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Airtel Digital TV is the brand name for Bharti Airtel‘s DTH (Direct to Home) service in India. It uses MPEG-4 digital compression with DVB-S2 technology, transmitting using INSAT 4CR 74°E. Airtel digital TV service was launched on 8 October, 2008.

Technical Details

Airtel digital tv’s standard definition broadcasts are in MPEG-4 with Interactive Service(itv) and 7-day EPG (electronic programme guide). Interactive Service(itv) of Airtel digital tv includes a add-on service which allows a user to shop , book movie tickets etc. A universal remote is included in the package which can , over IR frequencies control both the Tv and the DTH box. Like other DTH service providers it also provides a Video on demand interactive service which includes a catalogue of movies in Hindi, English and other regional languages which can be ordered on demand.

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Airtel Digital TV Channel List –2010

Airtel Digital TV Channel List 2010

Airtel Digital TV Recorder

This information stand true as on April 2010.

Four-way DTH war makes subscriber the king

MUMBAI: What happens when four biggies of the Indian business world decide that each wants to rule the same segment? One, their pockets burn real deep. Two, customers rule.

In the Direct to Home (DTH) market, installation charges as low as Rs 1,400 and a dirt cheap monthly subscription cost — less than Rs 100 — are fast becoming a reality. The number of channels is slated to go from 150 to 400 in a few months. Plus, digital video recorders and high definition (HD) are on their way.

This has doubled the industry growth. Officials from the market players told DNA Money that while three months ago, the industry was acquiring 2.5 lakh customers every month, the number has now doubled to 5 lakh, and could go up to 7-8 lakh in a few months once the new players settle down.

In lieu of this customer base, the industry will be shelling out around Rs 800 crore this year for advertisements and promotions, according to Salil Kapoor, chief operating officer of Dish TV, from the Zee stable.

And yes, with a minimum five-year gestation period, it is too early for anyone to be making money.

Arun Kapoor, president, Big TV, part of Reliance ADAG, said, “We will acquire, expand as soon as possible. This industry is not for the weak-hearted and certainly not for those without deep pockets.”

True. Maybe that’s why the Tata Sky DTH service invested Rs 2,000 crore to acquire 20 lakh customers, while another Rs 2,000 crore investment is on its way.

So what tools are the players using to woo customers now that pricing is hardly a differentiator anymore?

“The biggest differentiator is transparency and simplicity in pricing. The consumer shouldn’t have to research on whether he is being made to pay more than what is being showed,” said Salil Kapoor.

While Dish TV can probably take it easy, being the market leader, others are being ‘entertainingly’ aggressive.

Big TV claims it has acquired 5 lakh subscribers in its first two months. It plans to acquire four lakh subscribers per month with DVRs (digital video recorders), high definition channels and exclusive content.

With the customer base of Reliance Telecom and Reliance Energy ready to be tapped, maybe this number is achievable.

Similar strategies exist for others. Also big on their list is interactive services. Airtel, the fourth player in the market, has a tie-up with Infosys for interactive technology. Airtel is offering a common remote for both the set-top box and television, while Dish TV has begun to provide a banking platform on television with ICICI Bank.

Tata Sky has religious and educational programmes to lure customers.

Through that, the industry expects the current 70 lakh subscriber base to swell to 6 crore by 2015, 40% of the total television viewing households.

While players lock horns for market share, firing allegations at each other and blowing louder-than-reality trumpets, subscribers can sit back and have fun.

There will soon be even more channels to surf. Now, if only there was something good to watch! Read more…

In Today’s The Times of India front page has an advertising which hints at the possibility of upcoming launch of Bharti Airtel Digital TV.

We are already seeing houses with Airtel Dishes installed on them as the company continues to test out the services.

Bharti would become the next major player in this market which has become real competitive.

Zee Dish TV, Tata Sky, Reliance Big TV, Sun Direct DTH are some of the existing players in the Indian DTH market.

Checkout the Ad:

More…

As Published in The Economic Times – Bharti Airtel Ltd, India’s top telecom firm, said on Tuesday it would launch direct-to-home (DTH) satellite television services from O

ct. 9, initially in 62 cities.
“The penetration of the market is just about 3 percent. We have just seven million DTH customers in the country. This is a right time for Airtel to enter,” Manoj Kohli, the firm’s chief executive officer, told a news conference. Read more…

EW DELHI : DTH service providers are in talks with media planners and brands to sell space on their platform for advertising, reports Meenakshi Verma Ambwani.

To generate additional revenue through advertising, DTH players plan to sell space on the electronic programme guide and on interactive services like pay-per-view.

Several broadcasters are also toying with the idea of a separate feed for DTH platform with different set of advertisers paying a premium.

As per TAM’s analysis, DTH subscribers spend more time watching TV than analogue cable subscribers and also spend a significant time using the programme guide.

TAM attributed the trend to DTH offering larger number of channels and better picture quality over analogue cable. Says Tata Sky marketing head Vikram Mehra:

“We recently did a survey which found that our subscriber households spend about 34 minutes a day on the electronic guide and interactive services. We are in talks with advertisers for advertising on these services.”

New Delhi, Sept. 9 In search of newer audiences in smaller towns, DTH operator Tata Sky is introducing a new Rs 99 package — Super Hit Pack. The company said it is a “genuine” pack, a rupee cheaper from other such introductory packs.“After our Hindi EPG guide, we’d like to break through the Rs 100 barrier with a genuine package, which includes general entertainment channels, Set Max which airs IPL (Indian Premier League), children’s programming and news —the complete package. The channels together account for 42-48 per cent of channel share in the North Indian markets,” said Mr Vikram Mehra, Chief Marketing Officer. In comparison, similar packages in the market comprise only free- to-air channels, which according to Mr Mehra, don’t add up to even 10 per cent of channel share. The package also offers the interactive services of the DTH company.

Tata Sky is also expected to start marketing its Personal Video Recorder, offering consumers “appointment viewing” – or the option of recording television programmes. The company continues to be in an aggressive mode. Competition has intensified with the launch of Reliance ADAG’s BIG TV, and Tata Sky is investing on all fronts. Since the hiccup in June when a change in package took consumers by surprise and the resulting calls to the call centre took the company aback, it claims to have strengthened consumer service support.

“We are also guiding our consumers to our Web site. And currently 20 per cent of our payments are done through the Web site, which is also an indication of the quality of consumer, or SEC A audience that we cater to,” said Mr Mehra.

The company claims that the Aamir Khan endorsement has worked extremely well for it. Mr Mehra did not comment on what Khan’s endorsement is worth, but says the actor, who promotes only a handful of brands at a time, brings a huge value to the brand.

A new promo for the current package is to go on air soon. For Rs 99, the consumer can watch Star Plus, Sony Entertainment, SABe TV, Star One, SET Max, Star Gold, Star News, India TV, Disney, Hungama TV and DD Sports amongst others.

Tata Sky has also announced a festive offer for all new subscribers this season, open till end October. A new connection inclusive of hardware, installation charges and a year’s subscription of ‘Super Hit Pack’ will be available for Rs 2,999. A bargain is available for a higher end package as well for new consumers who would like to pick their packages comprising predominantly South Indian regional language channels.