Videocon offers access to DTH via DVD player

Direct to Home (DTH) television can be accessed now with a DVD player. For the first time in the country, D2H, the DTH service from the Videocon Group, is offering DTH via three alternate platforms to the traditional connections — by DTH-enabled satellite DVD, DTH-enabled LCD TV, and DTH-enabled TV sets.

The company recently rolled out its DTH services and hopes to corner at least two million subscribers by offering differentiated services, says Anil Khera, CEO. The D2H DTH brand is the sixth private DTH player in the market, that recently crossed 16 million subscribers.

“Our research shows that consumers owning TV sets also have a DVD player, a cable or a DTH box, all packed one above the other due to space constraint. Through our DTH-enabled DVD player, a consumer can not only access the DTH service, but can also watch movies on DVD,” says Khera.

Industry estimates suggest there are 45-50 million homes in India that currently own a DVD player and the size of the business is estimated to be around Rs 900 crore. “A DVD player that can access a DTH service, too, will only boost the DVD market,” says a senior executive of a leading movie rental company.

The D2H DTH has set a target of acquiring at least two million subscribers within a year through its various offerings. It has outlined an annual spending of around Rs 1,000 crore for this purpose, sources say.

“Annually, around 15 million new colour television sets are sold in India. With our differentiated DTH service integrated with television sets and LCD TVs, we should get two million subscribers in the first year,” Khera told Business Standard. D2H DTH service is owned by Bharat Business Channels, a Videocon-promoted company, and it is now competing for business with other DTH brands like Dish TV (6 million subscribers), Tata Sky (4.5 million), Sun Direct (4.3 million), Big TV (2 million) and Airtel Digital TV (numbers not announced).

D2H is also offering DTH-enabled TV sets (Rs 8,190) and LCDs (Rs 13,490) and only a DTH box for Rs 1,790 (with free installation). Other players offer a DTH connection for Rs 1,600, plus installation charges (Rs 300-1,000).