Reliance launches Big TV

Hi
Reliance has launched BIG TV DTH service yesterday.

http://www.bigtv.co.in/bigtv/big/index.html

Reliance Comm launches DTH venture BIG TV- Media-Media / Entertainment -News By Industry-News-The Economic Times

They are using MPEG4 format as opposed to MPEG2 format. I do not know the difference. They also claim to launch 8-10 HD channels by end of the year(source: "The Hindu")

I think, the cable box will have necessary disk storage to enable record and replay.
Snip from Economic Times:
"Some unique features of Big TV includes ‘subscription video on demand’ on 50 channels, adaptability to any tv set, more than 30 exclusive movie channels.

Added Arun Kapoor, CEO, Reliance Big TV, “through BIG TV, your favourit programme can get recorded even when you are not at home and your TV set is not switched on. Till date, this system is existing in US. "

regards
Ashok

Reliance is always big on promise but fails while delivering. I have burnt my fingures with Reliance Cell phone deal ,when it was launched for the frist time . I have a TataSky and pretty happy with it. HD programs is something I want but still I will prefer to wait and watch for a while.

With Reliance coming , TataSky and Dish TV guys also try to improve and start offering better packages including HD to retain their customers with them.

I had applied for a Reliance Broadnet (Broadband internet) connection. It is suppose to be wireless i.e. an antenna is installed in your building, and from there a lan wire runs till your PC.
The guys came for 3 days and did something or the other with the antenna for 4 or 5 hours everyday. Ultimately, they concluded that they are not receviing a signal strong enough so it cant be installed. The reason they gave was that the height of my building was compartively very less then the surrounding buildings and so the problem. It simply means that there is some glitch in the Reliance network and that was the reason for it not working.
Luckily i got my refund quiet soon.
So I will also wait for the network to run smoothly and then think of installing Reliance DTH, and that too if it is anything better then the TATA SKY connection i have. As Suhas has mentioned maybe TATASKY & DISHTV will soon come up with HD channels.

As in all their business ventures, Reliance is very agressive in DTH. They have got people who know the business. Unlike Videocon and Airtel, who do not seem to have such a clear plan.

What Reliance will do, is try and break the market with pricing. And with their deep pockets, they can be expected to be able to sustain. Tata Sky does not seem to be doing too well, what with the lawsuits they are throwing around. So, I guess the DTH market will see some reshuffling in rates and strategies in a few months.

hmm yeah......but Reliance is nto really known for quality......or for service.....I would expect Reliance to shake up the market, but for tata to respond strong.....and I'll wait for Tata's HD offering.....

I purchased reliance DTH yesterday(22-08-08), got the "choice 2490" for Rs 2250/- with 3 months free subscription with maximum channels.The Set Top Box have component video output, it means reliance can provide HD channels upto 720p thro' this output.I think whatever they are saying about HD is true.They also have a USB port at the back of STB.

I am waiting for the installlation people to come today.....soon i will tell u about the picture quality on Panasonic HD ready TX-32LX700 television

Very interesting. Please could you let us know about audio output as well? Is it digital/5.1? Thanks

Got the Bigtv connection installed yesterday (23-08-08), the quality through Composite video output is very good, but i would check/like to see the quality via component video output soon.Earlier i had a dishtv connection but truly there is a lot of difference in quality, MPEG4 (used by Bigtv) is far better than MPEG2(used by dishtv).The picture as we know depends on source material also...but with good source material the quality speaks for itself.With dishtv i never used to watch a lot of Tv but now i think i might begin to view channels i used to skip.

On the SOUND front, the sound is also much better, but the STB have only stereo(L,R) output .

i would not say its a giant leap forward as compared with true DVD quality (unless the channel producers enhance their quality) but as compared with Dishtv its truly is a giant leap.

As of now there are no HD channels on air but i hope by year end their will be 2 or 3 available. Also there is IPTV coming our way.

i think the Dishtv and Tata sky people have a lot to think about now.

Hi Mandeep,
Big TV sounds good.What channels do they offer ? Anything new from the standard ones shown by the Cable operators, Tata Sky and Dish TV ?

All these guys like TATASKY, DISH TV & BIGTV are taking the indians for a nice long ride.

Just look at our set-top boxes, it has left and right audio rca out and the 20 year old composite video out. What digital tech are they talking about. Cant they atleast give a decent component out for the video.

None of these guys know anything. YOu ask the technician and he says "Sir digital out quality best, composite better then HDMI, felt like slapping the guy of tatasky, but their instal is very professional I must say.

Look the original sky+ box from uk and it has hdmi out as well as HD quality 1080p/i video. Thats true full HD. Dont know what the BIG TV has. In todays age, composite sucks, only option is to get a composite to hdmi converter and upscaler like dvdo.