Tata Sky+ DTH Service: Tata Sky DVR STB supports MPEG4

[kunal_janu]

Yes, It's a premium service and will cost more.. I'm sure since everything is premium about it, people will be offered premium rates for channel packages! And yeah, They should have got some 40GB Harddisk capable STB, at cheaper price for people to think about it.. Cos atleast I'm keeping mine and My families eyes off it! I don't want to be lured into the Black and Red STB! Looks like Airtel STB eh.. :rofl:

 

[SVK]

But why are they charging Rs.50 p.m. after selling the STB

And you will not be able to transfer the recordings stored on your Tata Sky+ digicomp to any other electronic device.
The PVR service (I guess) is not enabled with the device even if it has hard disk in it. Only after paying (extra) monthly charge of Rs 50 the PVR service is activated from head end server for our particular STB ID. If any body fails to pay the charge, PVR service may be disabled from head end again.
(It was the case with SKY+ in earlier stage too, but later SKY+ dropped the rental charge for PVR) - Sky+ - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The £10 per month subscription fee was discontinued for subscribers from 1 July 2007...

The content cannot be transferred to external storage device because the format in which the content is stored can only be played by STB

 

[Jignesh]

@cjignesh,

your thread just inform about new Tata Sky plus website and not about MPEG4. So my thread is discussing new MPEG4 STB and not new website. Also I post the FAQ page as source (not home page of site).

okie sry for dAT

 

[Crazysah]

If it supports MPEG4 on the regular STB then awesome!

 

[Dushie]

It won't support Mpeg 4 on regular stb :thumb:

 

[Sushubh]

it won't is inaccurate. it can't is more accurate

 

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[olivers]

To clear the confusion that a lot of people have. Mpeg 4 settop boxes can be used for Mpeg 2 ... Not the otherway around. So all the confused souls. Tata Sky Will provide Mpeg 4 in all new set top boxes as mandated by TRAI. Tata Sky may decide to move to Mpeg 4 ditching all previous clients but not now not today, possibly not this year and very unlikely next year. But they do retain the option. So there Mpeg 4 is backwards compatable with Mpeg2 ...

 

[Dushie]

There is no backward computability of Mpeg 4 to Mpeg 2.If your STB is latest and supports Mpeg 4, it should be able to support Mpeg 2.If you have an old stb that supports Mpeg 2, it wont be able to support Mpeg 4.Tata Sky can't beam signals both in Mpeg 2 or Mpeg 4, they need to select one and beam accordingly, as all their STB are mpeg 2, guess they will continue to beam on the same.Also there is no difference between both , Mpeg4 allows u higher compression, so u can beam double the channels compared to Mpeg 2, but there is no change in quality of picture or sound, mpeg 4 helps in increase the no of channels using the same bandwidth

 

[nnagarajan7]

After going through the contents of Tata Sky+ website, it is clear that they have initiated the transition process. That is the reason they are offering exchange schemes for the existing Tata Sky customers at 40% or 50% discount. I am sure the original price of the Set-top-box is not that high. May be the Set-top-box with DVR facility will be higher than the normal one. But TATA Sky want to capitalise on this new service (in literal sense pocket some money) before fully switching over to MPEG 4 service.

With regard to comparing Tata Sky and Tata Sky+:

1. Packages are same.

2. Set-top-box differs not because of MPEG 2 or MPEG 4, but because of DVR facility.

3. I don't think Tata Sky is beaming channels in MPEG 4 format if that is the case then the existing customers will not be able to avail their service as the existing set-top-box is not MPEG 4 compatible. Therefore the subscribers of Tata Sky+ have only the advantage of new set-top-box with DVR facility. If they have to receive channels in MPEG4 format then one has to assume that Tata Sky has started a new DTH service in MPEG 4 format for the Tata Sky+ customers. I don't think no one in his right mind will do this as because this is not cost effective.

4. In a year's time Tata Sky mayl introduce new set-top-box with MPEG 4 compatability but without DVR facility and this box will cost much less than the now offered premium set-top-box. And then they will also offer exchange scheme for the new set-top-box. One has to wait that to happen or put more money in Tatas pocket and go for the premium set-top-box.

5. Upgrading the software of the existing box is also an option, but one wonders whether it is possible.

 

[amohan]

I just unboxed my Tata Sky+ check this post - https://broadband.forum/tata-sky-dth-service/37007-tatasky-stb-unboxed-photos/

On the box specs show this



Seems like u guys may be riight, TATA may be going the MPEG4 way as this specs shows that this new STB is both MEPG4 recoder & decoder...GRERAT NEWS Huh !