What went wrong with old roof top antenna we use to have years back?

Roof top antennas are made of aluminium and catch nearby TV station signal which is free of charge in India. Telecast is done by Doordarshan. These antennas catch analog signal which is not of good quality. Many of hilly region, valley houses or remote houses do not get good signal quality. There are not many channels available with old aluminium pipe antennas. How does Cable TV work? Cable TV was invented to solve the problem of the people who live in valley or remote locations where signals are not strong. Cable operator use to put antenna up on hill and send amplified signal to multiple houses in valley. Nowadays cable operators installs Big dish antennas to receive TV broadcast from channels and pays on behalf of us to TV channel network. Cable Operator receives many channels through multiple dish antennas and puts them into single wire with different frequencies. You can take the same cable to multiple TV sets in the home and play different channels by paying minimum charge or no extra charge. What is Set Top Box (STB) for Cable TV? CAS is set top box for conventional cable TV. Years back Indian Government tried to enforce consumer rights with the help of CAS (Conditional Access System). With the help of CAS on cable tv it is possible to offer different set of channels for each consumer. in 2001 Government attempted to bring Free To Air channels to subscribers for as low as Rs. 80. Because of issues from cable operators, Satellite TV operators, set top box manufactures & political parties CAS didn't succeed. This has given great opportunity to Satellite TV operators to increase their penetration in ever growing Indian Television Market. What is DTH Dish Television? DTH stands for Direct To Home service which is terminology for Satellite Television. Compared to Cable TV here you have your very personal equipment which allows you to speak to distributor directly through Satellite. No hassles or chaos of Cablewalas.

Advantages

Personal Equipment to directly speak to Satellite for TV Broadcast. Digital signaling gives you great quality when you connect your TV with AV cable or connect your 5.1 speakers with STB. Facilities like Movie on Demand and Active/Interactive Services. Some DTH vendors also offer Radio services. Latest movies can be viewed at nominal cost in your Hall (Kills the piracy) You may actually save money when compared to cable TV by going for Festival offers or Annual plans. During the monsoon season if there are thick clouds above your Dish Antenna, there will be reception problem. Television in multiple rooms will require additional Digicomp and service charge.

Disadvantages

You will miss local news channel or music on demand channels usualy offered by Cable TV vendors.

What you need to have to receive Satelite TV signal (DTH Dish)? You need to have these

Digicomp set top box. Dish Antenna (LNB). An account with Service Provider (Smart card).

What is IP TV? IP TV runs on ethernet network. There is better uplink bandwidth available in IP TV which assures more interactivity. There are limited vendors offering IP TV. These are MTNL, BSNL & Airtel. What are the options available in India for DTH Dish TV (Satellite TV)? ---- Comparison Table Revised on 2-Nov-2011 Features/ Vendors Dish TV Tata Sky Airtel Reliance Sun DTH Videocon D2H Apna DTH

Logos

Website

http://www.dishtv http://www.tat http://www.airtel .in asky.com .in/digitaltv

http://bigtv.co.in

http://www.su http://www.videoc http://www.apn ndirect.in ond2h.com adth.com

Rs. 999 or Rs. 1399 with No installatio Rs. 999 Equipeme n cost (2 months nt Cost 1 Month Any Pack) Grand Sports pack and 4 showcase movies Free Installatio Rs. 200 Rs. 400

Rs. 1290 (2 month any pack free)

Rs. 1390 with 75 days Rs. New 1156 with Diamond 1 month pack free or free 60 days Rs. 1490 service Platinum Details Not (4 month or Available free service free) Rs. 1640 with 6 Buy month online for free Rs. 1690 service and get Rs. 200 cash back Free Installatio Rs. 300
Details Not

Free

n Cost

Installation Installation

n charges extra

Available

Radio

Not Available

10 All India Radio channels FM Gold, FM Rainbow, AIR Punjabi, FM RainbowNot Bangalore, 10 Audio Available AIR Tamil, Channels AIR Ragam, AIR Telugu, AIR Bengali, AIR Gujarati and AIR Urdu.

20 Active 23 Radio Music Availabl Stations Channels e for Rs. 20 / Available Month Extra

Minimum Plan

Rs. 210 / Month for 157 Rs. 165 / Channels. Rs. 165 / Month or Month with 89 Rs. 120 / with 192 Channels Mon Channels & (South & Services Services Value Pack with 119 Channels)

Rs. 123 / Month Rs. 132 / Month for 102 Channels. Details Not Available for total number of Channels Rs. 150 / Month with FREE 59 196 Channels Channels & Available Services

Rs. 1596 for Rs. Rs. 12 1815 for 2784 for Rs. Rs. 1366 for months 12 12 months 3617 for 12 12 months Value Long term months Economy months Value Pack Pack for Plan (89 pack (157 India. (188+3 (102 channels Channels) (1 month channels) channels) & 45 days free) Service) extra South Available Available Available Available

Rs. 1650 for 1 year New Gold pack

Not Applicabl e

Availabl Available

Not

Pack

e with classific ation of Tamil, Telegu, Kannada & Malayala m Available Available Available Not Availabl Available e

Available

Active/Inte ractive Available Applicatio ns Latest Movie releases with pay per view /On Demand Service

Not Available

Available Available as Tata Available as Movies SKY as Airtel on SHOWC Movies Demand ASE Cheap Monthly Plan Active Darshanf or religious people

Available Not Available as Pay Per Availabl as d2h View e movies Movies

Not Available

Unique Selling Points

Televisions and LCD Great channel with inbuilt offerings set top All One time forRegio box. Doordarsh cost nal MPEG an Active DVD player Channel channelsa Games & 4 quality s South with inbuilt No set top vailable Festival Indians set top box. Monthly box. stories. CheapestM burden. First onthly plan CINEMA Only set top company Topper c Topper ch Pluspack box options Options annel for to bring hannel for also where 9th to 12th MPEG 4 available DTH to 9th to available quality set South std to recevie India. 12th std movies students. top box directly students. are Free on Maximum shown Lifetime Computer Worldspa Universal number of Tie up without Warranty. . Remote ce HD with any Radiooffer Channels Global break is no more 11 PVR leader SK offered. languages option Y Traffic Tamil user also Network Updates and interface Available and ICICI Telegu bank active iPhone/iP HD 12 Picture ad App Services. in Picture and Mobile (PIP) Remote STB for

Cars/Vans Control

Tata SKY HD for Rs. 3050. Dish TrueHD for No Rs. 1690. Installatio High Airtel HD Installation n cost. 2 Defination for Charges month (HD) Box Rs. 2390 extra and 1 state month HD pack and pack free HD GOLD Free

Sun Direct HD forRs. 2940 with 2 month free HD Box for service Rs. 2590 (South) or or Rs. 2790 Rs. with 3 3690 with month HD 6 month service Free free service (South) 5 months for nonSouth pack

HD Satelite Box with 3D for Rs. 1690 with 3 month New Gold Sports+45 days of HD Globe Free Installation Not Available and Activation charges Rs. 1000 extra Buy online for Rs. 2590 and get Rs. 400 cash back

High Defination (HD) Box Not with Available Recording facility

Tata Sky HD+gives puase, replay, recording option. You can record from Remote, Mobile or Internet. Available for Rs. 3990/-

Airtel offers HD DVR Recorder at Rs. 4390 /You can record from TV remote or Mobile.

Reliance Big HD DVR is available for Rs. Not 4490/Availabl or e Rs. 4790/with 3 month HD service free

Available for Rs. 3990/Installation Charges Rs.500 extra Not Available

HD Box can Not 625 Record Applicable Hours Programs upto HD Channel Service

550 Hours 200 Hours

Not Applicab 200 Hours le

TruHD Ultra Sharp Recharg Star HD HD Gold Rs. 81 / Not Royalepac Pack Rs. Month for I forRs. 55 / e options for Rs. 55 / Available k for Rs. 75 per HD Plus. Month for for HD Month for

Charge

550per month with 276 + 43 HD Channels/ Service TruHD Premiere Pack for Rs. 450 with 261 + 27 HD Channels/ Service

month for currently available 8 HD channels.

Movies Now, Star PlusHD, Star World HD, Star Movie HD, National Geographi c HD, History TV HD, Star Gold HD, Colors HD, Discovery HD, UTV Stars HD.

Nat Geo not Star Plus and Movies available HD, Star Now HD. on site. Movies HD, Star world HD, Star Ultra Sharp Gold HD IIfor Rs. 83 / Month for Nat Geo HD World for Rs. 55 / HD, Movies Now HD, Month for Star Movies Nat Geo HD, Star HD, Plus HD, Discovery Star Cricket HD, Movies HD, ESPN Now, HD Travelxp HD, Active Choice HD 3d iConcert HD based per (Free for HD limited HD Globe channel for Rs. period) available. 110for Nat Geo HD, Discovery HD, Movies Now HD, Travelxp HD, ESPN HD, Star Cricket HD, Star Plus HD, Star World HD, Star Movies HD, Star Gold HD, Colors HD Movies Now, Star PlusHD, Star World HD, Star Movie HD, National Geographi c HD, History TV HD, Star Nat Geo HD, Movies Now HD, Star Movies HD, Star Plus HD, Star Cricket HD. Others are not HD but Discover y HD, Nat Geo HD, Tamil HD Movies, Telegu HD Movies. Movies Now HD. Nat Geo HD, Discovery HD, Movies Now HD, Travelxp Not HD, ESPN Available HD, Star Cricket HD, Star Plus HD, Star World HD, Star Movies

HD Channels offered

Discovery HD, Nat Geo HD, Zee Cinema & Zee TV. Event based sports in HD. 43 HD Channels More

Discovery HD, Nat Geo HD, Star Plus HD, Star Movies HD, ESPN HD, Star Cricket HD & Showcas e. Event

details about Channels

based sports in HD. Assures there will be more HD services soon.

Gold HD, Colors HD, Discovery HD, UTV Stars HD.

Like HD. Don't get fooled with 250 HD likeChannel s.

HD, Star Gold HD, Colors HD, Active HD 3D

Multiple TV connection Yes s

Yes

Additional TV for Rs. 145. You can use the same Channel package on additional TV.

Discount of 50% of parent Details Details Not connection Not FREE Available orRs.150(w Available hichever is higher)

Comparison Table Revised on 2-Nov-2011 What is DVR ? DVR stands for Digital Video Recorder. This is special set top box, which is also doing recording while you are watching any channel. So you can pause the channel and resume where you left. You can also do recording of some other channel while you are watching different channel. Tata SKY Plus was first to be offered in this category. Each DVR box comes with different quality of content to be stored and limits on hours of recording. What is HD set top box? Usual Television set with CRT tube is not capable of producing picture more than 480 lines with limited depth of colors. New Generation LCDs can reproduce image quality upto 1080 lines detailing and beyond. If you have LCD with 1080i or above resolution, this is known as High Defination television. 1080i gives you 5 times clearer picture quality. Unfortunately Cable Transmission or Regular DTH dish tv transmission is not capable of utilizing your LCD capability. Old standard transmission works with 4:3 aspect ratio which is like square where as HD offers you 16:9 aspect ratio which is like rectangle the way LCDs are designed today. Old starndard give mono or stereo sound output. HD offeres you 5.1 audio output. This goes to two rear left+right speakers, two front left+right speakers one center and one to woofer. Giving you realistic natural sound quality. Earlier TVs were connected with RF cable, current set top boxes offer 3 pin AV cables. For HD you need to have HDMI port on television. HDMI port is essential part of HD set top box. If you do not have LCD with 1080i resolution or 5.1 music system, you wont be able to take advantage of HD channels. Regular CRT television is not made for HD transmission. Currently

there are only few channels which are offered with HD broadcast. So if you think you are ready to experiment with this new technology you can go ahead with this. HD Captures from Tata SKY HD Box (Click on images to see the full size capture)