DTH
Videocon d2h enhances video expereince with Cisco Virtual DCM
MUMBAI: Cisco today announced that Videocon d2h India’s leading DTH platform has selected the Cisco Virtual DCM® to provide its subscribers with superior video experiences. The deployment provides Videocon d2h with a flexible infrastructure and simplified operations for advanced video processing functionality taking advantage of virtualization and orchestration from Cisco’s Virtualized Video Processing (V2P) platform. The Virtual DCM provides Videocon d2h the bandwidth efficiencies to deploy new services and meet ever-increasing consumer demands for 4K, multiscreen, OTT and Cloud DVR. The Cisco Visual Networking Index Forecast 2015-2020 predicts that by 2020, 82% of IP traffic by will be video, and 50% of IP video traffic will be HD/UHD, and mobile devices will drive most of the growth, making 43% of IP traffic. With availability of more content for an ever increasing number of video-enabled devices, it is critical to maximize video delivery over available bandwidth and multiple networks.
Videocon d2h executive director Saurabh Dhoot said, “Our association with V2P platform of Cisco provides us the ability to enhance, extend and enrich video offerings so that today’s consumers receive more immersive and personalized viewing experience. Our focus is on innovating and extending the service offerings like 4K UHD, OTT as per the changing preference thus enriching viewing pleasure.”
“The time is right to capitalize on the unprecedented opportunities presented by the wave of digitization in the country. When it comes to customer service, digitization empowers us to better understand our customers.” said Videocon d2h CEO Anil Khera. “We are committed to creating the highest-quality consumer experience. 4K content is the future and with this development we are completely geared up and future-ready to embark on the cloud journey. We look forward to working closely with Cisco on the implementation of the solution to provide better consumer experience.” he added
“Today digital platforms are changing the way people experience television. Cisco’s V2P solutions help our customers meet the ever-changing demands of the video industry. Cisco is providing Videocon d2h with a platform to transform its business in India to develop and deliver dynamic, secure new services with the agility and speed necessary to stay ahead of competition. Our association with Videocon reflects our continued commitment to deliver the right IT platform to enhance their customer service and loyalty” said Cisco India & SAARC service provider business MD Sanjay Kaul.
DTH
DD Free Dish e-auction heats up with 26 MPEG-2 slots sold in two days
Hindi movies, GEC and news dominate; Star Utsav Movies tops Day 2 at Rs 213.45 crore
MUMBAI- The bidding war on DD Free Dish is turning into a blockbuster and the slots are selling faster than popcorn at interval. Prasar Bharati’s 8th annual MPEG-2 e-auction delivered another strong day on Tuesday, with 18 more channels securing spots across movies, regional music and news buckets, taking the two-day total to 26.
Day 2 belonged to the movies and news categories. In Bucket A (Hindi Movies), Star Utsav Movies led the pack at Rs 213.45 crore, pipped only narrowly by Zee Action at Rs 213.4 crore. Goldmines landed at Rs 13.35 crore and Zee Anmol at Rs 13.3 crore, showing razor-thin price bands and fierce competition. Bucket B saw Zee Bioscope top at Rs 10.6 crore, Bhojpuri Cinema Rs 10.5 crore, B4U Bhojpuri Rs 10.2 crore, while Showbox, Unique TV and B4U Music each closed at Rs 10.25 crore.
News channels in Bucket C stayed tightly bunched: NDTV, Aaj Bharat, Zee News and India TV all secured slots at Rs 8.6 crore, with News Nation and ABP News slightly higher at Rs 8.65 crore. Bucket D rounded out with Russia Today at Rs 9.75 crore and GTC Punjabi at Rs 7.92 crore.
Day 1 had already set a premium tone, with eight slots snapped up – six in Bucket A+ (Hindi/Urdu GEC, starting reserve Rs 15 crore) and two in Bucket A (Hindi/Urdu Movies, starting Rs 12 crore). Sony PAL topped Day 1 winners at Rs 16.55 crore, Star Utsav Rs 16.25 crore, Shemaroo TV Rs 16.35 crore, Zee Anmol, Colors Rishtey and Sun Neo at Rs 16.40 crore each. Sony WAH took a Bucket A slot at Rs 13.95 crore and Zee Anmol Cinema at Rs 13.45 crore.
The surge reflects broadcasters’ hunger for DD Free Dish’s estimated 43–45 million rural and semi-urban households, where Hindi GEC and movies remain advertising goldmines.
The auction runs under the revised E-auction Methodology 2025 (amended 9 January 2026), with escalating reserves – Round 2 Bucket A+ at Rs 16 crore, Round 3 Bucket A at Rs 13 crore – and stricter eligibility to weed out speculative bids. Channels must be operational, available in the relevant language, and already carried on at least one private DTH, DD Free Dish or registered MSO.
With premium genres flying off the shelf, the coming rounds will test how deep pockets really are as reserves climb and tactical down-bidding gets harder. In India’s largest free-to-air universe, these auctions aren’t just about slots – they’re about who gets to stay on the screen that reaches deepest into the heartland.
