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With the 'CAS' issue not yet resolved, there's 'DTH' coming up to muddle things up for
you and me.

Doordarshan will launch its Direct-To-Home telecast from April 1. Broadcasters like Star
and Zee are pushing hard for DTH services in India [ Images ] too.

So what is this DTH all about? How, if at all, does it help the customer? Is it good? Let's
find out.

What is DTH?

DTH stands for Direct-To-Home television. DTH is defined as the reception of satellite
programmes with a personal dish in an individual home.

DTH does away with the need for the local cable operator and puts the broadcaster
directly in touch with the consumer. Only cable operators can receive satellite
programmes and they then distribute them to individual homes.
 How does DTH work?

A DTH network consists of a broadcasting centre, satellites, encoders,

multiplexers, modulators and DTH receivers.

A DTH service provider has to lease Ku-band transponders from the satellite. The
encoder converts the audio, video and data signals into the digital format and the
multiplexer mixes these signals. At the user end, there will be a small dish antenna and
set-top boxes to decode and view numerous channels. On the user's end, receiving dishes
can be as small as 45 cm in diametre.

DTH is an encrypted transmission that travels to the consumer directly through a satellite.
DTH transmission is received directly by the consumer at his end through the small dish
antenna. A set-top box, unlike the regular cable connection, decodes the encrypted
transmission.

How does DTH really differ from cable TV?

The way DTH reaches a consumer's home is different from the way cable TV does. In
DTH, TV channels would be transmitted from the satellite to a small dish antenna
mounted on the window or rooftop of the subscriber's home. So the broadcaster directly
connects to the user. The middlemen like local cable operators are not there in the
picture.

DTH can also reach the remotest of areas since it does away with the intermediate step of
a cable operator and the wires (cables) that come from the cable operator to your house.
As we explained above, in DTH signals directly come from the satellite to your DTH
dish.

Also, with DTH, a user can scan nearly 700 channels!

Does one need to put two dish antennae and pay double subscription per month if
one has two TVs [ Get Quote ]?

For multiple connections in the same premises, one can use the same connection.
However, every television set will need to have an individual STB.

Also, DTH is a national service and the STBs enable a viewer to change service providers
without changing the STB, even if one moves from one city to another.

Can a CAS set-top box be used for DTH?

No, these are different set-top boxes.

Why is DTH is being discussed now?

Doordarshan plans to launch its DTH telecast from April 1. The government has said it
will provide 10,000 dishes free across eight states for increased community viewing of
the DTH service. The government is estimated to be investing over Rs 300 crore (Rs 3
billion) in this DTH venture.

There are four serious contenders for DTH services in India: Doordarshan, Star, Zee, and
Data Access.

Is DTH superior to cable TV?

Yes. DTH offers better quality picture than cable TV. This is because cable TV in India is
analog. Despite digital transmission and reception, the cable transmission is still analog.
DTH offers stereophonic sound effects. It can also reach remote areas where terrestrial
transmission and cable TV have failed to penetrate. Apart from enhanced picture quality,
DTH has also allows for interactive TV services such as movie-on-demand, Internet
access, video conferencing and e-mail. But the thing that DTH has going for it is that the
powerful broadcasting companies like Star, Zee, etc are pushing for it.

So why are broadcasters pushing for DTH?

In DTH, the payments will be made directly by the subscriber to the satellite company
offering the service.

A big problem that broadcasters face in India is the issue of under-reporting of

subscribers by cable operators.

Consider the cable operators pyramid. Right at the top is the broadcaster. Next comes the
Multi Service Cable Operator (MSOs) like Siticable, InCable, etc. Below them are the
Access Cable Operators (ACOs) or your local cable guy who actually lays the wires to
your house.

The local cable operators or the ACOs then allegedly under-report the number of
subscribers they have bagged because they have to pay the MSOs something like Rs 30-
45 per household. Showing a lesser number of households benefits ACOs.

With no way to actually cross check, the MSOs and the broadcasters lose a lot.
Broadcasters do not earn much in subscription fees and are mostly dependent on
advertisement revenue to cover their costs, which is not sustainable and does not offer
high growth in revenues for broadcasters.

The way out of this is to use a set-top box so that it will be clear how many households
are actually using cable or going for DTH where broadcasters directly connect to
consumers and can actually grow revenues with a growth in the subscriber base.

Why do Doordarshan, Zee, Star think DTH will work in India?

Today, broadcasters believe that the market is ripe for DTH. The prices of the dish and
the set-top box have come down significantly. Overall investments required in putting up
a DTH infrastructure has dropped and customers are also reaping the benefits of more
attractive tariffs.

The major thing that DTH operators are betting on is that the service is coming at a time
when the government is pushing for CAS (conditional access system), which will make
cable television more expensive, narrowing the tariff gap between DTH and cable.

Will DTH be cheaper than cable or more expensive?

DTH will be definitely more expensive than cable as it exists today.

A set-top box is a must for DTH. Earlier, when CAS made set-top box mandatory for
households, the costs between DTH and cable would not have been too wide.

But CAS on the backburner now -- which means no set-top box (a must for DTH), the
price gap between DTH and cable will be wide.

In Oct 2002, Siticable, which is owned by Zee, said that the cost of the installation
equipment, which includes the receiver dish and the set-top box, would be priced at
around Rs 3,900. Siticable is looking to rope in 1 million subscribers in 15 months.

Other estimates say that digital cable set-top box may cost Rs 4,000, a DTH decoder dish
is unlikely to cost less than Rs 7,000.

DTH's minimum subscription could be priced around Rs 500 per month.

Some reports say that an entry level DTH STB will cost about Rs 7,000 (including taxes
and installation cost at consumers end). A more advanced STB with value added features
like PVR (Personal Video Recorder), PSTN connectivity, Gamming console, channel
management system, etc. may cost as much as Rs 15,000.

What is the history of DTH in India?

DTH services were first proposed in India in 1996. But they did not pass approval
because there were concerns over national security and a cultural invasion. In 1997, the
government even imposed a ban when the Rupert Murdoch-owned Indian Sky
Broadcasting (ISkyB) was about to launch its DTH services in India.

Finally in 2000, DTH was allowed. The new policy requires all operators to set up earth
stations in India within 12 months of getting a license. DTH licenses in India will cost
$2.14 million and will be valid for 10 years. The companies offering DTH service will
have to have an Indian chief and foreign equity has been capped at 49 per cent. There is
no limit on the number of companies that can apply for the DTH license.
So, what's the buzz? Will DTH finally be the one that rules?

The cable system is well entrenched in India and is showing quite rapid growth. If DTH
had come to India in 1996-97 (like Star had originally attempted), then it could have
made a significant breakthrough.

Europe is an example of this. DTH developed there before cable and now controls nearly
80 per cent of the total satellite television subscriber base. But in US, cable rules because
it came before DTH.

DTH will definitely cut into the existing cable user base. It will make the local cable
operator less important and take business away from him. It will give consumers greater
choice.

But it is likely to be an up market premium product and most middle class households
will stick to cable.

DTH Satellite TV: Timelines to the Future by Harry W. Thibedeau

edited by Alex Breckon

While today's hot DTH marketplace makes for an exciting story, this is an industry with a history unknown to
most. It is a story of an industry which was never supposed to exist. An industry born out of the genius of a
Stanford University college professor and publicized by ham radio conversations. An industry that defied all odds
to grow from the backyards of techies and early adapters to today's multi-billion dollar first-line competitor to the
cable monopoly in America. And, it is the story of an industry comprised of thousands of entrepreneurs who kept
the dream alive during long periods of traumatic political and marketplace upheaval.

Come with us now as we look at the people, the events, and the evolution of the technology.

1945 Arthur C. Clark's Dream

The entire satellite communications industry -- not just the DTH segment -- can trace its common heritage to one
man. That man is the noted futurist and author Arthur C. Clark. Long before Clark was to take us to the farthest
reaches of the universe in his legendary epic "2001: A Space Odyssey," he penned a paper entitled,
"Extraterrestrial Relays." Published in October 1945 by "Wireless World Magazine," this article advanced a theory
that world-wide communications could be accomplished by placing three space platforms into special orbits
22,300 miles above the equator. Clark explained that at this altitude, the platforms would orbit the earth at
exactly the same speed as the earth turned -- thus they would appear to remain motionless in space when
viewed from the ground.
Obviously, Clark's paper was far ahead of its time. The world had yet to see the widespread development of TV --
let alone the ability to place any object, much less a large communications platform, into orbit. The world would
have to wait a dozen years before the first man-made object, Sputnik, found its way into orbit. This basketball-
sized satellite carried a transmitter which delivered a non-stop Morris code-based political message touting the
technological superiority of the Soviet Union. Spurred into action, America embarked on one of the largest
technology development programs in history. The $20-plus billion space program saw the United States not only
put men on the moon, but also lead to the development of Intelsat, an international consortium which deployed a
network of geostationary communications satellites. In fact, the very first live global television broadcast - the
realization of Clark's dream - came as Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon in July of 1969.

By the mid-1970's, this same satellite technology was being widely utilized by private companies such as Western
Union, AT&T, and RCA to support the rapidly growing telecommunications needs of the United States. In addition
to telephony/data circuits and program links for television networks, the geostationary satellite was about to play
a key role in the growth of the cable television industry -- at the time a nascent industry involved in the delivery
of over-the-air TV signals to subscribers.

HBO Moves to Satellite, Taylor Howard Builds a Dish

In 1976, premium programmer HBO made history when it initiated satellite delivery of programming to cable
headends with the heavyweight boxing battle dubbed, "The Thriller From Manila." The move by HBO was followed
quickly by Ted Turner, who began uplinking his heretofore unknown Atlanta UHF-TV station, now known as
WTBS. Turner branded it America's Station, and the superstation was born. 1977 saw Pat Robertson launch the
first satellite-delivered basic cable service -- CBN Cable Network -- the predecessor of The Family Channel.

While all this was being done with cable operators in mind, Stanford University Professor Emeritus H. Taylor
Howard was also busy in his garage. Howard, a lead scientist on several interplanetary NASA probes along with
key communications systems on the Apollo Program, was soon to build the first consumer DTH system in
America. In turn, Howard also became the first consumer to actually pay (or attempt to pay) HBO directly for its
signal (the check was returned with a letter explaining that HBO only sold its signal to cable operators).

How did the world find out about Taylor Howard's invention? Well, as an amateur radio operator, he shared his
knowledge with fellow "hams" around the world. This was backed up with a simple how-to manual on satellite TV
published by Professor Howard. As the techies began to grasp the capabilities of satellite TV, a small group of
entrepreneurs moved from hobbyist to businessperson. These pioneers -- many operating out of their garages --
gave birth to an industry which sold approximately 5,000 systems in 1980. Each of these systems, boasting an
antenna 12 feet or more in diameter, fetched a whopping $10,000. The journey towards the DTH industry of
today had begun.

1981 - 1985 Dish Fever Grows

The DTH industry grew quickly from its modest beginnings. As each new system was installed, the word of mouth
advertising grew for the industry. Obviously the early DTH systems were very large, thus the simple act of having
one installed drew the attention and interest of the neighborhood. Once non-dishowners experienced the diversity
of satellite-delivered programming (new cable services were now launching at a rapid pace) coupled with the
unsurpassed audio and video quality offered by a DTH system, the fever began to spread across the land.

For satellite TV to move beyond the techies and early adapters, into the mainstream consumer marketplace,
three things had to happen: 1) the price had to be reduced; 2) the reliability and user friendliness of the
hardware had to increase significantly and; 3) the legality of dish ownership by private citizens had to be clearly
established. Driven by the entry of several larger manufacturers, the first two conditions were met rather easily.
The price of a complete DTH system rapidly fell from the $10,000 level in 1980 to under $3,000 by the beginning
of 1985. At the same time, the overall reliability of the hardware improved dramatically and the early systems
which were really little more than experimental units transitioned into stylish state-of-the-art microprocessor-
controlled video tuners comparable in size to a VCR. As for the legal status of the DTH industry, that issue was
settled in 1984 when President Ronald Reagan signed the Cable Act in to law. This legislation clarified the right of
American citizens to own a satellite dish, and it also contained provisions establishing the legal structure by which
program providers could require those dishowners to pay for reception of their services.
The DTH industry will remember 1985 for its rollercoaster ride of highs and lows. From a shipment perspective,
the chart clearly shows that satellite TV was hot -- some 735,000 systems were produced in the United States.
Some months in the latter part of the year saw in excess of 80,000 units sold. An industry which began the year
with less than a million consumers ended the year with over 1.7 million satisfied customers. Indeed, to the
outside observer, the DTH industry appeared to be one of the hottest technology bets available. In fact, this
success was setting the industry up for a dramatic tumble -- one which would take years to overcome.

With the cash registers ringing wildly in satellite dealerships across the country, the industry literally found itself
out of control. Hundreds of new dealerships were opening every month -- with many of these new retailers
having little, if any true understanding of the product and/or long term commitment to the business. The satellite
dish had become the pet rock industry of the year.

All of this was happening in an environment where programming was free -- the consumer made a one-time
hardware purchase and enjoyed well in excess of a hundred channels of high quality video, including every basic
and premium cable service, at no charge. As 1985 wore on, the signs of change began to emerge. Several cable
programming services announced plans to encrypt their satellite feeds under the authority granted to them by
the 1984 Cable Act.

Clarity in hindsight tells us that the DTH industry should have prepared itself and its consumers for the sea
change which was coming. However, for any number of reasons, most retailers either refused to believe that
signal scrambling would ever occur -- or chose to ignore the train which was bearing down on those selling the
promise of "free TV forever."

January 15, 1986 The DTH World Changes Forever

January 15, 1986 began like any other day in America. The lines were long at satellite dealerships, and sales
were good. As the day wore on, suddenly the video on HBO was replaced by unrecognizable lines and the audio
was gone. At that very moment, the hardware-based DTH industry transitioned into one which would be driven
by the sale of software - programming.

The effect of scrambling one service out of many dozens -- albeit a high profile service such as HBO -- should
have been a short-term manageable market development, especially in light of the fact that decoders (then
manufactured by MA/COM, later to become part of GI) for the signal were available, and HBO stood ready to sell
the service to any DTH consumer. This was not to be however, as the news of scrambling hit the national media
with a message that, "....the skies have gone dark for dishowners." This highly inaccurate message was then
reinforced by large scale negative advertising campaigns by cable operators which depicted satellite dishes as
expensive and ugly contraptions which now at best would make for Olympic-sized birdbaths.

The first thing to happen was the wholesale defection of retailers who had entered the business in 1985 in search
of the easy sale. This was followed by a bitter internal industry battle over scrambling which soon saw existing
DTH system owners drawn into the fight to preserve the free airwaves. Worse yet, the industry allowed this
battle to spread to new consumers as they entered dealer showrooms to consider the purchase of a dish. It even
gave birth to three nightly satellite-delivered talk radio networks dedicated to discussing/debating the changing
industry. The political fireworks generated by these shows demonstrated the fact that the industry was
approaching a meltdown.

The impact on sales of new DTH systems was dramatic. From 735,000 systems in 1985, the industry plummeted
to 225,000 units. An estimated 60 percent of all retailers in the industry on January 1, 1986 were gone as the
year came to a close. Fire sales dominated the marketplace as hardware manufacturers and distributors either
left the business or fought to generate sufficient cash flow to hang on. Clearly, the DTH industry was rapidly
approaching a fork in the road on the way to survival or oblivion.

December 2, 1986 The First Signs of Unity

For the home satellite industry to survive, it was clear to many company executives that the political
disagreements had to somehow give way to conscience building and industry unity on key long-range
marketplace issues. This process began on December 2, 1986 in Anaheim, CA with the founding banquet for the
Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association (SBCA).
The SBCA was formed as a result of the merger of two trade organizations -- the Society of Private and
Commercial Earth Stations -- (SPACE) and the Direct Broadcast Satellite Association (DBSA). SPACE had
represented primarily the manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of DTH systems. DBSA was comprised of
companies such as RCA Americom, AT&T, Hughes, Comsat, and USSB -- all of which were interested in high
power DBS.

The new organization, which was led in its first year by Co-Chairman Taylor Howard of SPACE and Dr. John Clark
of RCA Americom faced the immediate challenge of how to restore unity to a fractured industry. They quickly
moved to create a Board of Directors which would offer equal representation to all segments of the DTH industry
-- including the new players -- satellite programmers. For the first time, these programmers would have an
opportunity to directly participate in the decision making of an industry they served -- something they were not
afforded in the cable trade organizations of the day.

As the new satellite trade association took shape during the early part of 1987, the first sparks of optimism
returned to the satellite business. Little did the SBCA leaders know that perhaps the industry's biggest challenge
ever would surface in a matter of months.

1987 - 1993 Piracy Dominates DTH

Shipments of DTH hardware rebounded in 1987 from the depths of the 1986 slump. This upswing in sales was
driven by the advent of integrated receiver/decoders which combined the decoder module with the receiver unit,
and perhaps even more importantly, the arrival of program packages. The grouping of encrypted services (all of
which had chosen to use the VideoCipher II (VC II) scrambling system) into attractively priced packages was a
major step forward in the sale of programming to the consumer who previously was required to make several
phone calls to purchase individual programming services.

Just as stability was returning to the industry, the VideoCipher II system came under heavy attack from hackers.
Within months of the first rumors of a break in the system, the worst fears of the industry were realized as signal
piracy exploded across the nation.

The impact of piracy on the growth of the legitimate industry was significant. In years such as 1990, the DTH
industry shipped approximately 380,000 new systems, but only 77,553 net VC II authorizations were recorded.
Thus, not only were new systems being pirated at time of installation, many of the existing systems in the field
were also being modified to steal programming services. Ultimately, of the 1.9 million VideoCipher II units
manufactured between 1986 and the middle of 1990, less than 500,000 were legally receiving services.

Clearly, satellite signal theft posed a serious threat to the industry's access to programming. In 1987, SBCA
leadership was contacted by the executives of the major Hollywood movie studios to discuss the emerging
problem. The message from Hollywood was clear - while it strongly supported the DTH industry and pledged to
work closely with the SBCA, the piracy issue required immediate action. Failure to effectively deal with the issue
would leave the movie studios with no choice but to discontinue licensing its movies for distribution to DTH
owners.

With this message in mind, the industry embarked on a two-front effort. General Instrument Corporation (which
had now acquired the Cable Home Communications Division of MA/COM) commenced a series of electronic
countermeasures to shut down illegally modified boxes while also beginning work on a second generation
scrambling system dubbed the VideoCipher II Plus (VC II+). The SBCA took the lead in the public fight against
signal theft through the creation of an Anti-Piracy Task Force. This unit, funded by member companies, was
comprised of several retired senior FBI agents and a former Federal prosecutor. They organized a nationwide
network of private investigative firms to collect evidence of illegal activity on the part of retailers. This evidence
then served as the basis for law enforcement raids and civil/criminal action in numerous states across the
country. The Task Force also engaged in extensive industry education and public relations efforts to explain the
dangers of satellite signal theft.

The summer of 1990 saw the introduction of the VC II+ system. Plans were then developed for the orderly
transition to the new encryption system and the shut down of the old VC II data stream. The DTH industry
realized that legitimate consumers must be protected during the move to a new scrambling system, and every
consumer who was legitimately subscribing to programming services received a VC II+ decoder module at no
cost.

With its legal customers accommodated, the programming services then began transitioning exclusively to the
new system in the fall of 1992. The movement resulted in the dramatic rise in net decoder authorizations in 1993
and 1994 as pirate consumers were forced to purchase new modules and begin paying for the services they
desired.

1994 Ready for DBS

The DTH industry had emerged from its second major crisis, and now, this industry which had begun so humbly,
stood on the threshold of a new era, The Dawn of DBS. While 1994 marked the arrival of medium and high-power
Ku-Band DBS service, it was also represented one of the best years ever for the C-Band industry.

With piracy effectively under control, and consumer interest in satellite TV growing as a result of initial marketing
of DBS hardware, C-Band sales boomed. In August of 1994, some 85,000 systems were shipped, representing
perhaps the best single month in the 14 year history of the industry. As 1994 drew to a close, over 600,000 new
systems had been shipped, and nearly 2.2 million consumers were authorized for C-Band DTH service. While C-
band activity has slowed, and the total authorized households had dropped, C-Band still represents almost 2
percent of all television households. And with the introduction of 4DTV, the prospects of the C-Band segment of
the DTH industry may improve.

As the DTH industry celebrates the 20th anniversary of Taylor Howard's invention, it is clear that satellite TV is
here to stay. The industry survived not only because it has a good product which offers unique programming at a
good value -- but because many of those early pioneers simply wouldn't let the dream slip away. Those pioneers
are now leading this industry into the digital information age of 21st century.

DTH In India: A few survival strategies

In the second of our viewpoints, indiantelevision.com brings
you an analysis of how a DTH proposition should be
approached in the Indian market. The analysis is by Anjan
Sur, a strategic business analyst for the Zee Convergence
Group, Bangalore

Over the last three years, the direct-to-home (DTH) satellite industry has come on
strongly worldwide. It has grown from a niche delivery mechanism into a
mainstream business. The spread of subscription-based DTH satellite TV promises to
enhance choices for many households in developing countries.

With the Government throwing open the DTH sector in the country,a handful of
players have come up with grandiose plans to enter the market. Given the stiff level
of competition this premium services will face from the existing multi-channel cable
network, possible entrants need to clearly grasp a few of the winning rules of the
game.

HOW PLAYERS CAN MAKE MONEY

A DTH offer comprises six elements.
 • Content: The movies,news channels,sporting events,and/or general
entertainment features that constitute an offer to consumers.
• Space: Ownership or access to sufficient transponders in the right orbital slot
to broadcast an offer to a specific area.
• Ground: The ability to distribute, install and service dishes and set-top
boxes(otherwise known as customer premises equipment, or CPE), combined
with access to relevant technology and manufacturing capabilities.
• Subscriber management: Ability to acquire and deactivate subscribers,bill
and collect from them, activate pay-per-view movies and perform customer
service.
• Financing: The provision of credit to customer seeking to buy or lease CPE.
• Government relation: Ability to navigate government procedures and
regulations to obtain permits and so on.

So diverse are these requirements,that no existing player in any market will be able
to fulfill all of them on its own. This, the industry will be populated by consortia and
it is unlikely that more than one or two DTH consortia will be able to achieve break-
even.

STRATEGIC AND SUCCESS FACTORS

Exploit Bottlenecks: In this market,content and transponder capacity are scarce

and controlled by a few players.

With content, access to unique local language material is critical. In a market like
India,all a DTH player may need to do is repackage existing channels that are not
universally available. In sports, some players have won an advantage through long-
term rights purchases. Broadcasting rights to cricket in India, for example,belongs to
ESPN for the next five years. It also controls the right to football for West Bengal(the
most popular league) for ten years.

The second obvious bottleneck is in transponder capacity. A modest DTH offering is

likely to require a minimum of 10 to 15 transponders-almost a dedicated satellite.
The number of satellite that can broadcast to a particular region is limited by
physics.

Move First: In the DTH industry, a credible and well managed first-mover service
has a tremendous advantage over others. In India, a first mover may effectively shut
out competition.

Exploit Market Niche: In some markets, the segment of consumers who desire
highly specific content may be large enough to form the core subscribership of a DTH
service. An example of this could be again cricket in our country.

Any DTH consortium must decide how it will deal with a number of strategic choices
that will determine its success:

• Build an appropriate content offer: This is the single most crucial choice a
DTH company will make. In a remote town with no access to television, for
example,even a DTH bouquet of just two channels might seem
 attractive.Transponder costs are also a factor in an appropriate content offer.
It is the bouquet size that determine how many transponders are
needed,creating a tradeoff between the cost of transponders and the richness
of the offering.
• Leverage killer content: A subscription service could use its rights more
effectively. It might secure the exclusive right to broadcast a sporting event
live, even if it is shown on free TV later.
• Offer superior services: Cable companies are frequently criticized for
installation delays, billing errors and surly staff and the nature of cable plant
makes signals prone to disruption. Staff and customer service issues relating
to CPE installation and maintenance may yield a fine of differentiation above
and beyond picture quality.

Where to Place bets

Another strategic choice consortia must make is which markets to make bets in. A
few rules of the thumb are:

• Number of TV households: the number of TV households and its rate of

growth determines how easy it will be to break even and how quickly, if at all,
a developing market will become attractive.
• TV advertising and its growth: Ad revenue are also available to a DTH
service provider, so the existence of a robust or growing ad market is
important.
• Technical barriers to access TV: Even if DTH offers are likely to be thin on
the ground,it is possible for a company to own a piece of the chain that links
a service to subscribers.Until recently, Sky had a monopoly on the UK
encryption standard, Videocrypt and could effectively dictate the terms of
DTH competition, This was because it had a large installed base of set-top
boxes using this standard.
• Ownership of key content: The availability of sports and film rights is a
crucial determinant of market attractiveness. In India, such rights are divided
among many separate players. In such a case, no rights owner is likely to be
strong enough to play kingmaker.
• Position in a market: The most important asset is arguably an ability to
play a unique role in the DTH value chain. This advantage may reside in
business that have little or no obvious connection with DTH. A company that
has pioneered a business offering credit for consumer durables in a
developing country, for instance, might be well placed to supply finance to
purchasers of CPE.

CONCLUSION
A few things are assured in the DTH industry even in the face of paradigm shifts.
First, the value of transponders is likely to fall as compression allows more and more
content to go through the same satellite, and as more satellite are launched. Second,
as bandwidth explodes, so will demand for content. Obscure sports and the like will
become more valuable;conversely, much of the content that is currently valuable will
face downward pricing pressure. Niche content providers will emerge.

The industry is likely to be characterized first by a period of fragmentation and then

by an increasing concentration of global consortia as unprofitable participants fold.
What is clearer than ever is that satellite TV is here to stay and will play role in
bringing television to mass around the world.
Watch Dish TV on Palace on Wheels

Passengers on luxury trains — Palace on Wheels and Royal Rajasthan on Wheels — can
now watch their favourite TV programmes while onboard.

Dish TV, the leading direct-to-home (DTH) service provider in the country, on Tuesday,
announced introduction of Live TV entertainment on these trains. Other trains could also
get the service in the near future.

This is the first instance of streaming TV launched in a train in the country. Dish TV
already provides its service in Kingfisher Airlines and has clientele among yachts and
sports-utility vehicle users.
The company has already completed its trial run, which was limited only to the bar
lounge of both trains.

Beginning August, when the next season commences for Palace on Wheels, Dish TV
plans to install its sets in each bogey. “We are also in talks with the Railway ministry to
implement live TV entertainment in Shatabdi and Rajdhani Express.

For Shatabdis, we are looking at a personal TV set for each passenger like we have in
aircrafts,” said Samir Juneja, project head- Mobile DTH.
Posted by coolhyderabadwala at 8:31 PM 0 comments
Labels: Dish TV DTH India

Airtel DTH: Recorder on the go

For a couple of years now, Tata Sky has positioned its personal video recorder as a
differentiator in the direct-to-home (DTH) market. It was the only service that allowed
you to record the programmes you liked but could not watch. But that advantage is now
history. Airtel DTH has become the second to market this gadget. Airtel’s device not just
records, pauses, replays and fast-forwards TV content, it also sways to orders given over
the mobile phone.

Bharti Airtel Director and CEO (DTH) Ajay Puri says: “Surveys have shown that in
homes with personal video recorders, 30-40 per cent of content watched is recorded. The
average viewership of TV too goes up by 20-30 per cent in homes with recorders.” The
recorder with Airtel DTH comes at a premium. It is priced at Rs 6,990, while Tata Sky
Plus (the recorder set for Tata Sky) is available for Rs 1,000 less. In mature markets of
the West, a majority of the DTH connections are bought with the recorder. The trend,
Tata Sky and now Airtel DTH hope, will soon catch up in India.

Airtel DTH has added one more feature which could be a trend-setter. Viewers can
activate the recorder on standby at their homes from anywhere using their mobile phones.
With the help of GPRS on the user’s phone and its technological partner, NDS, Airtel
DTH lets you record by just choosing the programme from the programming guide as
displayed on your phone. “In our efforts to converge all screens, in this case TV and
mobile phones, we found that consumers wanted to start recording even if they were
away from the box at home,” says Puri.
Posted by coolhyderabadwala at 8:31 PM 0 comments
Labels: Airtel Digital TV

India to overtake US DTH mkt with 36.1 mn users by 2012: MPA

ndia is poised to become the world's largest direct-to-home (DTH) satellite pay TV
market with 36.1 million subscribers by 2012, overtaking the US, a report by research
firm Media Partners Asia (MPA) says.

In its report titled 'Asia Pacific Pay-TV and Broadband Markets 2010', MPA said India's
DTH subscriber base will increase from 17 million in 2009 to 45 million by 2014 and 58
million by 2020.

"India will become the largest DTH market in the world in terms of subscribers by 2012,
overtaking the United States," it said.