DTH operators are planning to offer high-definition TV set-top boxes to customers. It will offer you a picture resolution which is as good as a 35mm movie screen and far superior to what you are watching currently. In addition to that, you will also listen to CD-quality sound.
It will also offer you a widescreen format which ensures that cinema movies shown on TV do not come with the jarring black bars on the top and the bottom of the screen.
High-definition television (HDTV) is all set to make an entry into India by the end of this year. Direct to home operators (DTH) — Dish TV and Reliance Communications — are planning to offer HDTV set-top boxes to customers, of course at a premium, to have a glimpse of HDTV channels on their television sets.
Broadcasters like Peter Mukherjea-promoted INX Media and Star TV are already producing content which is on HDTV technology. And over 16 per cent (2.5 million) of TV sale of consumer electronics companies like Samsung are HDTV-ready.
Jawahar Goel, Dish TV director and part of the Zee group says: “All our DTH equipment is HDTV-ready and we are hopeful to sell HDTV set-top boxes by the third quarter of this year.” Goel adds the boxes are available at prices ranging between $85 and $100 which is double the price of a normal set-top box.
A Reliance Communications executive also says that the company is in the process of scouting around for content on HDTV and would be offering HDTV set-top boxes to consumers, though the timeframe is still not clear.
Content producers and broadcasters have already jumped into the bandwagon. Says Peter Mukherjea one of the promoters of INX channel: “It might be 30-50 per cent more expensive to produce HDTV content, but we have decided to be HDTV-ready with our news channel.
For a new channel it does not make sense for us to buy equipment which is not HDTV-ready.”
Even Star TV is taking the first steps in the entertainment arena. Kirten Adyanthaya, general manager, Star Plus, says: “Mahabharata an upcoming show on Star Plus will be made in high definition.
We are experimenting at the moment and based on the response we will consider high definition for other shows.”
Regional broadcasters have caught on to the potential. Andhra Pradesh chief minister’s son YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will launch a HDTV news and current affairs channel by October, which will probably be called Sakshi TV.
Reddy says the cost of an HDTV venture is about 30 per cent higher than television infrastructure in standard definition.
Experts say the push to HDTV has been prompted by the fact that the government has taken a decision that the broadcasting of Commonwealth Games in 2010 will be undertaken only on HDTV technology.
As a result, Doordarshan, which is also expected to launch HDTV on an experimental basis, has stated it will produce content for the Commonwealth in HDTV format.
HDTV set to enter Indian markets
It will also offer you a widescreen format which ensures that cinema movies shown on TV do not come with the jarring black bars on the top and the bottom of the screen.
High-definition television (HDTV) is all set to make an entry into India by the end of this year. Direct to home operators (DTH) — Dish TV and Reliance Communications — are planning to offer HDTV set-top boxes to customers, of course at a premium, to have a glimpse of HDTV channels on their television sets.
Broadcasters like Peter Mukherjea-promoted INX Media and Star TV are already producing content which is on HDTV technology. And over 16 per cent (2.5 million) of TV sale of consumer electronics companies like Samsung are HDTV-ready.
Jawahar Goel, Dish TV director and part of the Zee group says: “All our DTH equipment is HDTV-ready and we are hopeful to sell HDTV set-top boxes by the third quarter of this year.” Goel adds the boxes are available at prices ranging between $85 and $100 which is double the price of a normal set-top box.
A Reliance Communications executive also says that the company is in the process of scouting around for content on HDTV and would be offering HDTV set-top boxes to consumers, though the timeframe is still not clear.
Content producers and broadcasters have already jumped into the bandwagon. Says Peter Mukherjea one of the promoters of INX channel: “It might be 30-50 per cent more expensive to produce HDTV content, but we have decided to be HDTV-ready with our news channel.
For a new channel it does not make sense for us to buy equipment which is not HDTV-ready.”
Even Star TV is taking the first steps in the entertainment arena. Kirten Adyanthaya, general manager, Star Plus, says: “Mahabharata an upcoming show on Star Plus will be made in high definition.
We are experimenting at the moment and based on the response we will consider high definition for other shows.”
Regional broadcasters have caught on to the potential. Andhra Pradesh chief minister’s son YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will launch a HDTV news and current affairs channel by October, which will probably be called Sakshi TV.
Reddy says the cost of an HDTV venture is about 30 per cent higher than television infrastructure in standard definition.
Experts say the push to HDTV has been prompted by the fact that the government has taken a decision that the broadcasting of Commonwealth Games in 2010 will be undertaken only on HDTV technology.
As a result, Doordarshan, which is also expected to launch HDTV on an experimental basis, has stated it will produce content for the Commonwealth in HDTV format.
HDTV set to enter Indian markets
