receive channels individually, and consequently reduce subscribers bills to Rs 220 to Rs 275, DTH would face even more severe competition from Cable TV. n
Satellite & Cable TV