View from the other side of the satellite

Advertisers are too busy looking into the purses of the urban rich. But with economic conditions in the country being what they are, the old black and white television sets will still be the obvious choice for people for whom television viewing is a community decision, where cousins, neighbours and friends plonk down before a TV set. For them, colour TVs, DTH or television on the internet and music on demand is as distant as a journey to the moon.

But then, DTH and its latest variant, the DTT (Digital Terrestrial Transmission) or Digital Cable is not for them. Neither for that matter is digital music, courtesy World Space, promising quality music (with a varied choice) with an antenna for satellite reception that’s the size of a slice of bread.

The DTH technology available on the fancy-sounding Ku-band frequency is meant for those who are conscious of the choices they make, doubly conscious of quality regardless of the price it comes for. Hence, a niche tag that rests lightly on the shoulders of those who can afford it. Of course, the Government and broadcasters never tire of pointing out to the immense possibilities that DTH holds for rural India. ‘‘Educational channels can be shown along with specialised programming,’’ broadcasters observe, making the choice on behalf of rural millions. The cities, on the other hand, are already wired up to create a market for the better things in life. Even if they constitute just 40 per cent of the population, it is they who will make the choice and influence policy decisions. And that’s how DTH walked in, four years too late, with the consent of the Government that had nearly waved the green flag four years ago only to wave the red one soon after. DTH on paper is in, but it will take a while to get off theground.

For discerning viewers for whom quality is a compelling consumer proposition, it is a splendid opportunity to view a number of channels (150 at the last count) without having to scream at the cable operator and hold him responsible for fuzzy reception. The viewer will be the king and at his command will be the broadcaster, tempting him with an attractive bouquet of channels, perhaps even some adult fare thrown in as temptation. Niche quality programming is what the broadcasters will aim at and finally, it is the nature of the content that will set the pace for DTH. Much like the local cablewallah when he offered ‘‘programmes’’ that made DD look like like a toddler.

The antennas, broadcasters assure, will be the size of your average dessert plate and because of the Ku-band frequency, the technology will be able to squeeze more than 100 channels for its viewers. The market has huge potential: a projected one million viewers in the next four years are expected to make the switch from ordinary television viewing to digital viewing and like mobile phone users with their simcards, the proud owners of tiny dish antennas with their smart cards will be using to view or lock channels if they don’t want their mothers catching on what they see.

DTH for the broadcaster would involve an investment of nearly Rs 1,000 crore (inclusive of setting up a earth station to receive signals). Then, there’s Digital Terrestrial Transmission for the viewer who cannot fork out Rs 14,000 plus Rs 600 per month. He may have to pay only half of Rs 14,000 only to begin with till such time as digital television sets make their appearance. With policy makers in the US already setting a deadline for television set manufacturing companies, India may well follow suit if the Government shows an inclination. Of course, unlike his DTH cousin, the DTT viewer will be able to get only 20-odd channels which is the capacity of DTT transmission. For this, the Government would have to call private players for the expenditure involved in setting could run up to Rs 15,000 crores for the entire country. Then there is technology promising to roll internet, video/music on demand into one. Convergence for those who like everything under one roof.

Finally, who is going to supply the works? Local manufacturers like Bisquare technology’s Ramendra S. Baoni promise to take the initiative but only if the Government initiates policies that will protect their interests. Loosely, this would translate as high customs duties for the import of technologies required to get DTH off the ground.