On Monday, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said that efforts are afoot to have a built-in satellite tuner in television sets to offer access to over 200 channels.
Implementation Of Built-in Satellite Tuner in Television Sets
The move would allow viewers to watch programmes without Doordarshan’s ‘Free Dish’.
There has been a humongous expansion of general entertainment channels on Free Dish, which has helped attract crores of viewers, according to Mr Thakur.
Further adding, “I have made a new beginning in my department. If your television has a built-in satellite tuner, then there will be no need to have a separate set-top box.
One can have access to more than 200 channels at the click of the remote,”.
It is noteworthy here that the decision in this matter is yet to be taken.
Enabling Reception of Free-to-air Television and Radio Channels
Earlier, Thakur had written to Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to issue directions to television manufacturers to adopt the standards issued by the Bureau of Industrial Standards for built-in satellite tuners, during December last year.
These new television sets with built-in satellite tuners would enable reception of free-to-air television and radio channels by mounting a small antenna at a suitable place such as at the rooftop or side wall of a building.
Presently, television viewers need to purchase a set-top box for viewing various paid and free channels.
In this implementation, the viewers are forced to use a set-top box even for the reception of free-to-air channels (non-encrypted) transmitted by Doordarshan.
In the meantime, national entertainer Doordarshan is in the process of phasing out analog transmission and free-to-air channels will continue to be broadcast using digital satellite transmission.
Notably, the number of households having Doordarshan Free Dish have more than doubled since 2015.
During 2015, a KPMG report pegged Doordarshan Free Dish users at 20 million and the number had increased to 43 million in 2021.
Thakur said SWAYAM Prabha channels were started for classes 1 to 12 in record time during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that the poor and those staying in rural areas had access to education as per the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Adding, “Today there are about 55 such channels and state governments are starting their own channels separately. Apart from news channels, there has been tremendous expansion of general entertainment channels on Free Dish,”.
