Thursday, August 26, 2010

Discovery Science & Turbo launched

After about 4 months of so called testing finally Discovery Science & Discovery Turbo channels have been launched by Dialog TV. Discovery Turbo will occupy Channel No. 1 slot and Discovery Science will occupy the slot which contained the Zing Channel. Discovery Science has been added at the expense of Zing, which is now also been telecast by FTA channel Siyatha TV during the day time.

The channels are overpriced at Rs 199 + taxes per channel. Initial information suggested that Discovery Science will be added free for the Emerald, Gold packages & Discovery Turbo will be added to the Gold package but it looks like both channels are free only for the Gold package and all else will have to pay additional to activate the channel.

Dialog should reduce the rates for these channels & and renegotiate pricing with Discovery Networks. We urge subscribers in lower packages to refrain from activating these channels at the extra cost thereby forcing Dialog TV into a position to reduce the pricing and add at least both or one of these channels FOC for a few other packages.

The next step Dialog TV should take is to drop another low profile Hindi Channel and add Ten Cricket since all cricket content owned by Ten Sports is to move into Ten Cricket.

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

25 comments:

Lisura said...

Dish TV initially priced both these channel at INR 10 (LKR 25 approximately)

But later they have re-arranged the packages to enable these 2 channels to all Platinum subscribers.

Apart from set plans what about the package holders who had Zing in their packages ? Will DTV reduce 49 ruppes from their packages as it is not available for them in future ?

If they dont do so its like they have increased the price of those packages too by 49 rupees.

When Dish TV launched these two channels from the start they had a scroll saying the cost of these channels and for how long they are available for free preview !

What DTV had done was to tease the susbribers for four months giving false hope and now charge them an exhorbitant rate for these channels.

These are the dirty gimmicks of DTV. Another few to add to the list I have mentiond in the previous thread !

Lisura said...


I sincerely hope that Airtel DTH to come to Sri Lanka and give DTV a good competition.

It will be definitely good from the comsumers point of view as what happened in the mobile sector.

Lisura said...


I couldn't bring another point before to this blog. That is the Indian DTH industry is heavily taxed by the government. From the rentals of Dish TV and other DTH operators a considerable percentage is taxes. Definitely more than in Sri Lanka.

Still they maintain a good package pricing tag keeping a very low profit margin. Their goal is to increase the subscribers and gain profit.

I think CBNSat had the same idea. But DTVs strategy is the other war around !

Unknown said...

DTV is too expensive. Gold package is over Rs2000/= with taxes. To add Ten cricket they will ask for more money. There is another channel coming from Taj TV call Ten willow. It will be more money.

Lisura said...

@ Podiman

Correct !!

If DTV had the good channels on Dish TV like Disney, MGM, WB, Channel V etc their rental would be well above Rs. 4000/=

I think people needs to be more sensible here. Even for the moderate package they pay 1200++

Videocon DTH receiver is only 7000 rupees with 7 months rental free. After that the rental will be 750-800

So in just 6 months time you start saving if you go for a such solution.

Nalin Kiing said...

Guys did you find any thing inside information about AXN free-to-air channel? AXN free-to-air channel now almost available in 24/7 in Sri Lanka. Please keep us informed about AXN free-to-air channel's inside stories.

DigitalTV said...

Zing is a Edutainment in DTV !! Very Funny !!

http://www.dialog.lk/personal/tv/channels/

Nokia said...

@ Rukmal
Zing is no more on the link. It was earlier on Music on the site. Now it's changed to Trubo and Science.

I dont think Airtel DTH suits Sri Lanka as most of the indian DTH are having channels which are for India. But DTV line up is good if they could atlest reduse the rentals. THere are days that I dont have money to refill (fuel) my car. In a situation like that how can I pay 2288/= For DTV full package?
I'm talking the truth my firends.

DTV is moving high from the middle Class people like us. They came up with 100/= package to treat even the lower class people but that attempt failed.

Unknown said...

@Nokia,
Any member can talk about the good things and the bad things about DTV in the forum.
Indian DTH are very much cheaper than DTV. Giving more options for the members to decide what they want to go for is good.
I have been watching DTV and other DTH packages for free of charge for few years. I have given many members the know how. It is upto the individual to take it or leave it.

Lisura said...

Well Said Podiman !

I also personnally prefer an operator like CBNSat. A local operator with some local channels. But still uptodate DTV have failed to get digital links from local channels. They just receive the local channels from an antenna like us in analog format and then transmit.

For example I receive swarnavahini and derana channels more clear from my normal antenna than from DTV.

I've also been watching DTV and Dish TV for so many years now. In Dish TV even the crappy indian regional channels they provide in very good picture quality. Dialog have failed to provide that also upto date.

It's so sad to see the status of DTV going down like this. But as consumers we have the right to choose another operator.

Content wise 90% of DTV feeds are indian feeds. So on Indian DTH platforms also you get the same channel. But at a very low price tag. Thats why i was pointing out all this time.

If Dish TV can give Discovery Turbo and Science at LKR 25 why Dialog is charging more ? I dont think Discovery network is charging more from DTV. If they do so DTV shoud negotiate that and bring the price down on the view of the subscriber.

Of course DTV is fastly moving away from the lower and the upeer middle-class homes and be only limited to the Colombo elites !

Like comet cable those days ! DTV has finally shifted it's path to he one that Comet cable has been.

Nokia said...

@ Podiman

you are repeating the same which mentioned on the previous blog.....

I got what you say... No need to repeat Take it or Leave it....

No one seems to be leaving lol.....

SLP said...

@All
Its nice to be see a live forum again. Thanks admin for that.

As for DTV, yet is this is a kind of lifetime discount offer eh, As you all know, once Dialog is being sold to axiata, the telekom malaysia got a handsome amount of money by life time discount.

OK, compared ti India with several millions of DTH connections it might be less efficient for DTV to cater for 1Lack plus.

But if they really focused on customer then there are plenty of ways to get things workaround.
I.e
1. MP4 change big problem of Transponder cost and channel quality, making slots more for more channels.

2. Nepal DTH, Home TV will be aired on same satellite, If DTV were able to make a MOU with them, then there were possibility of a joint venture platform to both nepal and Sri Lanka including Maldives.

I dont think DTV is fair play anymore. So its up to you guys to handle with for your own interest.

As for Airtel, Yeah I welcome there presence, They only need one transponder to up-link our domestic channels. they can distribute all without any problem. A rabbit run against DTV.

don said...

I got an SMS from Dialog this afternoon saying Discovery Turbo is free of charge until 26th of September

Looser said...

I'm having Pearl Package and I'm getting Turbo and Science too. Not sure for how long.

From where I can get Dishtv HD STB in colombo and waht is the price?

Lisura said...

http://chamiths.blogspot.com/2010/05/dialog-tv.html

Lakshan romesh said...

@ Podiman

please podiman gimme info about low priced DTH connection ..how to watch free .. DTV prices are so unfaire ..

My email is :
other1122@gmail.com

alf said...

Ade Jesika,Rukmal,Freeman,Rukshan Ranaweera,Dont talk cock man

Chandika Gunawardhana said...

need Ten Cricket as soon as possible...

wishwacom said...

hey Dialog TV ...we want Rupavhini NTV Channel (which broadcast in English)

plz will launch soon

good luck

wishwacom said...

wow travel & living TURNING IN TO TLC

Priyantha De Silva said...

It is the same channel renamed by discovery, itself.
**************************
Discovery TLC Asia is a television channel available in South-East Asia.

Plans to launch the channel first surfaced in 2000 when Discovery started working on expanding Discovery Travel & Adventure and Discovery Health to the Asian and Latin American markets.

The channel launched as Discovery Travel & Adventure in June 2001. It was the third channel launched by Discovery Networks in the region. When it launched, it was focused on providing travel-related entertainment.

On January 1, 2005, the channel was rebranded as Discovery Travel & Living and received new programming. This was part of a major action within Discovery Networks International to focus on lifestyle programming. The new schedules featured much cooking progammes and makeover shows.
Discovery Travel & Living Logo used from January 1, 2005 to August 31, 2010

On 1 September 2010, the channel was rebranded again into Discovery TLC Asia with international and local line ups. The new channel will be bigger, better and bolder, featuring new places, genres, and faces.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_TLC_Asia

DigitalTV said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
DigitalTV said...

High Definition HD Channels available in India DTH Comparison

Posted by TechIndia on 7/27/10 • Categorized as Television

India has very limited HD channels as of now, only Nat Geo HD and Discovery HD are only full time High Definition Channels as of now. There are other HD channels offered specific DTH operator. Most of them have unscaled content. The sports channels like ESPN and Star Sports are not yet full time and beam only on event basis like FIFA or Wimbledon.

HD Channels in India DTH Tata Sky, Airtel, Sun Direct, BIG TV,Dish TV and Videocon comparison Chart:

Following are the list of High Definition Channels currently available:

1. Discovery HD World
2. National geographic HD
3. ESPN HD( Event Based Channel)
4. Star Sports HD( Event based)
5. Colors HD( only on SunDirect )
6. Zee Cinema HD ( only on DishTV)
7. Zee TV ( only on Dish TV)
8. Sun HD ( only on SunDirect )
9. Tamil Service HD ( only on SunDirect)
10. Telugu Service HD ( only on SunDirect)
11. Ten Sports HD( Dish TV HD, shows India-New Zealand-Sri Lanka ODI in HD)

Only Discovery HD and National Geographic HD are only full time real HD channels. All other channels are either not full time or most of the contents are up scaled to HD!

New HD channels expected are StarPlus HD and Start Movies HD on TataSky.

TV & Radio Sri Lanka said...

Please continue commenting under the post "DTV abandons MPEG4 conversion".

Admin

TV & Radio Sri Lanka said...

Hey fellow bloggers, we are now officially tweeting away. We hope to use twitter for sharing quick information related and use our blogs for sharing detailed information.

http://twitter.com/tvradiosrilanka

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