AirTel DTH Website

Here’s the link to AirTel DTH website for now. You can check the Packages here. This website is still under beta and you may expect some errors on it. This site may open officially on 09-Oct-2008. To simplify, AirTel may link it with http://www.airteldth.in/. Lets wait for the surprise!

Update on 11-Oct-2008: Here’s the official website – http://airtel.in/digitaltv

Bharti Airtel DTH services from 09-Oct-2008

Bharti Airtel has announced the launch of Airtel digital TV, its Direct To Home (DTH) Satellite TV service. The service will be available to customers through 21,000 retail points including Airtel Relationship Centres in 62 cities across the country starting October 9, 2008. At present there are five DTH players in the Indian market. The 5 existing players are Zee Dish TV, Tata Sky, DD Direct, Sun Direct DTH and Reliance Big TV.

The launch of Airtel digital TV is the culmination of our three screens strategy, which is to be present across mobile phone, computer and TV screens. Airtel digital TV uses the latest MPEG4 standard with DVB S2 technology, which translates into exceptional picture clarity and consistent high quality audio for the customer. This latest technology also enables delivery of more complex interactive content and is High Definition ready. Also, Airtel digital TV uses 20% larger dish antenna that offers better performance during rain.

Besides the latest technology., Airtel digital TV brings many firsts to the DTH segment in India:
1) Universal remote for both Set Top box and TV that offers enhanced viewer convenience
2) Highest Set Top Box memory enabling more interactive applications
3) Exclusive content such as World space radio
4) Interactive applications such as iMatinee (Book cinema tickets), iTravel (Browsw and book travel packages), iShop (Shop on TV for your favourite brands), iCity (Get your city’s information) and Widgets (Update yourself on latest stock news). 8 screen iNews, 2/4 screen iSports
5) Amazing games with high quality graphics, refreshed every six weeks
6) Audio gain control for uniform audio levels across all channels
7) Simple and intuitive search
8) On screen account meter
9) Last viewed channel in case of power disruption/switch off
10) Low battery indicator on the screen.
The customer care is available in 8 different languages and a team of 800 professionally trained service engineers.

Above Source: Economics Times

Currently, the market is dominated by Essel Group’s Dish TV DTH service (about 4 million subscribers) followed by Tata Sky (2.7 million subscribers), Sun Direct (1 million subscribers) and Big TV ( half million subscribers). State-owned Prasar Bharati’s DTH service DD Direct Plus is the only free-to-air service, where consumers do not pay any monthly subscription fees. According to sources, DD Direct Plus has a subscriber base of about 3-4 million subscribers, mostly in the remote corners of the country not connected by terrestrial or cable television.

Initially, the company had introduced three different packages for the North and Southern markets. For the Northern market, the package starts from Rs 2,499 and for the South, the package would start from Rs 1,499. Depending on the language and genre of channels, the monthly tariffs would range from Rs 125 to Rs 424, the company said.

I have been using Tata Sky since 1 year and so far happy with its Quality. I have seen Reliance Big TV at my neighbour’s house, but its quality is not that superior as Tata Sky. Lets wait and watch AirTel’s DTH. At the time of writing this Blog, I just saw its Advertisement in Television – which has major bollywood stars (Saif, Kareena, Madhavan, Vidhya Balan, A R Rehman, Deepika Padukone, etc…)

The Customer Care (1-800-102-8080) is refusing to give any additional information untill 09-Oct-2008. Checkout the TV Commercial on YouTube.

Relief for Tata Sky Customers :-)

Tata Sky customers didn’t get Sun TV Channels so far. The case was being heard before the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT). Tata Sky had taken Sun TV network to TDSAT for not providing access to its popular regional channels, though these were being provided to rival DTH company Dish TV. According to the DTH guidelines, broadcasters have to make their channels available to all DTH service providers without any discrimination.

After nearly a year of litigation in the Supreme Court and Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT), Direct-to-Home (DTH) operator TataSky and broadcaster Sun TV have settled their dispute on channel sharing and pricing.

Some of the major channels which will now be available on TataSky’s platform are Sun Tv, K Tv Sun Music, Sun News, Gemini, Teja, Gemini Music, Gemini News, Udaya Tv, Udaya News and Chutti TV.

Consumers (including me) are now waiting for Tata Sky to package the channel (not sure if it will be charged extra) and make them available on thier TV Sets.