04-19-2010, 07:31 AM
For a couple of years now, Tata Sky has positioned its personal video recorder as a differentiator in the direct-to-home (DTH) market. It was the only service that allowed you to record the programmes you liked but could not watch. But that advantage is now history. Airtel DTH has become the second to market this gadget. Airtel’s device not just records, pauses, replays and fast-forwards TV content, it also sways to orders given over the mobile phone.
Bharti Airtel Director and CEO (DTH) Ajay Puri says: “Surveys have shown that in homes with personal video recorders, 30-40 per cent of content watched is recorded. The average viewership of TV too goes up by 20-30 per cent in homes with recorders.” The recorder with Airtel DTH comes at a premium. It is priced at Rs 6,990, while Tata Sky Plus (the recorder set for Tata Sky) is available for Rs 1,000 less. In mature markets of the West, a majority of the DTH connections are bought with the recorder. The trend, Tata Sky and now Airtel DTH hope, will soon catch up in India.
Airtel DTH: Recorder on the go
Bharti Airtel Director and CEO (DTH) Ajay Puri says: “Surveys have shown that in homes with personal video recorders, 30-40 per cent of content watched is recorded. The average viewership of TV too goes up by 20-30 per cent in homes with recorders.” The recorder with Airtel DTH comes at a premium. It is priced at Rs 6,990, while Tata Sky Plus (the recorder set for Tata Sky) is available for Rs 1,000 less. In mature markets of the West, a majority of the DTH connections are bought with the recorder. The trend, Tata Sky and now Airtel DTH hope, will soon catch up in India.
Airtel DTH: Recorder on the go