MUMBAI: Direct to home (DTH) companies are stepping up on their game in a bid to offer more specialised technological services to subscribers so as to stay relevant in the fast changing times.
Soon after Videocon d2h revealed its plans to launch HD smart set-top-boxes (STB), which converts existing LED TVs into a Smart TV as well as allows browsing from social media, VOD and OTT apps, competitor DTH company Tata Sky has made known its plans to bring internet browsing applications on their STBs.
This new addition will enable Tata Sky subscribers to browse and interact on certain applications through the STB on almost all TV sets without the requirement of a smart TV.
The service will be available at no additional cost to Tata Sky subscribers and will be launched in the coming months.
Tata Sky CEO Harit Nagpal said, “We don’t look at ourselves as a DTH operator. We are a content distribution platform. The scope of that is defined by what content, which medium, what screen the subscriber wants. That is the level of convergence that Tata Sky is looking at achieving.”
MUMBAI: Direct to home (DTH) companies are stepping up on their game in a bid to offer more specialised technological services to subscribers so as to stay relevant in the fast changing times.
Soon after Videocon d2h revealed its plans to launch HD smart set-top-boxes (STB), which converts existing LED TVs into a Smart TV as well as allows browsing from social media, VOD and OTT apps, competitor DTH company Tata Sky has made known its plans to bring internet browsing applications on their STBs.
This new addition will enable Tata Sky subscribers to browse and interact on certain applications through the STB on almost all TV sets without the requirement of a smart TV.
The service will be available at no additional cost to Tata Sky subscribers and will be launched in the coming months.
Tata Sky CEO Harit Nagpal said, “We don’t look at ourselves as a DTH operator. We are a content distribution platform. The scope of that is defined by what content, which medium, what screen the subscriber wants. That is the level of convergence that Tata Sky is looking at achieving.”
BENGALURU: The 31 December, 2015 deadline for Digital Addressable System (DAS) Phase III has been a boost for the carriage industry in subscriber additions, revenues, and operating profits. Buoyed by the government’s decision to stick to deadlines for digitisation, the direct-to-home (DTH) industry in India is continuing its bloom run, if one were to go by the results reported by Bharti Airtel for its Digital TV services (Airtel DTH) for the quarter ended 31 December, 2015 (Q3-2016, current quarter).
Revenue in Q3-2016 increased 19 per cent to Rs 742.2 crore, up 19 per cent YoY as compared to Rs 623.4 crore. EBIDTA for Q3-2016 grew 45 per cent to Rs 247.4 crore (33.3 per cent margin) as compared to Rs 170.7 crore (27.4 per cent margin).
The segment’s subscriber base grew 13.2 per cent YoY to 111.06 lakh in the current quarter as compared to 98.10 lakh and grew five per cent as compared to 105.76 lakh in the immediate preceding quarter. Though in US dollar terms, average revenue per user (ARPU) was constant YoY and QoQ at $3.5, in Indian rupees it has increased seven per cent YoY to Rs 229 from Rs 214 and increased two per cent QoQ from Rs 224. Given that the deadline for DAS phase III was 31 December, 2015, Airtel DTH segment reported 5.30 lakh net subscriber additions in the current quarter, which was almost double (1.96 times) the 2.70 lakh subscriber additions in Q3-2015 and more than triple (3.2 times) the 1.64 lakh subscribers added in Q2-2016.
Subscriber churn in Q3-2016 was lower at 0.7 per cent as compared to one per cent in Q3-2015 and 1.3 per cent in the immediate trailing quarter.
Airtel’s CAPEX for its DTH segment more than doubled (by 2.1 times) to Rs 342.2 crore as compared to Rs 163 crore in Q3-2015. Airtel’s cumulative investments in its DTH segment increased 17 per cent YoY to Rs 6177 crore as compared to Rs 5494.8 crore.
BENGALURU: The 31 December, 2015 deadline for Digital Addressable System (DAS) Phase III has been a boost for the carriage industry in subscriber additions, revenues, and operating profits. Buoyed by the government’s decision to stick to deadlines for digitisation, the direct-to-home (DTH) industry in India is continuing its bloom run, if one were to go by the results reported by Bharti Airtel for its Digital TV services (Airtel DTH) for the quarter ended 31 December, 2015 (Q3-2016, current quarter).
Revenue in Q3-2016 increased 19 per cent to Rs 742.2 crore, up 19 per cent YoY as compared to Rs 623.4 crore. EBIDTA for Q3-2016 grew 45 per cent to Rs 247.4 crore (33.3 per cent margin) as compared to Rs 170.7 crore (27.4 per cent margin).
The segment’s subscriber base grew 13.2 per cent YoY to 111.06 lakh in the current quarter as compared to 98.10 lakh and grew five per cent as compared to 105.76 lakh in the immediate preceding quarter. Though in US dollar terms, average revenue per user (ARPU) was constant YoY and QoQ at $3.5, in Indian rupees it has increased seven per cent YoY to Rs 229 from Rs 214 and increased two per cent QoQ from Rs 224. Given that the deadline for DAS phase III was 31 December, 2015, Airtel DTH segment reported 5.30 lakh net subscriber additions in the current quarter, which was almost double (1.96 times) the 2.70 lakh subscriber additions in Q3-2015 and more than triple (3.2 times) the 1.64 lakh subscribers added in Q2-2016.
Subscriber churn in Q3-2016 was lower at 0.7 per cent as compared to one per cent in Q3-2015 and 1.3 per cent in the immediate trailing quarter.
Airtel’s CAPEX for its DTH segment more than doubled (by 2.1 times) to Rs 342.2 crore as compared to Rs 163 crore in Q3-2015. Airtel’s cumulative investments in its DTH segment increased 17 per cent YoY to Rs 6177 crore as compared to Rs 5494.8 crore.
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: DTH players like Videocon d2h, DishTV et al have been shouting from rooftops about being DAS Phase III ready for a few months now. And since the DTH sector stands to benefit the most with the cable TV digitisation drive in India, most players have rolled out aggressive advertising campaigns to acquire more customers.
While Videocon d2h expects Phase III to be 50 million TV households in terms of size, the scope for customer acquisition is vast.
More so now with the ongoing High Court cases filed by various multi system operators (MSOs) and cable operators to extend the Digital Addressable System (DAS) Phase III implementation deadline, as many as five states have got temporary respite. With cable operators in several states facing shortage of set top boxes (STBs), the situation proves beneficial to DTH players in acquiring new subscribers in DAS Phase III.
Dish TV, which is the oldest direct-to-home player in the country, has stepped up its campaign following the deadline of the Government for switching off analogue signals in all urban areas covered by DAS Phase III.
In fact, the DTH player has been very upfront about their marketing strategy that capitalises on the confusion over digitisation in Phase III areas, as seen from their latest aggressive campaign titled Dish99. Targeting the Hindi speaking market, the catch phrase for this new campaign reads “Set-Top-Box Matlab DishTV” (Set-Top-Box Means DishTV).
The TVC features popular TV actress Radhika Madan, who is a household name for daily soap watchers, addressing two housewives to tell them that their serials would be off air soon.
When the panic-stricken women ask what they should do, she urges them to switch to Dish TV that offers service starting at just Rs 99 before their analogue signals are disrupted and they miss out on their daily entertainment.
Explaining their current marketing strategy, Dish TV MD Jawahar Goel said, “DishTV’s advertising has always been very pro-active, but the ongoing campaign has been designed in view of the obvious shortage of set top boxes with cable operators. With the deadline of phase III of TV digitisation coming to a close, we aim to capitalise the huge captive user base that will eventually be on digital platform.”
With this product, further, to augment the digitisation drive in Phase III, DishTV has introduced a 360 degree multi-media campaign spanning TV (across leading entertainment, sports and news channels), outdoor, radio, digital, online and direct marketing that leverages the power of popular TV celebrities. This DAS campaign features DishTV’s relatable faces to strike a chord amongst the audience and create awareness about TV digitisation among every household to shift from analog to digital platform,” added another DishTV spokesperson.
Earlier Tata Sky too had rolled out a similar engaging campaign with Kangana Ranaut as its brand ambassador reaching out to people and telling them why they should switch to Tata Sky and enjoy paying for selective channels.
However, Tata Sky points out that their campaign was not intentionally targeted to capitalise the digitisation situation.
Tata Sky CEO and MD Harit Nagpal says, “We didn’t do any special campaign and the ads with Kangana Ranaut had commenced last year before the deadline. The ad simply says that if the viewer gives a missed call on the displayed number, Tata Sky will call back for installing their system. Thus, the viewer will save money as well as get the work done.”
The campaign kick started earlier in June 2015, saw itself drawing several eyeballs from both consumers and industry experts by virtue of its casual and conversational style of narrative.
On the other hand, sources share that Doordarshan’s free to air DTH service FreeDish has no plans to step up its publicity or marketing in view of the extension orders by High Courts of the DAS Phase III.
“FreeDish was in a market that was different from the other DTH players as it was a free to air platform. DD generally publicised FreeDish only on its own channels and has no intention of any cross-channel promotion,” a source informs.
It is undeniable that the current situation of DAS Phase III poses an opportunity for several DTH players to provide an easier alternative to consumers and bring them on board as subscribers while cable operators find a solid ground on the digitisation proceedings. What’s more, even as the government has announced 31 December, 2016 as the deadline for DAS Phase IV, it now remains to be seen how DTH players get even more aggressive on the marketing front as the year progresses.
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: DTH players like Videocon d2h, DishTV et al have been shouting from rooftops about being DAS Phase III ready for a few months now. And since the DTH sector stands to benefit the most with the cable TV digitisation drive in India, most players have rolled out aggressive advertising campaigns to acquire more customers.
While Videocon d2h expects Phase III to be 50 million TV households in terms of size, the scope for customer acquisition is vast.
More so now with the ongoing High Court cases filed by various multi system operators (MSOs) and cable operators to extend the Digital Addressable System (DAS) Phase III implementation deadline, as many as five states have got temporary respite. With cable operators in several states facing shortage of set top boxes (STBs), the situation proves beneficial to DTH players in acquiring new subscribers in DAS Phase III.
Dish TV, which is the oldest direct-to-home player in the country, has stepped up its campaign following the deadline of the Government for switching off analogue signals in all urban areas covered by DAS Phase III.
In fact, the DTH player has been very upfront about their marketing strategy that capitalises on the confusion over digitisation in Phase III areas, as seen from their latest aggressive campaign titled Dish99. Targeting the Hindi speaking market, the catch phrase for this new campaign reads “Set-Top-Box Matlab DishTV” (Set-Top-Box Means DishTV).
The TVC features popular TV actress Radhika Madan, who is a household name for daily soap watchers, addressing two housewives to tell them that their serials would be off air soon.
When the panic-stricken women ask what they should do, she urges them to switch to Dish TV that offers service starting at just Rs 99 before their analogue signals are disrupted and they miss out on their daily entertainment.
Explaining their current marketing strategy, Dish TV MD Jawahar Goel said, “DishTV’s advertising has always been very pro-active, but the ongoing campaign has been designed in view of the obvious shortage of set top boxes with cable operators. With the deadline of phase III of TV digitisation coming to a close, we aim to capitalise the huge captive user base that will eventually be on digital platform.”
With this product, further, to augment the digitisation drive in Phase III, DishTV has introduced a 360 degree multi-media campaign spanning TV (across leading entertainment, sports and news channels), outdoor, radio, digital, online and direct marketing that leverages the power of popular TV celebrities. This DAS campaign features DishTV’s relatable faces to strike a chord amongst the audience and create awareness about TV digitisation among every household to shift from analog to digital platform,” added another DishTV spokesperson.
Earlier Tata Sky too had rolled out a similar engaging campaign with Kangana Ranaut as its brand ambassador reaching out to people and telling them why they should switch to Tata Sky and enjoy paying for selective channels.
However, Tata Sky points out that their campaign was not intentionally targeted to capitalise the digitisation situation.
Tata Sky CEO and MD Harit Nagpal says, “We didn’t do any special campaign and the ads with Kangana Ranaut had commenced last year before the deadline. The ad simply says that if the viewer gives a missed call on the displayed number, Tata Sky will call back for installing their system. Thus, the viewer will save money as well as get the work done.”
The campaign kick started earlier in June 2015, saw itself drawing several eyeballs from both consumers and industry experts by virtue of its casual and conversational style of narrative.
On the other hand, sources share that Doordarshan’s free to air DTH service FreeDish has no plans to step up its publicity or marketing in view of the extension orders by High Courts of the DAS Phase III.
“FreeDish was in a market that was different from the other DTH players as it was a free to air platform. DD generally publicised FreeDish only on its own channels and has no intention of any cross-channel promotion,” a source informs.
It is undeniable that the current situation of DAS Phase III poses an opportunity for several DTH players to provide an easier alternative to consumers and bring them on board as subscribers while cable operators find a solid ground on the digitisation proceedings. What’s more, even as the government has announced 31 December, 2016 as the deadline for DAS Phase IV, it now remains to be seen how DTH players get even more aggressive on the marketing front as the year progresses.
MUMBAI: The advent of the on-demand Internet streaming Netflix in India has no doubt created waves across the country. While Netflix is available free for a one-month trial it will then charge between Rs 500 – 800 for its three packages. In what can be termed as a direct reaction to this, direct to home (DTH) provider Tata Sky has declared its Everywhere TV service free for users.
Tata Sky earlier charged users Rs 60 per month for the same service. Users can stream TV channels on the go through Everywhere TV on the official Tata Sky app. The service will feature channels subscribed by the viewers on the Tata Sky connection.
Everywhere TV provides access to live stream content from the channels and can also serve as a second screen. Viewers can also set the video quality on low, medium and high and the app runs smoothly on 3G and 4G networks.
The app can be accessed on up to two devices per subscriber ID. It also offers Hindi as well as English content including entertainment, news, sports, etc.
While Tata Sky is the first DTH operator to react to Netflix’s entry into India by offering its streaming service free, it’s is definitely not going to be the last. How other DTH operators as well as over the top (OTT) players change or adapt their subscription and content strategy going forward will be worth watching.
MUMBAI: Content specialist Mukund Sharma, who is currently serving his notice period at the direct to home (DTH) company Tata Sky, has been roped in by on-demand and multi-screen TV service provider Lukup Media as executive vice president content, services and commercial.
Confirming the appointment, LukUp Media managing director Kallol Borah said, “Mukund will be joining us from February and will be leading our content services. He will be responsible for various innovations on the content front. He will also look after value added services and other innovations. I wish him best of luck in LukUp Media.”
Sharma, who is currently VP content at Tata Sky, has been with the company since its inception in 2005. Prior to joining Tata Sky, Sharma worked as senior manager with Ten Sports where he looked after revenue, advertising sales & strategy. He also worked with CNBC–TV 18 as manager.
Sharma moves to LukUp Media with over 17 years of experience.
MUMBAI: In an attempt to capture a chunk of analogue cable users in Phase III areas of Digital Addressable System (DAS), direct to home (DTH) company, DishTV is gearing up for an aggressive plan.
The company has launched a new subscription package called Dish99 and has also launched a campaign, which is catered to the specific needs of the phase III audience.
The new subscription package gives users the freedom to choose and make their own monthly pack. Dish99 will give consumers access to 125 channels and services in digital quality and also top it up with a choice of custom-made 17 entertainment add-on packs ranging from Rs 25 – 75 and five regional add-ons for Rs 10 each.
Speaking on the same, a DishTV spokesperson said, “TV viewing is ubiquitous and the most affordable means of entertainment in the country. It has always been our endeavour to provide unparalleled and most innovative services to our customers for a unique TV viewing experience. Now, with the deadline of phase III of TV digitisation coming to a close, we aim to capitalise the huge captive user base, which would be switching from analogue cable to digital platform. Dish99 offers the ‘power to create their own pack’ and ensure seamless services with uninterrupted entertainment at cost effective rates to every household in India.”
To augment the digitisation drive in Phase III, DishTV has introduced a 360 degree multi-media campaign spanning TV, outdoor, radio, digital and online that leverages the power of popular TV celebrities. “This DAS campaign features DishTV’s relatable faces to strike a chord amongst the audience and create awareness about TV digitisation among every household to shift from analog to digital platform,” the spokesperson added.
NEW DELHI: Doordarshan’s free-to-air (FTA) direct-to-home (DTH) Freedish, which currently has only 64 slots for television channels and is expected to go up to 112 by March-end, has received a shot in the arm for upgradation to 250 TV channels under the 12th Plan.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley told Parliament that the Department of Space had agreed in principle to provide additional transponders on new GSAT 15 satellite required for 250 TV channels
Meanwhile, he said that DD was facing issues in implementing Conditional Access System (CAS), which is a part of upgraded system. But it had now decided to adopt Indian Conditional Access System (Indian CAS), which is being finalised by Department of Electronics and Information Technology. As was reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, DD is acquiring the Bangalore based ByDesign India’s CAS.
Late last year, the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) approved a proposal by ByDesign India to develop an Indian conditional access system. ByDesign was to receive a support amount of Rs 19.79 crore from DeitY to develop the new system in association with Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC).
The ByDesign model is totally indigenous and built for DVB-C setup. This CAS solution will enable broadcasters to control access to their services by viewers, and thereby enabling them to extend their business models to subscription based schemes.
Apart from the TV channels, Freedish also beams 21 All India Radio (AIR) channels.
DD director general C Lalrosanga had earlier told Indiantelevision.com that the DTH player will switch over to MPEG 4 from the current MPEG 2 in two phases. “The first phase may begin by early next month,” he informed.
Meanwhile even as regional channels of DD switched over to INSAT 4B, DD’s main channels have also shifted to GSAT 10, which was launched in September 2012. The regional channels were shifted in view of End of Life (EOL) of INSAT-3A as declared by Indian Space Research Organisation. Four new transponders have been provided for these channels on INSAT-4B by ISRO.
It has 12 Ku-Band, 12 C-Band and 6 lower extended C-Band Transponders.
Now GSAT 10 started transmission on C-Band transponders.
The channels that have been switched to GSAT 10 are DD National, DD News, DD Bharati, DD Sports, DD Urdu, DD India, Rajya Sabha TV and DD HD.
Department of Space sources told this website that GSAT 15 satellite will ultimately accommodate Freedish, as it has more capacity of transponders to provide more bandwidth and better coverage.
GSAT-15 satellite, launched recently, has planned its mission for 12 years and this satellite will be located at same direction of INSAT-3A / INSAT-4B satellite at 93.5° East Longitude.
GSAT-15 carries 24 Ku-band transponders with 36 Mhz high bandwidth.
GSAT-15 also has two GAGAN navigational payloads and 2 Ku-Band beacons. This satellite will be use mainly for Direct to Home services, radio navigation services and VSAT services.
