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Tag: Measat 3B

  • Sun Direct may add 20 HD, 100 SD channels

    Sun Direct may add 20 HD, 100 SD channels

    MUMBAI: Sun Direct, the DTH service from Sun Network, is likely to add 20 new high definition (HD) and 100 new standard definition (SD) channels and has been allocated 144 MHz of spectrum on the recently launched Measat-3B satellite.

    A social media user by the name of ‘Raja Chennai‘ shared a screenshot of the application made by the company informing the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) about the allocation of the new satellite capacity, according to an article on Ultra News.

    Once these channels find a home on the new Measat satellite, Sun Direct will be able to add an extra 20 HD channels to take its total HD channel count to 80 while increasing total SD channel list to 320.

    The company was forced to halt its HD channel expansion on GSAT 15 two months ago due to the termination of its channel-sharing deal with Reliance Digital TV and divert some of the HD capacity to handle the fallout.

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    In the application, the company is shown informing the DoT that four new transponders of 36 MHz each have been allocated to it by the Department of Space for use on its DTH service.

    Sun Direct has been facing a severe spectrum crunch due to a fire on an ISRO satellite that knocked out most of its satellite capacity in 2010. The fire forced the company to move satellite to Malaysian-owned Measat 3A, and manually realign the dish antennae of millions of its customers.

    Some relief was in sight when Measat launched a second satellite at the same location in 2014, boosting capacity.

    Sun Direct was widely expected to book extra capacity on the new satellite, particularly after it lost a sharing deal two months ago with Reliance Digital TV. Reliance Digital TV changed hands when the Anil Ambani Group sold it to another group as part of a fire sale.

    The DTH service is expected to start adding new channels in a matter of days.

    The new capacity is expected to lead to the addition of around 100 new SD channels while another 50 channels are expected to be moved to it from GSAT 15—the HD satellite for Sun Direct.

    Also Read:

    The growth of DTH in India

    Sun Direct partners Harmonic to add 80 HD channels

  • MEASAT 3b active; Sun Direct awaits regulatory clearances

    MEASAT 3b active; Sun Direct awaits regulatory clearances

    MUMBAI: The MEASAT-3b satellite, which is co-located at 91.5 degree, has now finally gained the status of being active. However, Sun Group’s direct to home (DTH) arm Sun Direct is still in the process of getting regulatory clearances. The DTH operator will soon be able to avail the benefits that the satellite will offer. 

     

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com Sun Direct CEO Mahesh Kumar says, “We are still in the process of getting all the regulatory clearances.”

     

    In may be recalled that in May last year, Sun Direct was looking at adding nine more transponders from its current four, to increase its High Definition (HD) and Standard Definition (SD) channel capacity. However, the delay in the launch of MEASAT-3b satellite that was to enable Sun Direct help add the additional transponders played spoilt sport. The satellite which was set for launch on 6 June 2014 (7 June Kuala Lumpur time), was postponed after the manufacturer of the MEASAT-3b co-passenger requested time for repairs to their satellite.

     

    In September 2014, Ariane 5 ECA successfully launched two communications satellites Optus 10 and MEASAT 3b. MEASAT 3b, which is equipped with 48 high-power Ku-band transponders would enable DTH services not just in India but also Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia. It would be serving more than 18 million households, according to Measat.

     

    Kumar had previously stated that with the extra capacity, the operator’s current HD offering would go up to 30 and expected the number of SD channels to go up to 350.

  • MEASAT-3b launch delayed

    MEASAT-3b launch delayed

    MUMBAI: The much awaited MEASAT-3b launch has been delayed. While the satellite was set for launch on 6 June (7 June Kuala Lumpur time), it has now been postponed after the manufacturer of the MEASAT-3b co-passenger requested time for repairs to their satellite.

     

    “We are clearly disappointed with the delay and are currently in co-ordination with Arianespace (the launch service provider) on the rescheduling of the launch,” said MEASAT Satellite Systems CEO Paul Brown-Kenyon through a press statement. “We will provide an update when we receive further information on the revised launch date,” he continued.

     

    MEASAT-3b is designed to provide an additional 48 high powered Ku-band transponders to the 91.5°E orbital slot to expand Direct-To-Home and VSAT services across Malaysia, India, Indonesia and Australia. Co-located with MEASAT-3 and MEASAT-3a, the satellite will more than double MEASAT’s Ku-band capacity at 91.5°E creating one of the region’s most powerful and robust orbital locations.

     

    The delay in the launch of the satellite will further delay DTH operator Sun Direct’s plans of adding more high definition and standard definition channels. With the launch of MEASAT-3b, Sun Direct is set to add nine more transponders to its existing four transponders.