Set Plan officially launched

According to a report in the Daily News today titled "Worlds First from Dialog TV" it says that Dialog TV have officially launched "Set Plan" which is a method of selecting channels not in your package for an additional fee.

It is best to call customer care and get more information about the channels available in the Set Plan. However we have some information that was submitted by one of our fellow bloggers and we are listing it below.

1. Z-Studio, Z-Cafe, Australia Network, Vijay TV --> Rs.50
2. Z-Cafe, Z-Studio, Nick, MTV --> Rs.50
3. CNN, Cartoon Network, AXN, Zone Reality --> Rs.150
4. History, Animal Planet, Discovery, National Geographic Channel --> Rs.200
5. Z-Trendz, VH1 --> Rs.100
6. Star World, Set Sab --> Rs.100
7. SRTV, Set Max, Star Plus --> Rs.150
8. Discovery Travel & Living, National Geographic Adventure, Star Sports --> Rs.150
9. Animax, Set, BBC --> Rs.150
10. Neo Sports, Hallmark, Cinemax --> Rs.200
11. Pogo, Star Movies, Ten Sports --> Rs.200
12. Neo Sports Plus, ESPN, Star Cricket --> Rs.200
13. HBO, HBO Family, HBO Signature, HBO Hits --> Rs.400

The Rs 100/= Package Holders can choose from any of the above Plans. The Rs 500/= Package Holders can choose from Plan 5 to 13. Rs 900/= package holders can choose between Plan 11 to 13. There is no plan for the Rs 1400/= package holders since they have all the channels in the Dialog TV lineup at the moment. According to information subscribers would be able to order their plans from tomorrow onwards. Dialog claims this to be the first in the world, however SKY Digital UK and American DTH providers have similar plans where viewers can choose between particular channels for an additional fee.

The above plans give subscribers greater flexibility and freedom to choose channels according to what they can afford. It would have been much better if Dialog had categorized the plans as "Educational Pack", "Sports Pack", "News Pack", "Music Pack", etc. It could have been further separated into English, Hindi and Tamil Packs too giving subscribers greater flexibility in choosing their desired package according to their language of preference.

In other news it seems that the rain fade issue on Dialog TV (Rain fade is a problem with all DTH providers anywhere in the world) has been reduced to a great extent. It seems that over the last few days even during heavy rain the fade was limited to a few minutes only. We hope that our fellow bloggers will be able to provide us further information on the time period of rain fade that they encountered.

Dialog TV should take steps to reduce the time taken for the EPG to load when a channel is selected and they should also update the software so that the EPG for other channels can be viewed without changing the channel that one is watching. It should be said that Dialog TV have finally renamed "A1" to "Nat Geo Adventure" in the broadcast information screen as well as on the website but looks like they forgot to update the logo since the old logo still exists on the website instead of the new "Nat Geo Adventure" Logo. They have also stopped classing Zone Reality as a new channel and hopefully they will correct the Zone Reality EPG soon since this problem has been highlighted over and over again but no corrective steps have been taken. We hope that Dialog TV will refrain from making silly mistakes such as these in the future. We urge Dialog TV to make sure that their October programme guide is totally error free. There are some errors in the September programme guide and these were highlighted in the previous post.

Please keep us updated on the latest on Dialog TV as the days progress.

More fine tuning taking place

Over the past few days there have been some fine tuning adjustments that have taken place on Dialog TV. The sound quality has improved on certain channels, the incorrect EPG on Hallmark has now been rectified. However it is sad that the EPG on Zone Reality is still faulty since it is the Indian Feed EPG that is on the screen whereas Dialog TV is broadcasting the DSTV (African DTH) feed of Zone Reality.

Many subscribers have received their September programme guides but it seems that the guide for Star Movies is wrong since it looks like it is the guide for the Indian feed that has been printed whereas the Star Movies on Dialog TV is the East Asian feed. It should be said that the number of channels listed on the guide should be increased since we have got information that Dialog TV charges quite a sum of money from those who advertise on the programme guide. So Dialog TV are probably not making a loss on printing the guide rather they must be making a profit so we request Dialog TV to increase the number of channels listed on the guide.

We believe more fine tuning is needed on the Dialog TV system. Dialog should also reconsider their planned package rate increase from October 1st since Comet Digital is expected to launch in September and is providing 60 channels at their existing rates (which is cheaper than Dialog TV's new rates that will be introduced in October). Therefore Dialog may loose out to Comet Digital due to the new rates being out of reach of middle class Sri Lankans. Cable TV is not a mode of entertainment for the upper class only but it should priced at rates affordable by the middle class, but the new rates are clearly aimed at the upper class. Comet Digital would certainly give better competition to Dialog TV since they are also a wireless system and have better coverage than LBN. It is time for Dialog TV management to reconsider their business strategy before being badly affected by the new package rates and loosing subscribers to Comet Digital. Dialog GSM survived amidst cut throat competition to become the market leader in the cellular industry in Sri Lanka. It is not an impossible task for a management team which achieved the industry leadership in the cellular industry, to do the same in the pay television industry and many expect Dialog TV to rise to the occasion and face this competition head on with competitively priced packages and rates.

Please keep us updated on the latest regarding Dialog TV as the days progress.

A la carte selections

Dialog TV has introduced a system from which you can select channels that are allocated to a higher package and pay extra to view them. For example if you are in the Rs 500/= package and you want all the HBO channels then we are told that you will have to pay an additional Rs 400/= (the amounts quoted for the extra channels are not confirmed and it is better to call Dialog TV and check on the rates). At the moment the extra channels are all grouped together with different payment plans and we are not sure whether you can just request for one channel out of a group and pay additional for it. This has not been highly publicized by Dialog and they will probably publicize it once the package rates are increased from October 1st for the new subscribers.

It is best if every channel is priced individually with reasonable rates so that subscribers can select the channels that they want and leave out the ones that they do not want. For example there are many here who do not want to pay for the channels that they do not watch (eg: The Hindi Channels) so if this system is introduced then they can call and get these channels canceled and pay only for the ones that they watch. For this to be done the agreement that Dialog TV has with its content providers should enable them to pay the content provider according to the number of subscribers who view the channel. HBO, Star Movies and certain other channels charge according to the number of subscribers who view their channels but unfortunately most other channels charge a sum of money irrespective of the subscribers who view their channels. However it will be very beneficial if Dialog explore the possibility of providing this facility to all the channels.

At the moment we do not have the exact rates and what channels are available as A la carte and we hope that those who have them will comment. It looks like the problem of having different sound levels on channels have been solved. We hope that Dialog will now look at the tweaking their system further in order to provide a much higher picture quality and hopefully they will take a serious look at the suggestions that we have posted on this blog earlier.

Please keep us posted on the latest on Dialog TV as the days progress.

Supreme Court issues order restraining CAA

The Supreme Court issued an order on Aug 20th 2007 restraining the Consumer Affairs Authority from interfering in Dialog TV proceedings and also preventing them from suing the company.

In addition the Supreme Court will take up the FR petition filed by Dialog TV against the CAA. The Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva is said to have explained that allowing the CAA to proceed would have meant an injustice to over 30,000 subscribers of Dialog TV.

It looks like the CAA will have to be called the HAA (Henchmen Affairs Authority). So the CAA failed to uphold the rights of the consumers when this DTH company was sealed last year and now all of us know that they did not come forward since they were also influenced by the henchmen. Now since the tactic of using the CAA is failing, we wonder whether the CMC is the next state institution that will file action against Dialog TV on behalf of these henchmen.

Plans to upgrade to MPEG4

According to information it seems that Dialog TV is planning to upgrade to MPEG4 in the near future from the present MPEG2 compression. The MPEG4 compression is very beneficial for the the subscribers as well as the operator. MPEG4 allows for HDTV facilities and also enables Dialog to carry more channels per transponder. Presently a transponder carries 18 channels and with MPEG4 approximately 30 channels may be carried on a single transponder reducing the transponder cost per channel and thereby enabling Dialog to pass the benefit to the subscriber.

Because Dialog have less than 50,000 subscribers at present a change over to MPEG2 will be less expensive that acquiring new transponders, since they will have to issue new STB's to their existing subscribers. It is likely that the new MPEG4 STB's will be issued free of charge per subscriber. It is also useful if Dialog can have a DVR with a built in MPEG4 decoder so that subscribers can purchase it at a discounted price instead of the free MPEG4 STB.

It looks like Dialog are ready to launch a DVB-T and DVB-M based services. DVB-M for providing television to mobiles phones and DVB-T for providing digital channels to homes using a digital terrestrial broadcast. We are not sure what the DVB-T service is likely to be, and whether it will be a free or fee based service. There are chances that Dialog TV may be contemplating the idea of making its pay service into a multi platform service using DVB-S, DVB-M and DVB-T. However the information that we are receiving about the DVB-T service is mere speculation and is at times contradictory and we will update our readers on this when we get clearer information.

In addition it seems that subscribers can now select certain channels for a fee. This is helpful for example for those in the Rs 100, Rs 500 and Rs 900 packages to get channels in the higher packages for a fee. Channels are available from Rs 50/= to Rs 100/= per channel and they can be subscribed for in groups too. We hope that anyone who has information on how these channels are allocated and what are the channels available on this scheme, is able to post a comment for the benefit of our fellow bloggers.

Dialog TV has still got some EPG and sound problems to sort out soon. Certain channels have very high sound level and some have a very low sound level. Channels such as Star World are very low and even Star Movies is low to a certain extent. Channels such as History Channel and some others have sound only on one sound channel. We hope that these are sorted out immediately and the next thing is for Dialog TV to make their EPG accurate. This is something that has been highlighted several times but Dialog TV does not seem to want to improve the accuracy of their EPG. Petty issues like wrong time zone or showing the EPG for some other feed of a channel still exists.

Please keep us updated on the latest on Dialog TV as the days progress.

Channel rearrangement completed

According to information that we are receiving it seems that all the channels have been rearranged and are working. However knowing the people it is not hard to discount the fact that there may be further interruptions today. We are told that there are some audio issues with the channels and it will be sorted out during the course of this week. We are not aware of the status of the EPG and if it has been sorted out then it is great otherwise we believe that Dialog TV will sort it out as soon as possible and hopefully by today.

The new channel arrangement is as follows

1) CNN
2) BBC
3) NDTV
4) AL JAZEERA
5) STAR MOVIES
6) HBO
7) HBO SIGNATURE
8) HBO HITS
9) HBO FAMILY
10) CINEMAX
11) ZEE STUDIO
12) SET MAX
13) ZEE CINEMA
14) STAR VIJAY
15) SRTV
16) STAR WORLD
17) AXN
18) HALLMARK
19) ZONE REALITY
20) ZEE CAFÉ
21) AUSTRALIA NETWORK
22) A1
23) ZEE TRANDZ
24) STAR PLUS
25) SET
26) SET SAB
27) ZEE TV
28) NAT GEO
29) DISCOVERY
30) DISCOVERY Travel & Living
31) ANIMAL PLANET
32) HISTORY
33) STAR SPORTS
34) ESPN
35) TEN SPORTS
36) NEO SPORTS
37) NEO SPORTS PLUS
38) ZEE SPORTS
39) STAR CRICKET
40) VH1
41) MTV
42) ZEE MUSIC
43) CARTOON NETWORK
44) POGO
45) ANIMAX
46) NICKELODEON
47) RUPAVAHINI
48) DERANA
49) ITN
50) SWARNAWAHINI
51) TNL
52) EYE
53) THE BUDDHIST
54) GOD TV

For those of you who get the wrong channel names for the channels, please do a channel scan. We believe that those of you who have set favorite lists should do so again if your list shows the wrong channels. In addition it seems that Dialog has not changed the name of channel "Adventure 1" to "Nat Geo Adventure". "Adventure 1" was relaunched as "Nat Geo Adveture" several months ago. We hope Dialog take a serious attempt to update itself regarding the channels that they broadcast. It is great to see that Dialog TV has finally updated its website with information about the new channels and it seems that even that is not error free, they have still classed "Zone Reality" as a new channel (Zone Reality was available on this platform from its inception under the previous management and was known as "Reality TV") and even there they still refer to "Nat Geo Adventure" as "A1" but in the tariffs page the channel is listed as "Nat Geo Adventure". This is clearly a case of miscommunication from a company that has its roots in providing communication solutions. Dialog TV should include a link to the website of the channels on the page with the channel icons.

We hope corrective steps are taken soon since it is not good for the image of a multi national company of its calibre and the new package rates mentioned in the previous post should be reconsidered again by the management of Dialog TV unless they want to take the path chosen by Comet Cable.

Please update us on the latest regarding Dialog TV as the days progress.

Channel Line up rearranged and new package rates for new subscribers

According to information being received Dialog TV have rearranged their line up of channels by shutting down the transmission from 3am to 6am. This was done in accordance with the message that was transmitted to all subscribers saying that there may be interruptions in transmission from the 13th to the 15th in order to carry out the rearrangement. We are unable to obtain the rearranged lineup and we hope that our bloggers will post a comment with the new updated lineup. Certain facilities such as EPG and the channel names are said to be wrong. Please be informed that the channel names can be corrected (if Dialog TV have assigned the correct channel name at their end) by doing a channel scan but the EPG can only be corrected by Dialog TV. It can be expected that channels will go off air on a regular basis in order for them to complete this rearrangement. We hope that this is completed before people go home after work today so that they can enjoy television without any headaches.

In other news we have received reports of the updated package rates that will be implemented by October 1st 2007. The new revised package rates are said to be
1) The Rs 500/= package will be Rs 550/= (+ vat) with addition 4 channels - Al Jazeera, NDTV 24X7, Australia Network and Star Vijay.
2) The Rs 900/= package is expected to be increased to Rs 1550/= (+vat) with additional 9 channels - Hallmark, SRTV, Star World, Star Plus and Neo Sports plus the 4 additional channels in Rs 550/= package.
3) The Rs 1400/= package will be Rs 2100(+vat) with additional channels - HBO, HBO Signature, HBO Family, HBO Hits, Cinemax, Star Movies, Neo Plus and Ten Sports plus the additional channels in the above two packages. Star Cricket is not mentioned but since the Star Package is mentioned we believe that it will be allocated to this package since Dialog are not too foolish to allocate Star Cricket to the Rs 2100/= package or are they?

The above rates are valid only for subscribers who purchase on or after October 1st 2007 and present subscribers will continue with the current subscription rates as usual. It should be said that Dialog are very foolish at implementing the new rates in this manner since this takes the connections out of the reach of the ordinary man. We correct our wording since we said that a new package over Rs 1400/= will have to be called a Millionaires Package but we correct ourselves and hereby term the new Rs 2100/= package as Billionaires Package. It is said that the fourth transponder will be available in September with another 14 channels consisting of the Fox Channels and Asian feeds of Star Sports and ESPN, etc. However since these channels are expensive they would have to be allocated to a higher package mainly for those who can afford them and these could have been in a Rs 2100 package. Changing the present Rs 1400/= package which consists of the basic pay television channels which LBN provides with more channels for Rs 1100/= is a BIG MISTAKE by Dialog. This move will result in a reduction of Dialog TV sales.

It should be said that before saying anything further one wonders whether this is all a marketing gimmick by Dialog TV to sell the maximum connections since we are sure that Dialog would have done all the market research and found out that with the rising cost of living not many will be able to afford a package at Rs 2100/=. If not then it is sad to say that Dialog is on the same road as Comet Cable and may end up in an even worse situation. Dialog TV should concentrate on taking its connections to the masses and follow the same vision as Dialog GSM and should not limit themselves to an exclusive clientele.

Please keep us updated on the latest on Dialog TV as the days progress.

Dialog TV takes action against Consumer Affairs Authority

In recent developments Dialog TV has filed action against the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) in the Supreme Court because the CAA have said that Dialog have no authority to carry out a DTH operation. It is kind of interesting to note that the CAA did not take action when the CBNsat subscribers were being deprived of services due to the interferences by vested interests in high places. So we wonder why the CAA is barking now? Or are they barking on behalf of someone else?

The CAA which should be making sure that Dialog TV subscribers and people who receive services from other organizations are not being exploited but instead it is destroying its credibility by getting involved in unnecessary affairs. We are very certain that the CAA is acting on behalf of those vested interests who failed to keep CBNsat shut and it looks like those shadowy figures who were openly mentioned in this blog are now in for the lesson of their life and should be put to shame.

In other news it seems that the 55th Dialog TV channel will be owned and operated by Dialog TV and will be called Neth TV. SRTV made a come back last night after being down for a few days and it seems that the Star Movies EPG has been corrected and we hope that the other EPG's are also sorted out too. According to information received it seems that last night Ten Sports had sound only on one channel and we hope that this is sorted out soon. It looks like Dialog TV is now fine tuning its channels in order to improve their quality.

Please keep us updated on the latest on Dialog TV as the days progress.

Updated (at 10:00am):
Please note that we are unable to find any references to this legal issue except for the fact that it was mentioned in a news report yesterday.
Dialog TV is planning to move channels around soon, that is why if you look at the paper advertisements regarding the new channels, the channel numbers mentioned do not tally with the actual number in the decoder. It is likely that the channels will be moved according to the advertisements in the newspaper.

So whats next now - sneek peeks and suggestions

Well after a few months of work and some delays Dialog TV have finally completed introducing the new channels. During the last few months we have criticized them when they do not get things right and have congratulated them when they got things right. It has to be said that this is the first large expansion that was carried out by this company ever since they commenced operations and just a few months after they recommenced operations following the controversial time period last year.

We would like to say that the Dialog TV team have done a good job in adding channels that were looked forward to by their existing and future subscribers. At present all the channels originally planned for have been introduced and information suggests that one more is one the way. This channel would be a local one operated by Dialog (probably called Neth TV) but we are unable to find any further information. about this. In addition it seems that Dialog TV are now planning for the launch of their fourth transponder and it seems that they are negotiating with some Tamil language channels as well as some of the Fox channels available in this region.

All of this is good but Dialog has to now got to concentrate on other aspects of their operation too such as the following.

1) The fourth transponder should not have too many new channels rather they should make use of this to spread out the channels further in order to further improve the channel quality.
2) A website for Dialog TV that can be accessed using a mobile phone and programme guides should be viewable using the mobile phone too and a better designed website with programming information too for regular internet access with on line payment features, channel blocking features,etc.
3) SMS programme alerts.
4) Add the other local radio stations and television channels.
5) Reduce the price of the secondary decoder and offer a special package for a secondary connection in the same location.
6) A decoder specially for Hi Fi systems at a reasonable price so that people can keep it close to their hi fi systems and do not have to use the decoder connected to the television in order to listen to the radio stations on Dialog TV.
7) Introduce DTS sound to channels that have this feature available.
8) An Electronic Programme Guide that loads faster and allows to view the schedule of another channels without changing channels.
9) Innovative marketing plan that will attract customers and they could also use their existing subscribers also to market connections (as suggested in one of our previous posts).
10) Introduce a DVR that facilitates the recording of one channel while watching another and make it available to their subscribers on an installment basis. This could be done by tying up with an importer of electronic products into the country.
11) Movie on Demand and Pay Per View( for subscribers who want to select a particular channel that belongs to some other package).
12) Update the website regularly.
13) The EPG should be made very accurate and should contain no errors.

These are some of the suggestions that we have added and we believe that our fellow bloggers will further add to this by making their suggestions too.

Please keep us updated on the latest on Dialog TV as the days progress.

Star Cricket launched

According to reports that we are receiving Star Cricket has been launched and you should do a channel scan to add this channel to the lineup. This channel has been allocated to the Rs 1400/= package and those in the package who cannot view this channel should call customer care and get it activated.

We are not sure whether all the other packages are able to view this channel now and if so it is a matter of time until this channel gets scrambled. With this Dialog TV have completed adding all the channels that they have allocated to the third transponder.

It seems that Dialog TV has sent a message to all subscribers asking those who have not added the channels manually to keep their decoder on at 9pm at night for an automated channel scan.

Keep us updated on the latest on Dialog TV as the days progress.

Dialog's new promotions

This is not about the promotions carried out by Dialog TV but an analysis about some information revealed in the promotion. The said promotion is on Sun FM and so far some of our fellow bloggers have had a small discussion about this.

The promotion highlights the introduction of the Star Channels and says that subscribers who get their connections before September 30th will get all the Star Channels for the Rs 1400/= package and will not have to pay anything extra. By analyzing Dialog TV's package structure it can be seen that some channels such as Star World and Star Vijay are part of the Rs 900/= package. However the Star channels in the Rs 1400/= package are Star Movies, Star Cricket and Star Plus (some say that Star Plus is on the Rs 900/= package but we are unable to confirm this).

The advertisement gives the indication that all connections obtained after Sep 30th will carry an extra charge for the Star channels. This may worry some of the existing subscribers as some may be lead to the assumption that only the subscribers who purchased the connections during the current promotion will be able to receive Star package for the Rs 1400/= package, since Dialog have said that benefits will be passed onto old subscribers too, we can safely assume that they will continue to receive all Star channels after Sep 30th for the Rs 1400/= package.

However what worries us is what will happen after September 30th. Dialog may be planning to add Star Movies to a special package and charge extra for it (which is a structure adopted by Comet Cable too) or are they planning a package higher than Rs 1400/=. To be frank a package higher than Rs 1400/= will be a flop and only a few will be able to afford it. If they do it then Dialog will be restricting itself to only the influential in society and may come across the same problems that Comet Cable faces by having highly priced packages that no one can afford. If Dialog introduces a higher package then what will happen is that the new channels that will come along with transponder 4 when it is launched may be allocated to it and it will be a case of history being repeated since subscribers will have to upgrade to that package to view those channels.

This advertisement for all we might know may be just another marketing gimmick to attract new customers. But we insist that Dialog SHOULD NOT introduce a package higher that Rs 1400/= but if they do so then they can call it the Millionaires Package. To be fair however if giving Star Movies and Star Cricket in the Rs 1400/= package is a burden on the company then they can allocate those two channels onto a special package and offer it for a reasonable additional charge after Sep 30th to new customers but having an additional charge for all the Star Channels is absurd. It is however better to keep Star Cricket in the Rs 1400/= package and charge extra for only Star Movies and any channel thereafter should be added to the Rs 1400/= package.

Dialog TV should embark on an aggressive marketing campaign to sell connections, expand their subscriber base and reduce the monthly rental while increasing their profits (the same thing they did with Dialog GSM). We believe that Dialog can use its subscribers also for their marketing purposes, a few years ago LBN gave a rental free pay television connection to people who introduced a certain number of new customers. Dialog could also follow this example and they do not have to do it literally. They can offer discounts on the monthly rental and benefits to their subscribers who are able to introduce a certain number of friends to Dialog TV for getting new connections. This is a method adopted by banks like HSBC to promote their credit cards too.

On other news it should be said that Star Cricket may come on air today, their seems to have been some delay due to technical problems. We would also like to point out that the EPG on BBC is wrong (it is half an hour ahead) and the EPG on Star Movies is also wrong, apparently Dialog has forgotten that Sri Lanka time and Singapore time are not the same, the Zone Reality EPG is wrong for the last few months, we are not that sure about the other channels but we are sure that our fellow bloggers will check and update us. We stress that Dialog TV should be more professional and make sure that their EPG is accurate and at the moment every month there are problems with it.

Please update us on the latest on Dialog TV as the days progress.

Star Bouquet now available

The channels belonging to the Star Bouquet Star Plus, Star World, Star Vijay and Star Movies are now on Dialog TV. The channels were uplinked on Friday August 3rd 2007. Star Plus, World and Vijay are from the Indian beam whereas Star Movies is the East Asia feed. The Star channels are expected to boost Dialogs popularity and would prove be a marketing tool to attract a large number of subscribers. It is not clear onto which packages these channels will be allocated to but it looks like Star Movies will be on the Rs 1600/= package and the others would be allocated to the Rs 900/= package. We do not believe that any of the above channels would be allocated to the Rs 500/= package.

The Star channels were the most eagerly anticipated channels among subscribers and they have been introduced after a delay owing to technical and then administrative issues.

Star Cricket was not introduced along with the above channels and according to unconfirmed sources, Star Cricket would be available either today or tomorrow. After the introduction of Star Cricket be believe that Dialog should concentrate on fine tuning their broadcast to sort out some freezing problems, inaccurate EPG and other minor problems in certain channels.

Please keep us updated on the latest on Dialog TV as the days progress.

Star Movies : http://www.startv.com/movies/
Star World : http://starworld.indya.com/
Star Plus : http://starplus.indya.com/
Star Vijay : http://vijay.indya.com/

Will it be this weekend?

Almost all Dialog TV subscribers that we are in touch with constantly and those who constantly use this blog are awaiting for the Star Channels. The wait is characterized by happiness that the Star Package is coming but also a level of anxiety owing to rumours that a package higher than Rs 1400/= will be created for the Star Package.

We believe that Dialog will consider the fact that many will not be able to afford it, and will adopt a strategy of reducing the monthly subscription in order to reach the masses in the villages and rural areas. With the ever increasing cost of living, paying a high subscription to watch television would never be considered by the majority of the population. Dialog TV would be able to penetrate only by reducing the rates and not by increasing it. The losses that they will incur initially will result in an explosive growth of profits as their subscriber base increases due to low pricing of their services.

Unconfirmed sources reveal that the Star Package will be introduced by Saturday. It will be great if the introduction does take place during this weekend.

We have noticed that certain elements are trying to bring down the credibility of this blog by posting comments totally unrelated to the topic under discussion, we request our fellow bloggers to continue blogging without being distracted by these elements and not falling for the traps set by them. We will do our best to delete these comments but we may not be able to delete them immediately over the weekend but please carry on with the discussion without paying attention to these elements.

Please keep us updated on the latest on Dialog TV as the days progress.

The August Programme guide designed by our fellow blogger Priyantha can be downloaded at the following links.

http://www.zshare.net/download/29516077204485/
http://www.divshare.com/download/1442433-4af

Dialog TV will face stiff competition

It seems that Dialog TV has sparked off a pay television revolution in Sri Lanka and they will be facing severe competition. Unconfirmed sources have indicated that Comet is going digital soon, LBN is expanding their coverage and channel base, SLT IPTV will be launching during this year or the next. In addition to this, Indian DTH operators selling their connections here has stiffened things further. Dialog GSM did well in the face of severe competition and only time will tell whether Dialog TV will be able to emulate the success and for the sake of the subscribers we hope that they come out on top but we can we be rest assured that the others will not make it easy for them.

In other news, we are still awaiting the launch of the Star Channels. Last morning the Star Package details appeared on the website in the tariffs section and then disappeared later, but Star Cricket is still listed. Since Dialog TV adds channels to their website several days after they add the channel to their lineup we believe that it may have been added by mistake and then removed later on but looks like they have not removed Star Cricket. There are also rumours that a package higher than Rs 1400/= will be created for the Star Package but we do not think that this will be the case. If a package higher that Rs 1400/= is introduced, only a few people will be able to afford it and the popularity of Dialog TV will drop and we just hope that the Marketing/Management team of Dialog TV is not that foolish. We have inquired from Subscribers Unite regarding this and awaiting their feedback.

A comment appeared on the blog that "Subscriber Unite" has closed down, please note that this is false. This comment has been deleted too. Please note that we are in the process of formulating "Rules and Regulations" for this blog and will be implementing them in due course.

It seems that God TV has also been given an EPG. It should also be stated that Dialog TV has NOT corrected the EPG for Zone Reality as yet. We hope that all channels have a week long accurate EPG and at the moment most of them except a few have this.

Please keep us updated on the latest on Dialog TV as the days progress.