Direct-To-Home television in India. Update DTH HD announced

[mjothi]

Originally Posted by linuxtechie

The USB thing did catch my attention, but I am very very sure that Reliance won't allow it to be used for recording shows, may be that would yield to copyright infringement or may be it will be some kind of revenue generator for Reliance.

Just curious. The windows OS does allow recording of the TV program in one of the version right? So, does it really matter in this case?

[anujmishra]

Originally Posted by linuxtechie

The USB thing did catch my attention, but I am very very sure that Reliance won't allow it to be used for recording shows, may be that would yield to copyright infringement or may be it will be some kind of revenue generator for Reliance.

Even you can record from AV out from TV in DVD/VHS recorder. Recording is not at all problem it can be done in many ways.

This USB port must have some use it can be recording or it can be playing MPEG4 movie direct from USB port into TV.

[esteem_lover]

Originally Posted by anujmishra

-> BIG TV is planning HD channel telecast for few in 2 - 3 months

I dont see a HD interface. How are they going to give HD TV ?

[linuxtechie]

Originally Posted by mjothi

Just curious. The windows OS does allow recording of the TV program in one of the version right? So, does it really matter in this case?

Originally Posted by anujmishra

Even you can record from AV out from TV in DVD/VHS recorder. Recording is not at all problem it can be done in many ways.

This USB port must have some use it can be recording or it can be playing MPEG4 movie direct from USB port into TV.

Yeah, not just Windows OS, any software can do the same thing. I am using MediaPortal on XP to divert composite out from my dishtv to the HTPC setup(WinTV 150 card), however this diversion is analog and not digital, hence there is some loss of data, hence quality. Having said that, I would like to have some digital input to my HTPC, that means I need somthing that gives digital output (for e.g. HDMI). Hence thats why I said the USB caught my attention. Remember, digital is unaltered, hence whatever is received through the dish is right in your hand.

~LT

[im_srini]

Hi EsteemLover, component video can carry 1080i & 1080p...

For example, until the Elite & Arcade versions came along, the XBox 360 supported 1080i over component video only.

The BigTV set-top-box looks like it's from Coship, is it ?

[linuxtechie]

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

I dont see a HD interface. How are they going to give HD TV ?

Right, even I am looking for the same thing, when I saw that USB thing, I had some hope lit up, however by the specs of USB, I guess it can't support Full HD.

Originally Posted by im_srini

Hi EsteemLover, component video can carry 1080i & 1080p...

For example, until the Elite & Arcade versions came along, the XBox 360 supported 1080i over component video only.

The BigTV set-top-box looks like a it's made by Coship...

Hmm, but it won't be digital, so will it be able to take care of such high speed data transfer? I don' think so, HDMI was explicitly designed with this spec in mind (of course in addition to content protection ).

~LT

[kutlee]

Originally Posted by khan_sultan

I am a TATA SKY user for quite some time now -- practically from the time they launched in Bangalore.

The customer service is nothing great to write about and in rains the signal just goes away. However; must say that the frequency of outages in rains has decreased from what it used to be earlier.

I am on the annual plan so I pay 3,000/- bucks for everything/all packages for the year.

I would not mind shifting to Big TV (if it is technically superior) but just can't trust the customer service of anything called Reliance (particularly ADAG group). It would require a huge leap of faith for me to switch to BigTV.

Same here. My dad was a Tata Sky user since it was launched and discontinued due to apparent customer service. I am also not a fan of either Tata or Relicane. Still i think it is wise to take the offer season (i think reliance will keep the offers under different names in future) and keep it for a year and then look out again for other providers.

[Zappo]

The USB port is good for two reasons. If the firmware supports the port one can plug in any USB compliant device to this port and either playback (in) or capture (out) video. In fact with proper firmware you can directly pop in an external hard disk and play the media content (pics, videos, music etc).

However I strongly suspect that USB port has another utility, because of which Reliance chose this set top box over the regular ones. In near future all the media companies that have the Unified License will converge Internet, Media, Telephony etc. Remember, Reliance, Tata, Bharti (soon to launch) they all have unified licenses and are also present in broadband internet service.

Tomorrow when broadband via satellite is launched (talks already on) and if you subscribe to Reliance broadband you will be able to take the feed out through that USB port and connect it either directly to a comp/laptop or to a WiFi router.

That I believe is the reason the USB port is there, as a future provision.

[anujmishra]

Originally Posted by Zappo

Tomorrow when broadband via satellite is launched (talks already on) and if you subscribe to Reliance broadband you will be able to take the feed out through that USB port and connect it either directly to a comp/laptop or to a WiFi router.

In current DTH setup it is only downloading data not uploading data. For uploading data to satellite it need far more superior hardware, dish etc. This is not in the case of Wi-Max where base-station is located in vicinity.

Does in any part of world DTH platform is being used for internet? Any Idea?

[condor]

In India, HughesNet is. But it's VSAT. Charges are a little high.

Others :
WildBlue - Official Website - High Speed Internet via Satellite - available across contiguous USA.
Satellite Internet VSAT broadband satellite internet access satellite ISP by Skycasters

Check out : DISH Network -- Home

[esteem_lover]

Originally Posted by Zappo

However I strongly suspect that USB port has another utility, because of which Reliance chose this set top box over the regular ones.

Tomorrow when broadband via satellite is launched (talks already on) and if you subscribe to Reliance broadband you will be able to take the feed out through that USB port and connect it either directly to a comp/laptop or to a WiFi router.

That I believe is the reason the USB port is there, as a future provision.

Yup, very true zappo.

Originally Posted by anujmishra

In current DTH setup it is only downloading data not uploading data. For uploading data to satellite it need far more superior hardware, dish etc. This is not in the case of Wi-Max where base-station is located in vicinity.

Does in any part of world DTH platform is being used for internet? Any Idea?

anuj, i am sure there is some data upload as well. How else can they identify your set top box & maintain usage data ?

[linuxtechie]

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

anuj, i am sure there is some data upload as well. How else can they identify your set top box & maintain usage data ?

I seriously doubt this claim, uploading to satellite? IMHO not possible unless you have the license and money.

~LT

[Zappo]

Actually, uploading via satellite sounds very hi-fi but then some of the things are really difficult to explain unless the box has a way to communicate with the servers through satellite.

* When you buy a new recharge coupon how is it validated from the server?
* I have seen cases where they provided a recharge coupon which was properly entered by the user but the system could not identify it. Later when they updated the server all of a sudden the box started working.
* Movie on demand and the money deduction, basically the whole account maintenance stuff. All this can only happen with 2 way communication.
* Finally, they (AC Nielsen and similar market study groups) track the satellite homes and their viewing preference from a centralized location. How? Unless of course the central server is updated with your usage statistics.

I really do not know whether at this juncture they are uploading some data from the box to their servers via satellite. But then its mighty difficult to explain some of the above without a 2-way communication. Also, technology does exist to do this in a commercial setup. Banks, large warehouses, logistic cos. etc regularly use such technologies. VSAT is only one such example.

In US they use broadband via DTH. In India also they are talking on those lines. I do not think they will ask the users to buy yet another box when they launch broadband services via satellite. It is possible that currently in India the bandwidth is not sufficient to support such services over the satellite. The current 2-way communication between satellite and an individual box is probably very intermittent and small. It may not be a sustainable thing for continuous and voluminous data transfer. However that may just require switching satellites/transponders etc. tomorrow to support such services.

[anujmishra]

All about Set Top Box Detailed explanation of Set top Boxes.

There are some Set Top Box which transmit some signals back to operator.

[linuxtechie]

Originally Posted by Zappo

Actually, uploading via satellite sounds very hi-fi but then some of the things are really difficult to explain unless the box has a way to communicate with the servers through satellite.

* When you buy a new recharge coupon how is it validated from the server?

Asymmetricauthentication, no need to talk back.

Originally Posted by Zappo

* I have seen cases where they provided a recharge coupon which was properly entered by the user but the system could not identify it. Later when they updated the server all of a sudden the box started working.

Same as above, the key was not updated in the system, hence never transmitted, hence never used by the STB, hence no channels.

Originally Posted by Zappo

* Movie on demand and the money deduction, basically the whole account maintenance stuff. All this can only happen with 2 way communication.

SMS's are used for this.

Originally Posted by Zappo

* Finally, they (AC Nielsen and similar market study groups) track the satellite homes and their viewing preference from a centralized location. How? Unless of course the central server is updated with your usage statistics.

The channel's that would be viewed by the customer's are collected during form filling.

Originally Posted by Zappo

I really do not know whether at this juncture they are uploading some data from the box to their servers via satellite. But then its mighty difficult to explain some of the above without a 2-way communication. Also, technology does exist to do this in a commercial setup. Banks, large warehouses, logistic cos. etc regularly use such technologies. VSAT is only one such example.

In US they use broadband via DTH. In India also they are talking on those lines. I do not think they will ask the users to buy yet another box when they launch broadband services via satellite. It is possible that currently in India the bandwidth is not sufficient to support such services over the satellite. The current 2-way communication between satellite and an individual box is probably very intermittent and small. It may not be a sustainable thing for continuous and voluminous data transfer. However that may just require switching satellites/transponders etc. tomorrow to support such services.

Agreed, but consider this: the power supply to the STB: 12 V 1 Amp. Hence max power it can generate is 12VA, is that enough to send a signal across atmosphere, into the satellite? IMHO, for that the satellite has to be strong enough to detect feeble signal's coming to it, which IMHO isnot required in case of DTH. In case of broadband they have to use different satellite. However all said, I can be wrong.

~LT