Big Tv Recharge

MUMBAI, Big Tv Recharge: Reliance Big TV has launched its high-definition (HD) set-top box with digital video recording (DVR) technology, making it the first DTH operator in India to offer such a service.

The Reliance ADAG company has priced the HD DVR set-top box at Rs 7,490, lesser than Sun Direct HD available at Rs 10,000.

The service will be rolled out across India's top 100 cities.

Big TV has also launched entry offers for the south and non-south markets. For non-south markets, Big TV has bundled the STB with three months of Diamond Pack subscription for Rs 7,990.

In the southern market, the entry offer is priced at Rs 7,790 bundled with five months of value pack with a full bouquet of sports channels.

For existing Big TV customers, the company is offering an upgrade option from SD to HD DVR at an exceptional price of Rs 5,990.

Big TV CEO Sanjay Behl said, "This is India's first product with a dual benefit of HD viewing and digital video recorder in a single STB. Further, Big TV is the only service provider to offer recording capability upwards of 200 hours and a universal remote control

which can manage up to three devices."

The company expects the top 10 per cent of its existing customers to opt for the HD DVR service. Big TV is also eyeing 10 per cent of the monthly new activations from the top 100 cities.

"The HD services are available at a higher price, so there is likelihood that more affluent and higher income households will be opting for this. We believe, out of 2.5 million subscribers ofBig TV, the top 10 per cent would go for the upgradation," Behl told Indiantelevision.com.

The launch of the HD service is also targeted towards improving Arpus (average revenue par user). Big TV is eyeing a 25-30 per cent higher Arpu from its HD service, Behl said. However, he declined to comment on the current Arpu levels.

"This launch is part of our pursuit of quality and profitable growth by blending best in technology, content experience, reach and service to bring world-class entertainment experience to our customers," Behl said.

As a part of its HD launch, Big TV has signed a HD content deal with National Geographic to offer its HD channels in India. It will offer the HD channels complementary through entry offers to all new customers. It is in talks with CBS, ESPN, FoX News and Discovery. it plans to launch over the next two months five new HD channels and a host of HD content by forging strategic alliances.

Big TV also said Wednesday it plans to launch six new interactive services during the fiscal.

The company will launch its HD DVR marketing campaign across top 100 cities as part of the launch phase. It will comprise an aggressive multimedia campaign across television, print, digital, social, retail media and BTL mediums.

The high definition feature of Big TV HD DVR offers five times clearer and sharper image quality with two million pixel resolution and digital surround sound effect, the company said. The DVR capabilities offer features like pause, play, rewind live TV and record Live TV.

The HD DVR offers up to 200 hours of recording capacity. It also offers a 3-in-1 universal remote to control the TV, STB and any other music/ disc player system.

The company currently has eight Ku-band transponders on Measat. "We are adding two transponders that will allow us bandwidth to offer more HD content and channels for the next one year. We plan to increase our overall channel capacity to over 300," said Behl.