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India DTH players look to high-def to differentiate
If you've been content just focusing on sectors in your own nation, you may have missed all the DTH congestion in India. At last count, there are five different satcasters serving the country, and now some are making accelerated pushes to get high-def programming on the air in order to stand out. A recent report from New Delhi asserts that Dish TV and Sun Direct are both hoping to add high-definition content in separate tiers within "the next few months." Specifics are relatively scant, but Indians can probably expect between 10 to 15 HD stations for a modest (read: totally worthwhile) premium. Other sources have noted that Tata Sky, Big TV and Airtel should follow suit, though specific time lines weren't mentioned. Better get that HDTV soon, Indians -- you've got high-res content just around the bend.
Sun Direct launches DTH satellite service in Delhi, NCR
After Sun Direct became the first carrier in all of India to offer up MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) direct-to-home broadcast service, the company is now expanding its offerings to Delhi and the National Capital Region, the latter of which consists of Gurgaon, Faridabad, Noida and Ghaziabad. The starting package is priced at Rs 999 ($20) per month with a free set-top-box, although installation will set you back another Rs 1,000. No word on when it'll begin sending down HD channels, but we'd say it's about time, no?
