Category: DTH

DishTV takes total HD channel count to 55; adds regional HD channels

MUMBAI: Catering to the demand of regional viewers and bringing them under the High Definition umbrella, DishTV, Asia’s largest DTH service provider, has added four new regional HD channels to its HD offerings. With addition of these channels, DishTV encourages regional language subscribers to opt for HD TV viewing in their preferred language such as Marathi, Kannada, Bangla & Telugu.

Dish TV is Asia Pacific’s largest direct-to-home (DTH) company and part of one of India’s biggest media conglomerate – the ‘Zee’ Group. Dish TV has on its platform more than 575 channels & services including 22 audio channels and over 55 HD channels & services.

DishTV India CEO Arun Kapoor said, “DishTV has always taken a lead in enhancing TV viewing experience and exploring opportunities to bring wholesome entertainment to the audience. With a sharp focus on regional language content, the move aims at connecting strongly with the regional language subscribers. Addition of four new regional HD channels will not only strengthen our presence in the HD space but will also diversify our offerings.”

Having already built a strong connection with the regional speaking audience through their regional channels in HD such as Gemini HD in Telugu, and Sun TV HD, Sun Music HD and KTV HD in Tamil, the addition of 4 more new channels exemplify DishTV’s commitment to cater to a wide range of viewers in all the regions. The newly added channels from DishTV include Zee Talkies HD, Colors Kannada HD, Colors Bangla HD and ETV HD. With these measures, DishTV has taken the total count of HD channels from 51 to 55.

DishTV’s newly added channels will be available to the subscriber for a free preview till November 1, 2016.

In order to take the most viewed HD channels to the households, DishTV has also introduced special festive offers to enable customers to opt for a new High-Definition connection by just paying Rs 120 extra. Customers just have to pay an introductory price of Rs. 1990 which will include subscription of one-month Super Family Pack/ Jumbo Pack and any one HD add-on (worth Rs 75) for one month at no extra cost. Customers will also get options to select HD sachets as per their interest at a nominal price of Rs.75.

Dish TV uses the NSS-6 satellite platform which is unique in the Indian subcontinent owing to its automated power control and contoured beam which makes it suitable for use in ITU K and N rain zones ideally suited for India’s tropical climate. The company also has transponders on the Asiasat 5 platform and on the SES-8 platform which makes its total bandwidth capacity equal to 828 MHZ, the largest held by any DTH player in the country.

October 18, 2016
Pay and play multi-genre Music+ on Tata Sky

MUMBAI: DTH player Tata Sky launched the “nation’s first service with four music genres on a pay TV platform” in Mumbai on Wednesday. Christened ‘Music+’, it has been launched in partnership with digital entertainment company Hungama.

Segregated into four segments – Mehfil, Indie Rootz, Jazz and More, and International, the service will be co-curated by composer trio Shankar Ehsaan Loy.

Music+ will give Tata Sky subscribers exclusive access to a rich trove of music content ranging from the classics to the latest launches, and this will include music videos, concerts and artist interviews spanning genres from international pop, country, rock and indie music to jazz and blues, sufi, folk, nazms and ghazals. Subscribers of the service will be able to watch some of the biggest on ground music events and festivals in the country on their screens, says the company.

The proposed line-up of artistes to be featured on Music+ includes Pankaj Udhas, Jagjit Singh, Elvis, Abba, Miles Davis, Eric Clapton, Salim Sulaiman, Armaan Malik, and others.

Tata Sky Music+ will be available on channel number 817 and will be available for all Tata Sky subscribers free for the first five days and subsequently priced at Rs three per day.

October 13, 2016
Pay and play multi-genre Music+ on Tata Sky

MUMBAI: DTH player Tata Sky launched the “nation’s first service with four music genres on a pay TV platform” in Mumbai on Wednesday. Christened ‘Music+’, it has been launched in partnership with digital entertainment company Hungama.

Segregated into four segments – Mehfil, Indie Rootz, Jazz and More, and International, the service will be co-curated by composer trio Shankar Ehsaan Loy.

Music+ will give Tata Sky subscribers exclusive access to a rich trove of music content ranging from the classics to the latest launches, and this will include music videos, concerts and artist interviews spanning genres from international pop, country, rock and indie music to jazz and blues, sufi, folk, nazms and ghazals. Subscribers of the service will be able to watch some of the biggest on ground music events and festivals in the country on their screens, says the company.

The proposed line-up of artistes to be featured on Music+ includes Pankaj Udhas, Jagjit Singh, Elvis, Abba, Miles Davis, Eric Clapton, Salim Sulaiman, Armaan Malik, and others.

Tata Sky Music+ will be available on channel number 817 and will be available for all Tata Sky subscribers free for the first five days and subsequently priced at Rs three per day.

October 13, 2016
DD FreeDish to roll out call centre

MUMBAI: It’s getting customer-focused. Almost as if inspired by the services provided by the private DTH providers such as Tata Sky, DishTV, Videcon d2h, Airtel Digtial TV, and Sun Direct, the Doordarshan-promoted free TV provider DD FreeDish is getting set to launch its call centre facility.

It is taking this step concurrent with the expansion of its channel capacity from 80 channels to 104, courtesy the move to upgrade its set-top boxes from MPEG2 to MPEG4.

A senior Prasar Bharati official yesterday confirmed while talking to indiantelevision.com that a call centre would be set up after completion of MPEG4 Switchover.

Once customers buy their iCAS-enabled and approved set top boxes from authorized retailers, they will then have to make a call to the FreeDish call centre to get their STB registered. This will then allow DD’s engineers to keep a tab on the number of subscribers the DTH platform has.

The call centre would be set up after the total switch-over to MPEG4 when a centre number on which a subscriber could call would also be given, the Prasar Bharati official said.

DD has been plagued by a lack of subscriber information to DD FreeDish over the years. The pubcaster created the platform but sold the MPEG2 STBs through retailers without keeping a tab on who was buying them and who is active. Estimates are that its subscriber base could be anywhere from 20 million to 40 million.

Since the new STBS are MPEG 4 compliant and have a conditional access system installed in them, they will have to be activated which will happen courtesy the call centre. This will give DD the facility of logging in every new subscriber into its system and hence have accurate subscriber counts. The call centre will apparently be the touch point for all service related complaints to the STB also.

Hitherto DD FreeDish had toll free help line and a customer help desk numbers which operate from morning to 10 pm, according to its website. The opening of a 24 hour call centre facility could add to the FreeDish customer’s delight

October 7, 2016
DD FreeDish to roll out call centre

MUMBAI: It’s getting customer-focused. Almost as if inspired by the services provided by the private DTH providers such as Tata Sky, DishTV, Videcon d2h, Airtel Digtial TV, and Sun Direct, the Doordarshan-promoted free TV provider DD FreeDish is getting set to launch its call centre facility.

It is taking this step concurrent with the expansion of its channel capacity from 80 channels to 104, courtesy the move to upgrade its set-top boxes from MPEG2 to MPEG4.

A senior Prasar Bharati official yesterday confirmed while talking to indiantelevision.com that a call centre would be set up after completion of MPEG4 Switchover.

Once customers buy their iCAS-enabled and approved set top boxes from authorized retailers, they will then have to make a call to the FreeDish call centre to get their STB registered. This will then allow DD’s engineers to keep a tab on the number of subscribers the DTH platform has.

The call centre would be set up after the total switch-over to MPEG4 when a centre number on which a subscriber could call would also be given, the Prasar Bharati official said.

DD has been plagued by a lack of subscriber information to DD FreeDish over the years. The pubcaster created the platform but sold the MPEG2 STBs through retailers without keeping a tab on who was buying them and who is active. Estimates are that its subscriber base could be anywhere from 20 million to 40 million.

Since the new STBS are MPEG 4 compliant and have a conditional access system installed in them, they will have to be activated which will happen courtesy the call centre. This will give DD the facility of logging in every new subscriber into its system and hence have accurate subscriber counts. The call centre will apparently be the touch point for all service related complaints to the STB also.

Hitherto DD FreeDish had toll free help line and a customer help desk numbers which operate from morning to 10 pm, according to its website. The opening of a 24 hour call centre facility could add to the FreeDish customer’s delight

October 7, 2016
DD FreeDish e-auction put off due to technical errors

MUMBAI: In probably what is a first, DD FreeDish’s e-auction was scrapped yesterday. The reason: technical glitches on the site of the auctioneer C1 India Pvt Ltd.

DD has made this announcement on its website admitting that, since bidders were experiencing problems, the bidding process was being put off until C1 India rectifies the errors.

DD FreeDish had announced 5 October as the 31st e-auction date last month. It had put the reserve price for the vacant slot at Rs 4.3 crore despite the bid amount touching Rs 5.2 crore in the previous 30th e-auction. It had also urged private channels whose agreement with the free DTH was expiring on 31 December 2016 needed to take part in the e-auction to continue to be distributed by it.

DD said it would keep bidders informed about the resumption date.

The free TV service is gearing up to expand its capacity to 104 channels and then to 250 by 2018. It has started rolling out MPEG4 boxes with iCAS, in place of the earlier MPEG2 ones.

DD FreeDish has come as a boon of sorts, helping India’s broadcasters to generate good revenues from old library and catalogue channels. Channels such as Zee Anmol, Sony Pal, Star Utsav – tenants of DD FreeDish — which show reruns of old TV shows and films have suddenly become the eye candy of the advertising community as they offer them reach in rural areas that channels distributed by cable TV and private DTH cannot.

October 7, 2016
DD FreeDish e-auction put off due to technical errors

MUMBAI: In probably what is a first, DD FreeDish’s e-auction was scrapped yesterday. The reason: technical glitches on the site of the auctioneer C1 India Pvt Ltd.

DD has made this announcement on its website admitting that, since bidders were experiencing problems, the bidding process was being put off until C1 India rectifies the errors.

DD FreeDish had announced 5 October as the 31st e-auction date last month. It had put the reserve price for the vacant slot at Rs 4.3 crore despite the bid amount touching Rs 5.2 crore in the previous 30th e-auction. It had also urged private channels whose agreement with the free DTH was expiring on 31 December 2016 needed to take part in the e-auction to continue to be distributed by it.

DD said it would keep bidders informed about the resumption date.

The free TV service is gearing up to expand its capacity to 104 channels and then to 250 by 2018. It has started rolling out MPEG4 boxes with iCAS, in place of the earlier MPEG2 ones.

DD FreeDish has come as a boon of sorts, helping India’s broadcasters to generate good revenues from old library and catalogue channels. Channels such as Zee Anmol, Sony Pal, Star Utsav – tenants of DD FreeDish — which show reruns of old TV shows and films have suddenly become the eye candy of the advertising community as they offer them reach in rural areas that channels distributed by cable TV and private DTH cannot.

October 7, 2016
DTH players roll out festival offers

MUMBAI: Brands are bursting Diwali offers. As the festive season draws closer, all the D2H players, one after the other, are extending lucrative offers to consumers to buy their products and subscribe to their service. Tata Sky had run a promotional offer between 8 and 21 August on its tenth anniversary, under which it allowed subscribers to watch all its 500 plus channels at no extra cost.

DishTV has now come up with a special Diwali HD offer. Customers can opt for a high-definition set-top box at minimal additional cost just by paying Rs. 120 extra. The subscribers can also view HD channels via DishTV’s small HD entertainment add-on packs.

DTH operator Videocon d2h has hopped on to the bandwagon of the promotional offers. Videocon boasts of a 11-12 million active subscriber base and has branded the promotion as “Khushiyon kee Diwali.”

New Videocon subscribers will have to pay only Rs 1820 for HD or Rs 1620 for a standard definition connection. On choosing a monthly subscription plan, the newbie can instantaneously upgrade themselves to the next higher upgrade plan for two months at no cost. Additionally, existing subscribers can also avail of the free two month upgrade by coughing up just Rs 10 extra on their monthly plan. The DTH operator had upped its prices by a minimum of about Rs 20 a month across subscription packges on account of the rise in service tax, various levies and other input costs.

Says Videocon d2h executive chairman Saurabh Dhoot: “The festive season is all about mega enjoyment. This year our Diwali offer covers everyone from our existing subscriber to the potential subscriber opting for a new connection from Videocon d2h. This offer blends perfectly with our brand promise of providing wholesome entertainment for the family.”

Adds Videocon d2h CEO Anil Khera: “Our Khushiyon kee Diwali promotion from 1 October to 30 November h Nov gives our existing consumer to enjoy the festive season with an upgrade to the next higher monthly plan for 60 days. We strongly believe that this attractive offer will create waves in the market in this festive season.”

Videocon d2h offer subscribers 570 channels and services, including a host of regional channels. It offers a wide range of active services like smart services including smart English, smart games.

DishTV’s HD sachets capture the interest of consumers towards HD viewing by offering them the channels at a nominal price of Rs.75 for one. This offering enables DishTV subscribers to select these small packs as per their preferences and needs. “With users aspiring for HD channels, this move is to encourage them to embrace HD channels at a minimal cost,” said DishTV CEO Arun Kapoor.

For new HD connections, customers will now have to pay an introductory price of Rs. 1990 which will include subscription of one-month super family pack or jumbo pack and one HD add-on for one month at no extra cost. The new connection will also include a universal remote. DishTV has a complete offering and mix of 51 high-definition entertainment, music, news and regional language channels. The offer is available across all parts of the country.

October 6, 2016
DTH players roll out festival offers

MUMBAI: Brands are bursting Diwali offers. As the festive season draws closer, all the D2H players, one after the other, are extending lucrative offers to consumers to buy their products and subscribe to their service. Tata Sky had run a promotional offer between 8 and 21 August on its tenth anniversary, under which it allowed subscribers to watch all its 500 plus channels at no extra cost.

DishTV has now come up with a special Diwali HD offer. Customers can opt for a high-definition set-top box at minimal additional cost just by paying Rs. 120 extra. The subscribers can also view HD channels via DishTV’s small HD entertainment add-on packs.

DTH operator Videocon d2h has hopped on to the bandwagon of the promotional offers. Videocon boasts of a 11-12 million active subscriber base and has branded the promotion as “Khushiyon kee Diwali.”

New Videocon subscribers will have to pay only Rs 1820 for HD or Rs 1620 for a standard definition connection. On choosing a monthly subscription plan, the newbie can instantaneously upgrade themselves to the next higher upgrade plan for two months at no cost. Additionally, existing subscribers can also avail of the free two month upgrade by coughing up just Rs 10 extra on their monthly plan. The DTH operator had upped its prices by a minimum of about Rs 20 a month across subscription packges on account of the rise in service tax, various levies and other input costs.

Says Videocon d2h executive chairman Saurabh Dhoot: “The festive season is all about mega enjoyment. This year our Diwali offer covers everyone from our existing subscriber to the potential subscriber opting for a new connection from Videocon d2h. This offer blends perfectly with our brand promise of providing wholesome entertainment for the family.”

Adds Videocon d2h CEO Anil Khera: “Our Khushiyon kee Diwali promotion from 1 October to 30 November h Nov gives our existing consumer to enjoy the festive season with an upgrade to the next higher monthly plan for 60 days. We strongly believe that this attractive offer will create waves in the market in this festive season.”

Videocon d2h offer subscribers 570 channels and services, including a host of regional channels. It offers a wide range of active services like smart services including smart English, smart games.

DishTV’s HD sachets capture the interest of consumers towards HD viewing by offering them the channels at a nominal price of Rs.75 for one. This offering enables DishTV subscribers to select these small packs as per their preferences and needs. “With users aspiring for HD channels, this move is to encourage them to embrace HD channels at a minimal cost,” said DishTV CEO Arun Kapoor.

For new HD connections, customers will now have to pay an introductory price of Rs. 1990 which will include subscription of one-month super family pack or jumbo pack and one HD add-on for one month at no extra cost. The new connection will also include a universal remote. DishTV has a complete offering and mix of 51 high-definition entertainment, music, news and regional language channels. The offer is available across all parts of the country.

October 6, 2016
DishTV, Shemaroo tie up for ‘Comedy Active’

MUMBAI: DishTV is all set to expand its bouquet of value added services (VAS). DishTV has partnered with Comedywalas, a division of Shemaroo Entertainment, to launch a new service called ‘Comedy Active’.

Comedy Active Service, that aims to take the comedy quotient a notch higher, will connect the subscribers to all genres of comedy ranging from comic shows and gags, on the DishTV platform. Comedy Active offers original content, created especially for this service along with the best of classic comedy television shows like ‘Nukkad’, ‘Ye Jo Hai Zindagi’, and ‘Zabaan Sambhalke’. Segmented in two parts, Comedy Active will air content in the form of ‘Classic comedy shows’ and introduced ‘short format comedy shows’.

Comedy Active Service will be packaged as a 24X7 ad free service which will showcase comedy programs throughout the day. Subscribers will get an opportunity to view some of the most classic comedy shows, Bollywood repurposed shows, Spoofs, Gags, Hidden camera pranks and Stand-up comedy, and be delighted by pure light hearted entertainment.

DishTV chief executive officer Arun Kapoor said, “We have always taken the lead in enhancing the value proposition and provide the best in entertainment to our subscribers. Laughter is infectious as it binds people together and brings happiness. While there are a lot of channels for a variety of entertainment, there are hardly any that offers uninterrupted content for Comedy. Comedy Active service will provide a single destination for comedy catering to all age groups of viewers at a time convenient to them.”

Shemaroo Entertainment director Hiren Gada said “There is lack of good comedy content on television platform. Hence, consumers depend on other platforms.”

DishTV is providing free preview of Comedy Active to its subscribers till 12 October after which DishTV subscribers can avail the service at an introductory price of Rs 39 per month.

October 5, 2016