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Direct-to-home (DTH) television is growing throughout India, with its easy setup, interactive services, and competitive offerings. But with its growth there has been an explosion in marketing messages and noise, making it harder to figure out the best services available. So to help you figure it out, we decided to 'decode DTH' and do a side-by-side comparison of the DTH offerings today.
There are six major DTH providers today, all competing for your attention and business: Airtel Digital TV, Dish TV, Sun Direct, Reliance Digital TV, Videocon d2h, and Tata Sky . Dish TV was the first major provider and has benefited from the early mover advantage. But while Airtel, Reliance, and Videocon matured late, they also offer better technology and more channels. They are more aggressive and flexible and offer the consumers value for money.
TECHNOLOGY
Compression Technology:
Better Compression technology enables platforms to be more effective and carry more channels without compromising on quality. Tata Sky and Dish TV promise MPEG-2 compression for their standard television boxes , but new operators like Videocon, Reliance, Sun Direct, and Airtel DTH have brought MPEG-4. Videocon and Airtel also have access to DVB S-2 technology which gives more interactive services.
Rain:
With monsoons in summer, it's important to choose a DTH operator that can withstand the rains while keeping signal. Tata Sky reports maximum loss of signal, even with light showers, while the others tend to perform in the heaviest of showers.
HD and 3D:
Almost every provider offers some level of high-definition services. Reliance Digital TV HD leads the race, offering 250 HD-like channels, though Videocon offers the most 'real HD' channels (12 channels). Reliance's box has the ability to upgrade content to 1080 p (a higher resolution ), higher than competitors' 1080 i functionality. Reliance, Airtel, and Videocon are the only ones with 3D ready option.
Portability in Automobiles:
While all are oriented around the television, Dish TV and Airtel are the only ones who also give you the comfort of TV portability in automobiles.
OVERALL TECH RANK:
Overall, Airtel takes the cake as the most future ready, tech savvy DTH operator.
CHANNEL SELECTION
Number of Channels:
It's probably the most important factor for any user: What channels are offered? In the digital world, the offerings have increased, with offerings covering entertainment, news, infotainment, SaasBahu sagas, spectacular sporting events, and classic Hindi and English movies. DTH Pioneer Dish TV offers more than 280 + plus channels, the recent operators Reliance, Airtel & Videocon offer more than 225+ channels while Tata Sky and Sun lag behind with just over 189 + and 178 + channels.
While Hindi General Entertainment Channels (GECs) and Hindi movie channels have traditionally dominated what people watch, the growing trend is the interest in depth in the different categories, and access to niche content. Reliance Digital TV leads in number of Hindi and English news channels, while almost all channels carry all the popular sports channels. Videocon also carries the most number of real HD channels (12).
In the last year, a rush of new channels have launched, and showing them has been a key differentiator for services to stand out. The biggest launch of last year , MOVIES NOW , which showcases the biggest Hollywood blockbusters in HD, is not carried by Tata Sky, but is carried by all the other operators. Other launched channels, like Reliance's Big CBS Prime, Big CBS Spark , and Big CBS Love are carried on Reliance Digital TV, Sun Direct, and Airtel DTH (Videocon only offers Big CBS Prime). Other niche channels, like NGC Music, NGC Adventure, and NGC Wild are carried only by Videocon, Dish, and Reliance. Overall, Tata Sky lags behind competitors in terms of carrying the new channels, while Videocon, Reliance, and Airtel are competing with higher variety in newer channels.
SO WHAT SHOULD I CHOOSE?
In the end , your choice should be based on what you care about. If you want the most technically advanced service (along with speedy customer care ), go with Airtel. Dish TV is the most experienced player with a lot of content variety and has always been the steadiest contender. Sun TV is dominant in the south, but has yet to leave its mark in the rest of the country . Reliance and Videocon have come a long way and offer a huge number of channels and services.
And for your bang-to-buck needs , Videocon has the best entry level packages. The game is far from over, with new channels and new technologies entering the market every day. Tata Sky needs to offer its viewers more variety by picking up new channels. Meanwhile, newer entrants are gaining share from the traditional players with compelling technology and more channel selection. There! DTH, decoded.
times of india.
There are six major DTH providers today, all competing for your attention and business: Airtel Digital TV, Dish TV, Sun Direct, Reliance Digital TV, Videocon d2h, and Tata Sky . Dish TV was the first major provider and has benefited from the early mover advantage. But while Airtel, Reliance, and Videocon matured late, they also offer better technology and more channels. They are more aggressive and flexible and offer the consumers value for money.
TECHNOLOGY
Compression Technology:
Better Compression technology enables platforms to be more effective and carry more channels without compromising on quality. Tata Sky and Dish TV promise MPEG-2 compression for their standard television boxes , but new operators like Videocon, Reliance, Sun Direct, and Airtel DTH have brought MPEG-4. Videocon and Airtel also have access to DVB S-2 technology which gives more interactive services.
Rain:
With monsoons in summer, it's important to choose a DTH operator that can withstand the rains while keeping signal. Tata Sky reports maximum loss of signal, even with light showers, while the others tend to perform in the heaviest of showers.
HD and 3D:
Almost every provider offers some level of high-definition services. Reliance Digital TV HD leads the race, offering 250 HD-like channels, though Videocon offers the most 'real HD' channels (12 channels). Reliance's box has the ability to upgrade content to 1080 p (a higher resolution ), higher than competitors' 1080 i functionality. Reliance, Airtel, and Videocon are the only ones with 3D ready option.
Portability in Automobiles:
While all are oriented around the television, Dish TV and Airtel are the only ones who also give you the comfort of TV portability in automobiles.
OVERALL TECH RANK:
Overall, Airtel takes the cake as the most future ready, tech savvy DTH operator.
CHANNEL SELECTION
Number of Channels:
It's probably the most important factor for any user: What channels are offered? In the digital world, the offerings have increased, with offerings covering entertainment, news, infotainment, SaasBahu sagas, spectacular sporting events, and classic Hindi and English movies. DTH Pioneer Dish TV offers more than 280 + plus channels, the recent operators Reliance, Airtel & Videocon offer more than 225+ channels while Tata Sky and Sun lag behind with just over 189 + and 178 + channels.
While Hindi General Entertainment Channels (GECs) and Hindi movie channels have traditionally dominated what people watch, the growing trend is the interest in depth in the different categories, and access to niche content. Reliance Digital TV leads in number of Hindi and English news channels, while almost all channels carry all the popular sports channels. Videocon also carries the most number of real HD channels (12).
In the last year, a rush of new channels have launched, and showing them has been a key differentiator for services to stand out. The biggest launch of last year , MOVIES NOW , which showcases the biggest Hollywood blockbusters in HD, is not carried by Tata Sky, but is carried by all the other operators. Other launched channels, like Reliance's Big CBS Prime, Big CBS Spark , and Big CBS Love are carried on Reliance Digital TV, Sun Direct, and Airtel DTH (Videocon only offers Big CBS Prime). Other niche channels, like NGC Music, NGC Adventure, and NGC Wild are carried only by Videocon, Dish, and Reliance. Overall, Tata Sky lags behind competitors in terms of carrying the new channels, while Videocon, Reliance, and Airtel are competing with higher variety in newer channels.
SO WHAT SHOULD I CHOOSE?
In the end , your choice should be based on what you care about. If you want the most technically advanced service (along with speedy customer care ), go with Airtel. Dish TV is the most experienced player with a lot of content variety and has always been the steadiest contender. Sun TV is dominant in the south, but has yet to leave its mark in the rest of the country . Reliance and Videocon have come a long way and offer a huge number of channels and services.
And for your bang-to-buck needs , Videocon has the best entry level packages. The game is far from over, with new channels and new technologies entering the market every day. Tata Sky needs to offer its viewers more variety by picking up new channels. Meanwhile, newer entrants are gaining share from the traditional players with compelling technology and more channel selection. There! DTH, decoded.
times of india.
