DTH HD Providers in India : Features & Comparison
With the introduction of Tivo box in USA, PVR (Personal Video Recorders) became mainstream and with its ease of use and utility it replaced tape based VCRs in every household. Its ability to “pause” live broadcasts was an instant hit. Using live pause we can continue to record the broadcast when the pause button is pressed, and then to replay the material stored on one part of the hard drive while carrying on recording the live broadcast on another part of the disk. Moreover it allows fast-forward, pause and rewind programs in a blink of the eye. To the horror of advertisers and broadcasters alike, this gives it the ability to skip through lengthy commercial brakes at the press of a button. It allows to schedule the recording using the program guide and applications available in various smart phones allows you to record your favorite programs setup in your home from anywhere in the World through Internet. It even allows recording one program and watching another program and so in short, PVR made anytime is prime time.
I will discuss the following DTH HD providers
- Tata Sky
- AirTel
- Sun Direct HD
- Reliance Big TV
Tata Sky HD Recorder
Tata Sky Plus was one of the earliest PVR in India which was upgraded to Sky Plus HD later. Tatasky offers 8 HD channels @1080i with very high quality. Channel details are given in the table at the end of this article. Tata Sky never bothered to upscale any SD channels to HD unlike other providers, may be due to lack of transponder availability. So all the SD channels needs to be stretched or shown in a pillar box for HD TVs due to the mismatch of aspect ratio (4:3 vs. 16:9) which may not look good in very large TVs (52” and above)
Tata Sky : Satellite: Insat 4A at 83.0°E
| Transponders | Polarity | Symbol Rate | FEC | Compression | Encoding | Encryption |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10970 | Horizontal | 28500 | 8/9 | MPEG-4/HD | DVB-S2 / 8PSK | Videogaurd |
| 11010 | Horizontal | 27500 | 8/9 | MPEG-2 | DVB-S / QPSK | Videogaurd |
| 11050 | Horizontal | 30000 | 8/9 | MPEG-2 | DVB-S / QPSK | Videogaurd |
| 11090 | Horizontal | 30000 | 8/9 | MPEG-2 | DVB-S / QPSK | Videogaurd |
| 11130 | Horizontal | 30000 | 8/9 | MPEG-2 | DVB-S / QPSK | Videogaurd |
| 11170 | Horizontal | 30000 | 8/9 | MPEG-2 | DVB-S / QPSK | Videogaurd |
| 11470 | Horizontal | 30000 | 8/9 | MPEG-2 | DVB-S / QPSK | Videogaurd |
| 11510 | Horizontal | 30000 | 8/9 | MPEG-2 | DVB-S / QPSK | Videogaurd |
| 11550 | Horizontal | 30000 | 8/9 | MPEG-2 | DVB-S / QPSK | Videogaurd |
| 11590 | Horizontal | 30000 | 8/9 | MPEG-2 | DVB-S / QPSK | Videogaurd |
| 11630 | Horizontal | 30000 | 8/9 | MPEG-2 | DVB-S / QPSK | Videogaurd |
| 11670 | Horizontal | 30000 | 8/9 | MPEG-2 | DVB-S / QPSK | Videogaurd |
| 11630 | Horizontal | 30000 | 8/9 | MPEG-2 | DVB-S / QPSK | Videogaurd |
| 11670 | Horizontal | 30000 | 8/9 | MPEG-2 | DVB-S / QPSK | Videogaurd |
Smart Phone Apps - Tata Sky as a Universal Remote for Tata Sky
Tata Sky has recently launched a new application for iOS devices (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad), which enables users to convert it into a universal remote control, by attaching an additional accessory to headphone jack. The same application allows you to record any programs from anywhere in the World too. It offers the programming listings for TV channels, it allows us define a room and configure the equipments in the room, TV, STB, DVD player, Amplifier etc. It also allows you to share what you are watching on social networks Facebook and Twitter. Moreover you can record your favorite program from anywhere provided you have Tata Sky+ or HD+ (PVR) so you will never miss your favorite program again!
The app is divided in to 3 portions, programming guide, remote and settings. Using settings tab you can define rooms and the devices it has and configure them. Once you select the TV make (brand ex: Sony) you need to scan and find out which options work with your TV. Do not expect the model numbers like what you would have come across the Logitech Harmony remote control apps. This is a basic program, so expect very less sophistication. The IR transmitter costs Rs 350/-
Pros:
- 500GB hard disk
- Very Good GUI
- Good build quality compared other HD DVRs.
- Can be controlled from anywhere using an iPhone or Android phones
- Tata Sky provides an iPhone apps which acts as an activity based Universal remoter controller for all your audio / video gear.
- When you power on the box, it always shows channel 100 and does not remember the last channel you have viewed.
- It does not output 7.1 Dolby sound through its HDMI port, you will get a plane old stereo sound through HDMI. You need to connect this DVR through optical or coaxial cable to your AVR for 7.1 Dolby sound. So you need an HDMI for video and an optical cable for Dolby sound when you want to connect an AVR which is a limitation you have to live with.
- Does not support slow motion (Unlike Airtel box)
- Limited HD Channels (8) and SD channels. (More HD and SD Channels by May 2012, expect 50 more)
- Recorded content is shown as a single list not segregated as genres
Airtel HD DVR
Airtel HD DVR is manufactured by HomeCast & boasts a premium black matte finish. Airtel digital TV HD DVR supports highest possible picture resolution of 1920 X 1080 and 3D support even though all the HD channels in India broadcast at 1080i resolution. It supports 7.1 Dolby sound too.
Airtel Digital TV : Satellite: SES 7 at 108.2°E
| Transponders | Polarity | Symbol Rate | FEC | Compression | Encoding | Encryption |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11480 | Vertical | 28800 | 2/3 | MPEG-4 | DVB-S2 / 8PSK | Videogaurd |
| 11483 | Horizontal | 25600 | 3/4 | MPEG-4 | DVB-S2 / 8PSK | Videogaurd |
| 11520 | Vertical | 28800 | 3/4 | MPEG-4 | DVB-S2 / 8PSK | Videogaurd |
| 11520 | Horizontal | 28800 | 3/4 | MPEG-4 | DVB-S2 / 8PSK | Videogaurd |
| 11560 | Vertical | 28800 | 5/6 | MPEG-4 | DVB-S2 / 8PSK | Videogaurd |
| 11560 | Horizontal | 28800 | 3/4 | MPEG-4 | DVB-S2 / 8PSK | Videogaurd |
| 11600 | Vertical | 28800 | 5/6 | MPEG-4 | DVB-S2 / 8PSK | Videogaurd |
| 11600 | Horizontal | 28800 | 3/4 | MPEG-4 | DVB-S2 / 8PSK | Videogaurd |
| 11640 | Vertical | 28800 | 3/4 | MPEG-4 | DVB-S2 / 8PSK | Videogaurd |
| 11650 | Horizontal | 24000 | 8/9 | MPEG-4 | DVB-S2 / QPSK | Videogaurd |
| 11680 | Vertical | 28800 | 3/4 | MPEG-4 | DVB-S2 / 8PSK | Videogaurd |
Pros:
- It has 14 HD Channel
- When you Power ON the box, it always shows the last viewed channel unlike Tata Sky.
- It does output 7.1 Dolby sound through its HDMI port, so you can connect this DVR to the AVR through a single HDMI cable.
- Does support slow motion (Unlike Tata Sky HD+ box)
- It shows recorded content in genre wise.
- It comes with only 320 GB
- GUI is not as good as Tata Sky
- Build quality is nothing great
Sun HD is the first HD Receiver launched in India and is quite popular in South. It offers 8 HD Channels including 3 Tamil, and 2 Telugu HD channels. But it does not come with a DVR. The GUI is decent and picture and sound is great. It supports 1080i video 5.1 Dolby sounds which can be received through HDMI cable. No need for separate optical or coaxial connections to AVR unlike in Tata Sky+ HD. The only plus point in SunDirect is that you get maximum number of South Indian Channels both SD and HD.
Sun Direct : Satellite: Measat 3 at 91.5°E
| Transponders | Polarity | Symbol Rate | FEC | Compression | Encoding | Encryption |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12316 | Horizontal | 30000 | 5/6 | MPEG-4 | DVB-S / QPSK | Irdeto 2 |
| 12563 | Horizontal | 30000 | 5/6 | MPEG-4 | DVB-S / QPSK | Irdeto 2 |
| 12603 | Horizontal | 30000 | 5/6 | MPEG-4 | DVB-S / QPSK | Irdeto 2 |
| 12643 | Horizontal | 30000 | 5/6 | MPEG-4 | DVB-S / QPSK | Irdeto 2 |
Sun Direct HD : Satellite: Insat 4B at 93.5°E
| Transponders | Polarity | Symbol Rate | FEC | Compression | Encoding | Encryption |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11030 | Vertical | 30000 | 5/6 | MPEG-4/HD | DVB-S2 / 8PSK | Irdeto 2 |
Reliance HD
I have just included this set for awareness. I have never felt this box can be compared with what others offer. Being the first HD DVR in Indian market it has a bunch of drawbacks which cannot be tolerated. Your recording settings will vanish during a power recycling which renders it useless in Indian environment, you cannot record two programs. It comes with only 160GB HDD which is far less compared to the offerings from competition. Many have reported that it has a bunch of GUI issues as well as bugs; even the Logo is too big which comes in your way while watching the TV.
| Transponders | Polarity | Symbol Rate | FEC | Compression | Encoding | Encryption |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12523 | Horizontal | 30000 | 2/3 | MPEG-4/HD | DVB-S2 / 8PSK | Mediaguard |
| 12523 | Vertical | 30000 | 5/6 | MPEG-4 | DVB-S / QPSK | Mediaguard |
| 12563 | Vertical | 30000 | 5/6 | MPEG-4 | DVB-S / QPSK | Mediaguard |
| 12603 | Vertical | 30000 | 5/6 | MPEG-4 | DVB-S / QPSK | Mediaguard |
| 12643 | Vertical | 30000 | 5/6 | MPEG-4 | DVB-S / QPSK | Mediaguard |
| 12683 | Vertical | 30000 | 5/6 | MPEG-4 | DVB-S / QPSK | Mediaguard |
| 12683 | Horizontal | 27500 | 3/4 | MPEG-4 | DVB-S / QPSK | Mediaguard |
| 12723 | Vertical | 30000 | 5/6 | MPEG-4 | DVB-S / QPSK | Mediaguard |
| 12723 | Horizontal | 30000 | 5/6 | MPEG-4 | DVB-S / QPSK | Mediaguard |
Summary
Among these DTH HD DVRs the choice is between Tata SKY + HD and Air Tel HD DVR. The choice is simple if you prioritize your needs. For better overall experience Tata Sky may score over other providers but the lack of number of channels both HD and SD is an issue compared to Airtel HD which offers 14 HD channels and plenty of SD channels especially for South Indian languages. For ex: Tata Sky cut down Malayalam Channels to 4 recently whereas AirTel gives 14 Malayalam channels out of 28 Malayalam DTH channels available currently. Sun Direct and Dish TV does not market a HD DVR and Reliance is unreliable L Videocon D2H HD is omitted in this discussion since they are not popular at least in the South. I have not included pricing since it is almost comparable, hovering around Rs 4500/- for all boxes.
The following table shows the listing of HD Channels across popular DTH services.
List of True HD channels available in Indian DTH Services
| Dish TV | Tata Sky | Sun Direct | Reliance Digital TV | Airtel Digital TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | Cricket HD (Celebrity Cricket) | - | - |
| CNBC TV18 Prime HD | - | - | - | CNBC TV18 Prime HD |
| Colors HD | - | - | - | Colors HD |
| Discovery HD World | Discovery HD World | Discovery HD World | - | Discovery HD World |
| - | ESPN HD | - | ESPN HD | ESPN HD |
| - | - | Gemini TV HD | - | - |
| History TV18 | - | - | - | History TV18 |
| - | - | - | i-Concert HD | - |
| - | - | KTV HD | - | - |
| MTunes HD | - | - | - | - |
| Movies Now | - | Movies Now | Movies Now | Movies Now |
| Nat Geo HD | Nat Geo HD | Nat Geo HD | Nat Geo HD | Nat Geo HD |
| NGC Adventure HD | - | - | - | - |
| NGC Wild HD | - | - | - | - |
| - | Star Cricket HD | - | Star Cricket HD | Star Cricket HD |
| - | Star Gold HD | - | - | Star Gold HD |
| - | Star Movies HD | - | Star Movies HD | Star Movies HD |
| - | Star Plus HD | - | Star Plus HD | Star Plus HD |
| - | Star World HD | - | - | Star World HD |
| - | - | Sun Music HD | - | - |
| - | - | Sun TV HD | - | - |
| Ten HD | - | - | - | Ten HD |
| Travel XP HD | - | - | - | - |
| UTV Stars HD | - | - | - | UTV Stars HD |
| Total 12 | Total 08 | Total 08 | Total 07 | Total 14 |
TechQuark is a mobile-friendly website. Simply bookmark 