DTH or Direct-to-Home television has advanced over multiple decades, thanks to the industry experts. Today, a family can sit comfortably in their homes to view a show originally being aired in the other corner of the world. The means of entertainment have transformed drastically. As of 2018, there are over 25 million DTH subscribers worldwide. The number has grown from 178 million in 2012. Such a jump indicates the kind of value DTH technology has added to people’s lives. Now if you look around, almost every house has a DTH setup box.
Before exploring the history behind the DTH technology, let’s understand what exactly DTH is.
What is DTH?
DTH or Direct-to-Home as the name suggests is a method to bring television programming by transmitting signals from Direct-broadcast satellites. These communications satellite orbit the Earth. The parabolic antenna connected outdoors (mostly on our terrace) receive the signals relayed by the communication satellites directly to the location of a viewer. A DTH setup box works as a device to decode the television program and display it on your television. One must acknowledge, it is quite a remarkable technology!
Thanks to introduction of digital broadcasting, the analog signals are replaced by digital ones. This shift allows us to access High-Definition television with stronger signals.
Let’s dig deeper to understand how it all started for DTH worldwide.
A brief history of DTH
The global satellite communications industry can trace back its history due to an author and a futurist named Arthur C. Clark. Director of one of the most influential films of all time, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Arthur published a paper titled ‘Extraterrestrial Relays’ in the Wireless World Magazine. The paper floated the idea of worldwide communication being accomplished by placement of 3 space platforms into 3 special orbits. This was the first time someone had even thought of satellite communications.
From then started the work to make satellite communication a reality. Amidst the Cold war, when the Soviet Union and the USA were into series of space related discoveries and inventions, USA did the commendable. The very first live broadcast television of Neil Armstrong stepping onto the Moon fulfilled Clark’s vision in 1969.
The 1970s saw the exponential growth of Satellite technology. It was being used by companies like AT&T, Western Union, and RCA. In the backdrop of all the advancements, Stanford Professor Emeritus H. Taylor Howard was working to build and commercialize consumer DTH system in America. From then, the DTH industry has seen its highs and lows.
DTH in India
With the world enjoying the television programming with DTH system, people of India waited patiently for the technology to be receipted by the Indian Government. Proposed in 1996, the distribution of DTH was only permitted in November 2000. Dish TV (owner Zee) was the first company to launch the first ever DTH service in India, while the others followed.
Operators in India
- Tata Sky: A joint venture between Tata Group and Star India. Tata Sky launched its DTH services in 2006.
- Sun Direct: Launched its DTH services in 2007.
- Airtel Digital TV: This satellite service was launched in 2008. As of 2015, it has over 10.07 million subscribers. In 2011, Airtel launched its HD digital TV and HD DVR boxes which allow users to view SD (Standard Definition) content in 1080i High Definition. The company offers various affordable DTH packages for its users. As of December 2020, according to TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India), Airtel has over 25% of the market share.
- Videocon D2H: Launched in 2009 and it is also one of the big players in the industry.
The DTH industry has indeed grown and become more advanced in a couple of decades. A technology once unknown and seen as far-fetched is now an integral part of the mass media industry. Over time, the DTH setup box has also seen changes. Now telecom companies provide smart TV box which offers umpteen new features. The world is witnessing a digital transition. So definitely, D2H has played its role well.