It was Sun DTH that rose first.
Before IPL 2010, Sun Direct DTH service took a huge futuristic step in television broadcasting technologies that no one had ever done before.
They decided to show the IPL matches on MAX, in High Definition. And not only that; viewers were also to get an uninterrupted match experience because this special feed would not carry any advertisements. Both these features were unique and unheard of; at least in India. The next one action-packed month took viewers to a new world of television experience, and marked the beginning of the HD revolution in India.
Sun Direct DTH has been unique ever since it began. At a time when DTH installations came at a cost of thousands, Sun launched its DTH service for just Rs. 499/-. It provided the less financially gifted people a chance to get a DTH without the pressure of a mandatory large-sum expense. As a result, Sun Direct DTH saw a massive early adoption rate and now, it boasts of providing service to a whopping 5.8 million homes.
Even in the technology front, Sun Direct DTH always had the advantage of being one step ahead of others. First DTH service in India to offer pictures via MPEG4 compression, Sun Direct offered the general channels with DVD quality picture and CD quality sound. And it also made Sun Direct to be the first ever HD-ready DTH service in India. That’s why in this age of HD revolution most of the DTH services have to launch separate HD services, Sun Direct has just one, simple service transmission encompassing it all.
Sun Digital TV has been offering Discovery, Nat Geo, Sun TV and some other channels in HD for quite some time now. On-demand movies in HD also have been a common feature for some time. But all of it came to the limelight only when Sun HD decided to broadcast IPL in HD this year. The demand for HD rose immediately and other players also jumped in to gain share in this new market. But there is no denying the fact that it was Sun DTH indeed that showed the way.
Simplicity, finesse and cost-effectiveness are three features that make Sun Direct DTH stand apart from others. Devoid of flashy features that are a pain to use, Sun Direct menus are simple, intuitive and are designed to get your work done in the shortest time. The information bars too are designed to avoid being a distraction on screen. They appear, do their job and disappear without blocking or disturbing the program you are watching. With a UI that is designed to be mostly invisible and otherwise un-obstructing you get a television experience without interruptions even from your own activities like changing the volume or setting reminder about some program.
The channel packages also cost less than what other DTH services charge. Base Packs focusing on entertainment for the entire family as well as other add-on packages providing special channels with important programs come for a combined cost that is well within reach for the common man’s budget. And in spite of a far superior quality, these costs seem to rival those of local cable operators.
Sun Direct has always maintained their focus on their goal of making DTH available in every household. Their slogan “ghar ghar mein Sun, ton tona ton” also reflects this same objective. And indeed, Sun DTH has come as a boon to the lower middle class as well as village-folk who cannot afford to buy a dish that come with a large one-time cost.
Being unique in the aforementioned and many other ways, Sun Direct has become a major DTH provider in India. And with television entertainment fast adopting itself to the new HD standard, the role of Sun Direct DTH has become even more important as a DTH with an HD-ready network by default.
Sun has been leading the way in the DTH field for a long time as far as technology and affordability is concerned. Now being established as the fastest emerging DTH service in India, it is set to continue leading Indian television broadcasting system to new hallmarks in every aspect.