MUMBAI: Discovery Turbo, the channel dedicated to showing all aspects of motoring life, is now available on Reliance Digital TV.

The channel was already available on analogue cable and other DTH platforms in India like Dish TV, Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV and Videocon D2H.

Discovery India senior VP, GM Rahul Johri said, “We have received tremendous response for Discovery Turbo across India, where people watch and connect with our engaging and unmatched content. The availability of Discovery Turbo on Reliance Digital TV expands the reach of the channel, as it continues to offer the best entertainment experience to our viewers.”

Reliance Digital TV CEO Sanjay Behl added, “At Reliance Digital TV, we have been constantly engaged with enhancing the entertainment experience for our customers by providing them quality entertainment that spans across a wide spectrum of audience interests. With the addition of Discovery Turbo to our bouquet of over 250 channels, we are sure to delight our customers with the engaging content delivered to them through a superior technology platform ensuring an unmatched viewing experience.”

Discovery Turbo focusses on vehicles. It showcases Formula One cars, motocross and aircraft shows and car clubs.

Its shows include ‘American Choppers’, ‘Monster Garage’, ‘Fifth Gear’, ‘Trick My Truck’ and ‘Wheelers Dealers’.

Source: Indiantelevision.com

Image Credit: PJ@dth from Indian DTH Forum

Reliance Digital TV, the leading Direct-to-Home (DTH) service provider in the country has introduced three exciting offers for both existing and new subscribers throughout the country.

For the first time in the Indian DTH space, RDTV has come up with an array of innovative offerings for its subscribers. New subscribers will now be able to enjoy all television channels for free for a period of one month from the date of activation irrespective of the packs they choose.

Reliance Digital TV has also launched a unique “Loyalty Reward Program” for its subscribers making it a first of its kind in this category. This exclusive offer will enable RDTV customers to earn loyalty reward points for every rupee spent and these points can be redeemed towards the various add-on packs available on the platform.

Announcing the launch, Mr. Sanjay Behl, Chief Executive Officer, Reliance Digital TV said, “In our efforts to lead category adoption and elevate a larger customer base to a better viewing platform, Reliance Digital TV has pioneered many technology innovations and customer centric offerings. As another step towards providing superior quality entertainment and be the preferred DTH service provider, we have devised a never before customer proposition for this festival season enhancing customer value across genres and geographies.”

Customers can now enter the Reliance Digital TV’s ever- growing family with interesting offers that include the Standard Set- top Box for just Rs 1690 with 6 months’ Value Sports Pack absolutely free, High Definition Set- top Box for just Rs 2790 with 3 months’ Gold Pack absolutely free and the High- Definition Digital Video for Rs 4790 with 3 months’ Gold Pack absolutely free.

This limited period offer can be availed from 15th September to 15th November 2011.

Additionally, Reliance Digital TV subscribers will now be able to enjoy Topper Channel (VAS Channel) as well as a new interactive service iEducation.

With unique video lessons, simple learning techniques and real life illustrations, this channel will transform the manner in which students grasp tough concepts. Following a scientific approach, Topper will provide conceptual clarity and smart remedial resources to students from class 6th to 12th in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Math. iEducation will focus on standard 9, 10 & 12 with key learnings in Physics, Chemistry, Biology & Math (in sync with Topper Channel). This will aid students in quick revision and in remembering the key factors of important topics. Also, iEducation provides a hot key link to Topper Channel.

As a part of the promotional offer, iEducation will be free for RDTV subscribers for the first two months.

Source: Business Standard

Indian operators Bharti Airtel and Reliance Communications have raised the prices of their set-top boxes for direct-to-home (DTH) TV services to new customers and cut free-view periods.

Bharti Airtel has raised the price of its set-top boxes by INR243 each, while Reliance has increased its prices by INR200, executives at the two companies told Dow Jones Newswires.

The price increases come after Dish TV India, the country’s largest DTH operator by users, raised the price of its set-top boxes by up to INR200 earlier this month.

According to Total Telecom, a Bharti executive, who didn’t want to be named, said the company has also reduced its free-view period for sports channels to two months from three. Reliance Communications has reduced the free-view period by a month to two months for new subscribers in the country’s north, east and west regions, said Sanjay Behl, chief executive of Reliance BIG TV, the DTH and Internet television unit of Reliance Communications.

Bharti had more than 6.0 million users for its digital TV services at the end of March, while Reliance BIG TV had 3.5 million users. Analysts say local DTH operators need to have at least 7.0 million users to turn profitable at the operating level.

For the financial year ended 31 March, Bharti Airtel’s digital TV services unit posted an operating loss of INR10.32 billion on revenue of INR10.32 billion.

Reliance BIG TV posted an operating loss of INR949 million on revenue of INR3.64 billion for the January-March quarter.

Source: Rapidtvnews.com

Reliance Digital TV (RDTV) the leading Direct- To- Home (DTH) service provider in the country has partnered with Star India to showcase its bouquet of Asli HD channels like Star Plus, Star Movies, Star Gold and Star World for its HD and HD- DVR subscribers.

RDTV has been making constant endeavours to bring about digitization in the country and enhance its subscribers’ television viewing experience. Recently, RDTV introduced a break through technological innovation and became the only DTH brand in India to offer its’ entire bouquet of 250 broadcast TV channels in ‘Full High- Definition’ quality (Full HD quality = 1080p, 2 million pixel frame resolution). The new cutting-edge digital technology enables real-time video signal up-scaling by up to 10 times with a 16:9 wide aspect ratio and digital sound clarity.

Continuing with the tradition of providing its subscribers with a better viewing experience, RDTV has tied-up with Star India to offer its’ bouquets of HD channels and carry forward the objective of offering a world- class experience with rich content in High Definition.

Commenting on this partnership, Sanjay Behl, Chief Executive Officer, Reliance Digital TV said, “Reliance Digital TV has always been a frontrunner in innovation in the DTH industry. It has been our continuous endeavour to enhance our subscribers’ viewing experience. By partnering with leading content providers like Star India with whom we have a shared vision, Reliance Digital TV is now leading the change in adoption of an unparalleled television viewing experience.”

Commenting on this tie-up Sanjay Gupta, COO, Star India Pvt. Ltd. said, “This association with Reliance Digital TV, furthers our aim to ensure that every Indian home is able to experience world class media experience through Star India’s bouquet of Asli HD channels.”

Reliance Digital TV consumers can now subscribe to the ‘Ultra Sharp 2 pack’ to watch Star Plus HD, Star Movies HD, Movies Now HD, Nat Geo HD and iConcerts HD at Rs.75/- (plus taxes) per month.

Alternatively, the channels are available on a-la- carte basis at Rs.30 per month.

Source: Business Standard

Reliance Digital TV will add Star Asli HD channels today night. Star Plus Upscaled HD channel will be replaced by real HD channel. By this addition RDTV becomes only DTH to offer two HD English Movie channels [Movies Now HD&Star Movies HD]

Channels going to be added tonight are-

Star Plus HD on #223, Star Movies HD on #366, Star Sports HD on #512.

Reliance Digital TV becomes India’s only dth service to offer 250 HD like channels.

Click on the image to view in full size.

Reliance Digital TV (RDTV), a leading Direct- to- Home (DTH) service provider, on Wednesday announced that it will be providing customers a bouquet of over 250 channels in High Definition like quality at no extra cost.

Sanjay Behl, Chief Executive Officer, Reliance Digital TV said, “This launch of all TV channels in HD is a quantum leap in the Indian television industry and subscribers of Reliance Digital TV will have an advantage of enjoying all their favourite programs and channels in high- definition like quality.”

Additionally, Reliance Digital TV subscribers will now watch their programmes with a 16:9 wide aspect ratio and digital sound clarity.

NEW DELHI: The gaming portal Zapak has for the first time launched an Adver-game on Reliance Digital TV and Dish TV to provide fun and engaging games on the DTH platform.

Reaching out to over 14 million households in India, this is for the first time that any gaming company has made adver-game for multiple DTH players.

Close Up, one of the leading toothpaste brands in the country, partners with Zapak to enter the digital space this year to promote their new variant Close Up – Fire Freeze.

Zapak’s game – Kiss but don’t get caught – is set in an office scenario where the player needs to avoid the pesky bosses at work.Users can choose to play as Boy or Girl. If the player chooses to play the girl at work, then all she needs to do is kiss all her men colleagues at work under her bosses nose and if the player chooses to be the boy then all he needs to do is get kissed but not get caught.The game is set across 3 levels and the gamer needs to impress all the mates with close up confidence while avoid pesky bosses who will catch you. The user needs to go near the colleagues using arrow keys and impress blue dress colleagues by pressing key 6 and red dress colleagues by pressing 4.

Commenting on this initiative, Reliance Entertainment COO – Digital Business Manish Agarwal said, “We are proud to be the only gaming company in India to launch the first ever adver-game for multiple DTH players thus offering Close Up best of the both worlds – engagement of gaming and reach of television medium. With this launch, we at Zapak, are continuing with the trend of providing advertisers innovative options to engage with consumers across screens.”

Advergaming is rapidly becoming popular since it delivers intense involvement of brands with consumers. Furthermore, the consumers being targeted have rapidly changed their media consumption habits to smaller screens like the PC/laptop monitor screens and mobile screens, thus paving way for advergaming in becoming a strong marketing tool.

Zapak.com claims to be India’s top Advergaming destination with over 250 brands on board and this year Close Up tied up with Zapak to increase their digital visibility.

Source: Indiantelevision.com

The Anil Ambani group’s broadcast arm Reliance Big TV today moved the Supreme Court against the TDSAT’s order, overturning the sector regulator TRAI’s directive to broadcasters to charge DTH service providers only 35% of the rates paid by cable operators.

A bench comprising Justice R V Raveendran and Justice A K Patnaik admitted Reliance Big TV’s plea and tagged it along with the other petitions filed by Trai and other DTH operators.

Earlier, the apex court in its interim order on April 18, had stayed the TDSAT order as a temporary measure, besides fixing the fees from DTH operators at a ceiling of 42% instead of 35% till the time the matter was pending in the court.

The court had also added that the agreements between DTH operators and broadcasters, which are already in place, shall prevail.

Passing an order on December 16, 2010, TDSAT had set aside sectoral regulator Trai’s notification mandating that broadcasters charge service providers on platforms such as DTH, IPTV and HITS only up to 35% of rates paid by cable operators for beaming their channels.

On December 16, the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) had set aside Trai’s tariff saying that it should undertake a detailed study on the issue and decide the rates afresh.

The tribunal had also observed that TRAI has no powers to regulate the interconnection agreement between broadcasters and operators as it does for the telecom sector.

Trai had on July 21 notified a new wholesale tariff structure under which broadcasters were to charge service providers on DTH, IPTV AND HITS platforms only 35% of the rates they charged from cable operators for beaming their channels.

This was challenged by broadcasting houses – ESPN Software India, MSM Discovery, Zee Turner and Star Den Media Services – by filing separate petitions. They contended that the prices were not commercially viable.

They submitted that while fixing the tariff, Trai had acted in an arbitrary and unreasonable manner and did not consider the suggestions of the stakeholders.

However, TRAI has submitted that it had considered all the available information before fixing the cap of 35%.

It further contended that broadcasters shall offer cheaper rates to operators like DTH and IPTV, as they can ascertain the number of subscribers of these players, which is not the case with cable services where under-reporting is believed to be very high.

Source: Business Standard

Reliance Digital Tv HD is a High Definition Set-Top-box launched by Reliance . It supports  upto 1080i HD resolution . At present only Nat Geo HD, Movies Now HD , iConcerts HD and Star Plus Up-Scaled HD channels available .

HD Channels Price

Nat Geo HD & Star Plus Up-Scaled HD channels costs Rs 55  pm. Movies Now HD costs Rs 30  pm. iConcets HD costs Rs 30 pm [All are incl taxes].

About STB

This STB [Set Top Box] is manufactured by Hyundai Digital Technology of Korea[Made in China . STB is smaller as Model 2,3,4 stb’s . There are Power , Channel “+” & “-” ,Volume “+” & “-” buttons on the stb .  Smart card slot is on the right side of the stb .  Smart card doesn’t go completely inside stb and there is a chance of collection of dust on the card which may disturb smooth TV viewing .  Remote buttons are little bit hard , it would become smooth after few days of use .

User Interface

Coming to the user interface it similar to normal stb . UI is quick , channel changing is smooth and it is better than Model 4 STB which is reviewed here RDTV Model 4 STB Review .

Ownership of STB

This STB is the property of Reliance Communications Ltd . After paying Rs 2590/- we won’t become owners of stb .

Connectivity includes

Lnb in – 1 , Component Out- 1 , Composite Out -1, Hdmi Out – 1 , SPDIF Out – 1 , Local area network – 1 , USB port -2 , DC in – 1

Regards
Sai Ranjan