Archive for December, 2011
Airtel Digital TV adds Star Cricket HD and ESPN HD
Airtel Digital TV, the DTH service from Bharti Airtel, had added ‘ESPN HD’ and ‘Star Cricket HD’ to its Real HD portfolio. With this Airtel digital TV has augmented its Real HD channel count to 14 – the highest in India and total channel count to 275 that include 242 Standard Definition (SD) channels and 14 High Definition (HD) channels. The addition is consistent with Airtel digital TV’s promise of enriching the experience of its customers across India with a strikingly superior quality, audio-video experience. According to Shashi Arora, CEO – DTH/Media, Bharti Airtel, “Bharti »»»
Interoperability of STBs for DTH still a distant dream
NEW DELHI: None of the six private direct-to-home operators are providing interoperable set top boxes, despite license conditions at Articles 7.1 and 7.2 of the Guidelines are clear that these should be based on open architecture (non-proprietory). Information and Broadcasting Ministry sources said that the Guidelines wanted inter-operability to ensure technical compatibility and effective interoperability among different DTH service providers and conformity to the specifications as laid down by the Government from time to time. The STBs were not interoperable because all the DTH operators were »»»
Digitization: Need for a regulator
The stage has been set for the dawn of the digital era in Indian broadcasting. Earlier this month, Parliament cleared a Bill to amend the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act for ushering in digitization. Cable digitization will be implemented in phases and will be completed by December 2014. This is certainly a moment of triumph for broadcasters who had been lobbying with the government to allow the cable industry to convert from analog to digital. In the digital addressable systems (DAS), service providers can offer more options to consumers, who will be able to select the channels of their »»»
ESPN STAR Sports Launches HD Channels on Cable Networks
New Delhi, Delhi, India, Tuesday, December 27, 2011 — (Business Wire India) ESPN STAR Sports, Asia’s leading sports broadcaster, today announced the launch of services of its HD channels ESPN HD & STAR Cricket HD on the cable networks. The broadcaster announced that it has signed distribution contracts of HD channels with 3 leading national level MSOs including IndusInd Media Communications Ltd (Incable), Seven Star network in Mumbai and UCN in Central India. Services of ESPN HD and STAR cricket HD were hitherto available on almost all leading DTH players but this it will be the first »»»
Digitisation bill signals growth opportunity for DTH companies
With the Parliament approving the Digitisation Bill recently, cable, especially, multi-specialty operators and Direct to Home, or DTH, companies are expected to grab a higher market share from local cable operators, who are reported to declare lower subscriber numbers and in turn revenues. Companies such as Den Networks, Hathway Cable and Datacom, Wire & Wireless India, and Dish TV India are among the companies that may see potential revenue improvement over the next year or two. The new law envisages digitisation in four phases. In phase-I, by June next year, it is expected to roll out in »»»
DTH industry showing signs of churn
India’s competitive DTH industry is moving towards more customised offerings such as video-on-demand, Catch UP TV and cheaper channel packs in regional languages. DTH players are realising that in future the “customer will be king” and “what you want to see and when you want to see” is the new mantra. “We feel that DTH needs to adjust according to preferences of viewer and not the other way round,” said Vikram Mehra, chief marketing officer, Tata Sky. While Tata Sky has introduced video-on-demand and “Catch Up TV” that allows a subscriber to »»»
Two-tier FDI cap in media finalised
New Delhi: With the ministry of finance giving its nod, the decks have been cleared for the implementation of a simplified, two-tier policy on foreign direct investment (FDI) cap in media. Now, a 74% uniform cap for non-news media (carriage services) and a 26% cap for news media (content) shall apply. Also, up to 49% FDI in the carriage service providers (like multi-system operators or MSOs, DTH broadcasters, headend-in-the sky or HITS operators, and providers of mobile TV, satellite teleport and IPTV services) will be automatically allowed. But any FDI above 49% will need Foreign Investment Promotion »»»
