07-05-2008, 01:03 PM
Dialog TV relaunched their 4th transponder on the 4th of July, 2008. The transponder was previously launched earlier this year, but was turned off within a few weeks with no update. It is believed that Dialog was not yet ready to launch their new channels and/or new technology.
The launch of this transponder revives hopes for upgrading to MPEG-4 encoding (better quality, less bandwidth) and adding new channels such as Fox FX, AXN Beyond and more. Many rumours floated around recently but they were ignored as many customers were more aroused about the announcement of SLT IPTV. Now customers are giving much more attention to the rumours.
Of course, this is probably Dialog's answer to SLT IPTV's time-shift technology. Dialog may launch new channels using MPEG-4, which means customers will have to get new decoders (hopefully for free). If Dialog can give some new benefit to customers before SLT IPTV launches, or even just as IPTV launched, they can reduce the immediate effect of IPTV on the market.
We all hope, as customers, that we will get some new quality channels in English and Tamil. We also hope that Dialog will understand that we do not require more Hindi-language channels, unless Dialog is forced to show them as part of boquets.
There are currently a total of 16 channels on TP4, as of 2300h on 4th July. The first channel showed The Buddhist channel. The other channels did not have valid PIDs and therefore did not show anything.
Meanwhile Dialog should also concentrate on improving the diminishing picture quality of the existing channels.
Updates:
1900h - All channels now have valid PIDs. Only first channels is working (The Buddhist) and others are scrambled.
The launch of this transponder revives hopes for upgrading to MPEG-4 encoding (better quality, less bandwidth) and adding new channels such as Fox FX, AXN Beyond and more. Many rumours floated around recently but they were ignored as many customers were more aroused about the announcement of SLT IPTV. Now customers are giving much more attention to the rumours.
Of course, this is probably Dialog's answer to SLT IPTV's time-shift technology. Dialog may launch new channels using MPEG-4, which means customers will have to get new decoders (hopefully for free). If Dialog can give some new benefit to customers before SLT IPTV launches, or even just as IPTV launched, they can reduce the immediate effect of IPTV on the market.
We all hope, as customers, that we will get some new quality channels in English and Tamil. We also hope that Dialog will understand that we do not require more Hindi-language channels, unless Dialog is forced to show them as part of boquets.
There are currently a total of 16 channels on TP4, as of 2300h on 4th July. The first channel showed The Buddhist channel. The other channels did not have valid PIDs and therefore did not show anything.
Meanwhile Dialog should also concentrate on improving the diminishing picture quality of the existing channels.
Updates:
1900h - All channels now have valid PIDs. Only first channels is working (The Buddhist) and others are scrambled.