22-09-2016, 10:00 AM
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ABSTRACT
DTH is a new technology and it has matured to its full potential in
other parts of the world. There are many application has been found
everyday for exploitation of benefits of DTH?
The word ‘DTH’ is synonymous with transmission of digital video channel to
home subscriber’s using a small dish antenna. The DTH utilizes a technology
which enables a home to receive high speed internet broadband access data
communication, voice over internet protocol (IP) telephony and much more
using an open standard Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) technology. The
video channels are received with a suitable set top box. Capable of
demodulating Motion Picture Engineering Group (MPEG-2) standard videos. It
is for the return channel required for other services such as voice over
internet protocol and broadband access data communications, that a return
channel is also required for the home terminal. The return channel via the
satellite is called RCS and is an open standard.
Hardware compatible with DVB-RCS technology are readily available in the
market in both Ku-band and C-band. DVB-RCS is an international open
standard for multimedia satellite network where the return data rates in
access of 2 Mbps are possible using low cost user terminals. The forward ink is
usually at 40 Mbps.
Today, most satellite TV customers in developed television markets get their
programming through a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) provider, such as DISH TV
or DTH platform. The provider selects programs and broadcasts them to
subscribers as a set package. Basically, the provider’s goal is to bring dozens or
even hundreds of channels to the customer’s television in a form that
approximates the competition from Cable TV. Unlike earlier programming, the
provider’s broadcast is completely digital, which means it has high picture and
stereo sound quality. Early satellite television was broadcast in C-band - radio in
the 3.4-gigahertz (GHz) to 7-GHz frequency range. Digital broadcast satellite
transmits programming in the Ku frequency range (10 GHz to 14 GHz). There are
five major components involved in a direct to home (DTH) satellite
The 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 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?
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.
DTH RATHER THAN CABLE TV
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 email.
But the thing that DTH has going for it is that the powerful broadcasting
companies like Star, Zee, etc are pushing for it.
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 underreporting 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.
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.
11 | P a g e www.seminarreport.net
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.
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.
MARKET COMPARISON OF DTH AND CABLE TV
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.
ABSTRACT
DTH is a new technology and it has matured to its full potential in
other parts of the world. There are many application has been found
everyday for exploitation of benefits of DTH?
The word ‘DTH’ is synonymous with transmission of digital video channel to
home subscriber’s using a small dish antenna. The DTH utilizes a technology
which enables a home to receive high speed internet broadband access data
communication, voice over internet protocol (IP) telephony and much more
using an open standard Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) technology. The
video channels are received with a suitable set top box. Capable of
demodulating Motion Picture Engineering Group (MPEG-2) standard videos. It
is for the return channel required for other services such as voice over
internet protocol and broadband access data communications, that a return
channel is also required for the home terminal. The return channel via the
satellite is called RCS and is an open standard.
Hardware compatible with DVB-RCS technology are readily available in the
market in both Ku-band and C-band. DVB-RCS is an international open
standard for multimedia satellite network where the return data rates in
access of 2 Mbps are possible using low cost user terminals. The forward ink is
usually at 40 Mbps.
Today, most satellite TV customers in developed television markets get their
programming through a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) provider, such as DISH TV
or DTH platform. The provider selects programs and broadcasts them to
subscribers as a set package. Basically, the provider’s goal is to bring dozens or
even hundreds of channels to the customer’s television in a form that
approximates the competition from Cable TV. Unlike earlier programming, the
provider’s broadcast is completely digital, which means it has high picture and
stereo sound quality. Early satellite television was broadcast in C-band - radio in
the 3.4-gigahertz (GHz) to 7-GHz frequency range. Digital broadcast satellite
transmits programming in the Ku frequency range (10 GHz to 14 GHz). There are
five major components involved in a direct to home (DTH) satellite
The 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 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?
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.
DTH RATHER THAN CABLE TV
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 email.
But the thing that DTH has going for it is that the powerful broadcasting
companies like Star, Zee, etc are pushing for it.
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 underreporting 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.
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.
11 | P a g e www.seminarreport.net
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.
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.
MARKET COMPARISON OF DTH AND CABLE TV
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.