DTH
Videocon teams up with Cisco for 4K broadcast
MUMBAI: Direct-to-Home (DTH) company Videocon d2h tied hands with Cisco AnyRes Live UHD Encoders to launch its 4K-enabled Ultra High Definition viewing experience.
This is the global launch of Cisco’s 4K encoder and a redefinition of TV viewing. The 4K encoder brings best-in-class quality for real-time media delivery applications such as live sports and 24-hour programming. The announcement comes in the midst of the on-going ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.
4K resolution offers 8.3 million pixels to display a high definition picture even when viewed up close. This comprehensive platform can be scaled up to stream multiple formats to any device, including iPhone, iPad, feature phones, and smartphones, as well as delivering pristine Ultra HD video to televisions.
Technical highlights:
• Delivers highest quality encoding using an HEVC/H.265 codec developed by Cisco
• Wide range of frame rates from 24 fps all the way up to 60 fps
• Virtually flawless pictures achieved with 10 bit colour depth
• Reliable transmission with an UHD input front end offering robust synchronisation to the live signal feeds
• Capable of SD, HD, Full HD or Multi format ABR encoding using H.264 as well as H.265
• Various baseband graphics processing features, including logo insertion.
The launch of 4K encoders on the Videocon d2h platform marks the first ever deployment of Cisco AnyRes Live UHD Encoder in the world and will be followed shortly by two more customer deployments in Asia Pacific.
DTH
Free Dish serves fresh slots as Prasar Bharati rings in e Auction 97
MPEG 4 slots for 2026–27 open with bids from March 16 and applications due March 9.
MUMBAI- When the Free Dish menu changes, broadcasters sharpen their forks. Prasar Bharati has formally opened applications for vacant MPEG-4 slots on its DD Free Dish direct to home platform, setting the stage for the 97th e-auction, scheduled to begin on March 16, 2026. The allotment will cover the broadcast period from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027, continuing the public broadcaster’s annual auction cycle.
The notice, issued on February 9, 2026, lays out a familiar but finely sliced structure, with channels grouped into genre and language based “buckets”, each carrying its own reserve price and bidding dynamics. The aim is simple: widen content choice on DD Free Dish while keeping the playing field regulated and competitive.
At the premium end of the table, HD channels (Bucket H) will open with a reserve price of Rs 80 lakh, with bid increments of Rs 1 lakh.
Regional language channels are split across multiple rounds. Bucket R1, covering South Indian languages, and Bucket R2, which includes Marathi, Gujarati and Bengali, will both start at Rs 5 lakh in round one, moving up to Rs 15 lakh in the second round.
News and current affairs channels under Bucket G1 will begin at Rs 30 lakh, escalating to Rs 50 lakh in the next round, while the General Open round (GO) meant to mop up unfilled slots across categories carries a reserve price of Rs 70 lakh.
Eligibility remains tightly controlled. Participation is limited to satellite television channels licensed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, with international public broadcasters holding valid MIB licences also allowed to bid. Prasar Bharati has also reiterated strict content compliance norms, making genre and language declarations more than just paperwork.
To qualify as “predominant”, at least 75 percent of non advertising content must align with the declared genre and language. In overall terms, this means such content cannot fall below 60 percent of a channel’s total monthly telecast. Complaints will trigger a review by a designated committee, and persistent violations could result in the channel being taken off the platform.
Applications must be submitted online via the Prasar Bharati portal by 9 March, 2026, at 15:00 hours. Broadcasters will need to pay a non refundable processing fee of Rs 25,000 and a participation fee of Rs 3 lakh, along with submitting mandatory documents such as MIB permissions, channel logos and proof of carriage on other DTH or MSO platforms.
Successful bidders will be required to stick to a strict payment calendar. Delays will attract interest at 14.5 percent per annum, and repeated defaults could lead to forfeiture of the participation fee and removal from DD Free Dish.
As India’s only free to air DTH platform with massive reach, DD Free Dish continues to be a crucial gateway, especially in regional markets. With e-Auction 97, Prasar Bharati is once again reshuffling the platter and the industry is watching closely to see who gets served next.
