In Phase I and II, subscribers and cable TV operators easily accepted the Set Top Boxes, while in phase III MSOs are struggling due to lack of education. On the other side, subscribers of metro cities are now upgrading themselves from STBs to HD technology. According to Rajiv Gupta, VP-Operations, GTPL-Hathway, in Delhi people are very well aware about HD. Subscribers are moving towards HD and subscription base of HD is growing.
“Technology is evolving a faster pace and now cable TV operators can offers lots of other services apart from Cable TV services. Nowadays, broadband services, HD Channels and VOD services are in trends and cable operators are investing in these technologies, as it’s in the demand at the moment”, commented Gupta.
Demand of HD, 4K and broadband services is increasing in metro cities. Therefore, cable TV operators, MSOs and DTH players are investing in evolving technology. But at the same time, cable TV operators are not showing interest in making investment in Phase III regions.
Sanjeev Dixit, DenAmbey Cable Networks, believes that technologies such as HD, 4K can affect only in metro cities, as subscribers can pay.
“In non-tier I cities, cable operators are struggling to install normal STBs, how can you expect such technology to be accepted so easily. There was a huge expectation from 3rd and 4th Phase of DAS Phase III. But due to lack of paying capacity of households in these areas, the result is a little disappointing. Very limited subscribers are using HD services”, added Dixit.
4K or Ultra-High definition offers four times as much detail as full-HD (1920x1080p). This implies that TVs with 4K panels pack in almost eight million pixels while the full-HD ones have two million, resulting in a much sharper image, with more detail and better texture.
“Subscribers are satisfied and happy with HD channels. But at the same time, 4K and smart TV technology is also growing. Thus, now for independent MSOs, it’s very difficult to figure out, in which it should focus? It has increased the risk of reinvestment,” concluded Gupta.
Gone are the days, when just one TV was enough to entertain a whole family. Over the years, due to advancement in the technology, trends in TV viewing have completely changed. Now, you can find more than two TV sets per household and STBs installed in each set. TV sets are now available in HD and 4K technology and also TV sets are turning into smart TV to give a whole new TV viewing experience to the users.
Now, again it’s a big trouble for cable TV operators, where should they actually put the money? Technology is changing at faster pace and so the demand of subscribers. To stay ahead in the competition, cable TV operators have to offer, what subscriber is demanding, else due to lots of available options in the market it’s very easy to switch the services from one operator to another.
