FREEDISH PLANS 250 CHANNELS

[Mudasir 4K]

Over the past 2 years, Doordarshan's Free To Air
'DTH' platform has promised a significantly
augmented channel delivery. It has repeatedly failed
to meet these promises.
CURRENT CAPACITY
Currently, FreeDish offers 64 MPEG-2 compressed,
Free-To-Air TV channels + 21 radio channels, from
the INSAT 3A satellite located at 93.5 degrees
East. With more than 20 million viewer homes,
FreeDish is by far the biggest DTH platform in
India.
With the rollout of all-India ratings including rural by
the Broadcasters Audience Research Council (BARC)
, the platform has become even more critical for TV
channels who want to reach that audience.
The rapidly growing popularity of FreeDish is borne
out by the fact that, the DTH platform had hiked its
reserve price for slot e-auction of its MPEG-2
channels to Rs. 4.3 Crore from Rs. 3.7 Crore.
93.5 DEG SLOT
The slot at 93.5 degrees East houses the INSAT 3A
and INSAT 4B satellites, both of which are
approaching their End-Of-Life.
In November 2015, the GAST-15 satellite was
successfully launched and stationed at the same
location.
The plan is to migrate all the channels out of the
INSAT 3A & 4B satellites and transfer all the Ku
Band channels on them to the new GSAT-15 before
the old satellites fail.
Currently, FreeDish is available from the INSAT-4B
at 93.5 deg E, at 4 downlink frequencies:
[BLACK DIAMOND SUIT] 10990 MHz,
[BLACK DIAMOND SUIT] 11070 MHz,
[BLACK DIAMOND SUIT] 11150 MHz,
[BLACK DIAMOND SUIT] 11570 MHz.
Doordarshan's C band channels - DD National, DD
News, DD Bharati, DD Sports, DD Urdu, DD India,
Rajya Sabha TV and DD HD have already been
shifted to the GSAT-10 satellite.
GSAT-15
If all goes as planned, FreeDish's existing 64 TV
MPEG-2 channel + 21 AIR Radio channels will be
migrated to the GSAT-15 in mid-January 2016.
Thereafter, additional Ku band transponders will be
allocated to FreeDish on the GSAT-15.
Launched on 11 November, GSAT-15 carries 24 Ku
band transponders (no C-band TV transponders)
and is located at 93.5 degrees East.
Initially 48 New MPEG-4, ByDesign Encrypted
Channels Will Be Added.
MPEG-4 CHANNELS
The additional TV channels on FreeDish (above the
existing 64 MPEG-2 compressed channels) will all
be added using the more bandwidth efficient
MPEG-4 compression.
PHASED UPGRADE
Initially, 48 MPEG-4 Encrypted Channels will be
Added, to offer a total of 112 FreeDish TV
Channels. Reception of these new channels will
require new MPEG-4 satellite receivers, which will
be more expensive than the existing MPEG-2
receivers.
As a result, it is expected that atleast initially, the
existing 64 channels will remain the most widely
viewed.
MPEG-4 FreeDish STBs Will Be Available Only
Through Doordarshan
MPEG-4 STBS BY DD
CK Jain Doordarshan DDG (Comm. & Sales/ IR &
IMD/ DCD) told the press that FreeDish would roll
out its MPEG-4 STBs from April 2016.
Hence, unlike the FreeDish MPEG-2 boxes that are
freely available in the open market, the MPEG-4
FreeDish STBs will be available only through
Doordarshan or its designated channels. As a result,
the FreeDish MPEG STBs are likely to be
substantially more expensive that the MPEG-2
STBs. it remains to be seen if this controlled
distribution by Doordarshan will be able to
successfully cater to the market.
All Future FreeDish Channels Will Be MPEG-4 &
ByDesign's iCAS
ENCRYPTION TOO
Currently, the 64 MPEG-2 TV channels are all
downlinked un-encrypted. Any generic Satellite
receiver can be used for reception. As a result, DD
does not know the number of satellite receivers that
are deployed, and the actual number of viewer
homes. To correct this, DD has declared that all its
MPEG-4 TV channel will be encrypted, even though
there will not be a monthly subscription charge.
BYDESIGN CAS
The FreeDish MPEG-4 platform will deploy the
indigenously developed iCAS Conditional Access
System sponsored by the Department of Electronics
& Information Technology (DeitY), and developed by
ByDesign, Bangalore.
No subscription will be charged from consumers for
the iCAS encrypted channels. The encryption is
being deployed merely to keep count of the number
of satellite receivers in use for FreeDish.
GSAT-15 Will Provide Addition Transponders For 250
TV Channels On FreeDish
DELAYED IMPLEMENTATION
Briefing the parliament, Minister of State for I&B R
S Rathore admitted that there had been a delay in
rolling out Satellite receivers, capable or receiving
the new encrypted signals. He confirmed that the
uplink centre was ready to handle the 48 new
MPEG-4 encrypted channels, but the ground
infrastructure was not in place.
Probably, Doordarshan was simply not equipped to
authorise and catalog such a large number of
receivers.
Minister of State for I&B R S Rathore said hardware
installation of DTH platform of upto 112 TV
channels has been completed.
"Presently, there are 64 TV channels and steps have
been taken to add 48 new channels. The capacity
would be increased to 250 TV channels as part of
approved 12th plan," he said during Question Hour.
Mr. Rathore said Prasar Bharati has decided to
adopt the Indian Conditional Access System (iCAS)
which is being finalised by Department of
Electronics and Information Technology.
"In addition, Department of Space has agreed in-
principle to provide additional transponders on the
new GSAT 15 satellite required for upgradation to
250 TV channels," he added.
www.scatmag.com/article5.htm

 

[Mudasir 4K]

Good news
FreeDish's existing 64 TV MPEG-2 channel + 21 AIR Radio channels will be migrated to the GSAT-15 in mid-January 2016.

 

[Johny]

while scanning we are getting a tp with symbol rate 29500, if this tp is from GSAT-15 no need to adjust the dish i think.

 

[dhass]

super news..adding all language channels india is multi language cuntry undrestand dd free dish...Dd free dish adding hindhi language channels only..

 

[rocky7756]

I think very few people will buy dd authorised box until an unless they provied good demandable channel which are encrapted and it is also not clear that box they will provied will be compitable to see other fta channel other than dd free dish