Discussion In which year did you got your first DTH/Cable connections?

[The Lonelier Island]

Here's my story we got analogue cable before even my birth. We got analogue cable during the 90s. Probably since the launch as the operator was a good family friend. I don't know if kids will understand this. We got like some odd 60-70 channels which included. The later number channels were always grainy. Also when cable services use to distrup. We got DD National and DD News. Around 2007 cable operator got some sort of box (not set top box) in our house as I always kept nagging to add Hungama Channel and some Nursery Rhymes channel. Than we got like 100-150 channels. Than we move to digital connection on same connection in late 2013. Than switch back to analogue within months as digital connection was glitchy. Channels use to face all different kinds of error. Than permanently switch to digital in 2014 except for 3 days when we had to go back to analogue for some major upgrade. After we moved to a different area. We retain old connection while switching to different operator. We upgraded to HD in 2018. In 2019 I got annoyed because of some issue with infotainment channels and glitches during the Cricket World Cup. Than I permanently switch to Tata Sky.

Here's a fun thing during analogue cable days. I use to find tune and put my all my favourite channels like Nat Geo, Fox History & Entertainment, Pogo etc. in 90-100 LCN. Also I have been using Tata Sky since 2006 itself as my grandmother's village never had cable. We were the only house that had Tata Sky. Everyone else had DishTV.

 

[Niel Kumar]

My first pay dth was BiG tv in 2009. Now i have two connections airtel and dishtv but i miss big tv a lot

Remember they were advertising “Ho to BIG ho” ...

 

[Sparker0i]

We used to have local cable operators in the various cities that we lived until 2008 in Pune when we bought reliance big tv for a 1 year package.

I had warned my dad to not buy that 1 year package because it may not be reliable. In that 1 year, we faced satellite issues from time to time mostly due to rains, but even after rainfall it didn't resolve. We used to wait for a week or so until they came home to resolve it. It was super bad experience.

After the 1 year completed, we had enough and I asked dad to move out of big tv and my mom warned him to change it. Then we switched to Airtel DTH, but we opted for only 3 months this time because we didn't want a deja vu. So we switched and the service was only slightly better, not too great.

I don't remember why, but my dad wanted another switch. Now around the same time, we were relocating to Delhi in April 2010. The DTH dealer suggested to go for dish TV. We installed it and we were very satisfied. There were most number of channels and package was cheap as well..

We were satisfied but unfortunately we had to relocate to Kerala in 2011 and we could not carry over the dish and cables. Moreover their relocation charge back then was ridiculously expensive, so we had to settle for Asianet lco. We missed a lot of channels (mostly Zee network) but didn't face a single downtime.

Then in Onam 2017 we brought a full HD LED TV for the first time in our home. Ever since then I've been on the lookout for an HD cable provider. Our LCO's HD charges were ridiculously expensive at ~₹700 in the pre NTO era and at that time I joined DDF to see what are the good options. I had zeroes down on airtel because of ₹99 base pack + ₹325 all Hd channel pack.

I could not buy it immediately due to various reasons, but in Feb 2018 during India tour of South Africa, my eyes were tired of seeing the sport channels being stretched out on the led tv, so I said enough is enough and we switched to Airtel HD.

We have been satisfied with it till date and have now switched to Airtel XStream box recently which has a ridiculous user experience. I'm going to stay for a year with this and see whether anything improves or not. If not, I might make the switch to Tata sky binge.

 

[praks001]

I belong to UP and the first Cable connection at my home was in the year 2000. The cable guy took Rs. 500 as Cable cost and Rs. 100 per month thereafter. We got almost all the channels except ESPN & Star Sports, however, they were added right before India's tour of Zimbabwe in the same year.
Later we got DEN Digital in the year 2012. The operator charged Rs. 799 as STB cost and monthly charges of Rs. 180. We got all the channels that were available in that period.
I lived in Kochi for an year (2016-17) due to my job and there also DEN Digital was installed at my residence.
I moved to Delhi in later half of 2017 and started using TATA Sky.
However as of now my TATA Sky is inactive and I mostly use OTT Platforms for TV.

 

[praks001]

One thing I have always wondered about is the 4-5ft. dish antennas some people used to have on their terrace in the 1990s. Has anyone in this forum used them? How good was the reception and how many channels were available? Was it directly plugged into the TV?
I tried to find Youtube videos about the same but didn't get any.

 

[hike]

Let's discuss on which year we got our first Cable connection.

We had cable from even before I was born.

Q1: How is the experience today as compared to back than?

After having more than 850 channels on TV I'm missing those old Doordarshan although at that time I was kid but when I today watch Ramayan, Mahabharat, Malgudi Days, etc of that time I feel that today's TV nothing more than a id*ot Box.

Q2: For cable users only. In which year did you switch from analogue to digital cable?

On 5 Nov 2017 I shifted my hall TV from Cable to Tata Sky. As I was having RDTV spare STB which we bought with one of our room TV in 2008 and was for no use and I got it replaced by Tata Sky. But, after that only because of its favourite option I'm stick to it. Other rooms in home has Cable TV only.

Good News - Installed new Tata Sky HD (HEVC) connection in exchange of Reliance Digital TV

My new TATA SKY HD (HEVC) connection. Picture Quality is awesome. HD channels looks same like in hathway clear and crispy. Favorite organized system is also good. My mom and other lady in my house learned it easily. Remote range is also good. In hathway HD remote range was not so good. upload...

dreamdth.com

Whenever, I think not to recharge it, FreeCharge, AmazonPay come up with offer and I end up recharging it and this time I will try definitely go back to Cable TV as it has more local channels and that in HD quality with no ads. Let's see what happen but I'm happy with the service quality Tata Sky offers.

 

[acmedigitals]

I got dishtv connection 2004 september........ Zenega stb... With channel number display korea make... In 2008 used sundirect. Again 2010 dishtv.. Then 2015 onwards tatasky.,.... All are demo set

 

[Mr.Bhat]

Yeah, we are from the TB6 Mockba era !! Those were the days...
Today's kids wont understand the thrill of cable tv

Absolutely correct..miss u a lot...I still remember those people around us.. ..
Really missing Vishwa...I learnt few things from him and Shubham...

 

[Mr.Bhat]

I got dishtv connection 2004 september........ Zenega stb... With channel number display korea make... In 2008 used sundirect. Again 2010 dishtv.. Then 2015 onwards tatasky.,.... All are demo set

I bought Dishtv on February 2004.yes it's Zenega..It was also supporting FTA channels tracking...That stb had version 100 SW...It has a issue of not upgrading OTA..Even manually transfered that version in later stb too...There also We can track FTA channels...

 

[Sagarmude3]

During First Season Of IPL We Brought Tata Sky
That Fealing We Can't Described In Words
In Our Villege Pay Dish Is Available In Only My Home All Boys Come To My Home To Watch IPL

Then Upgraded To Tata Sky HD 2 years Back
And Now Using Sun Direct HD Becouse Of NCF