Thread: HD or Recorder

Airtel pulled a bummer. Really.

I just spoke to Airtel DTH Sales team and they are now offering a new setup box with HD capability for Rs 2840/- I asked if I can record the HD with the recorder hardware?

Ans: NO. HD is only available with new setup box. Recorder is not upgradeable.

I have IPTV and I am not a very satisfied customer. I think Airtel selling old setupbox for 1690/- or 999/- (existing customers) and Recorder at 5490/- is cheating the uninitiated clients with HD at 2840/- already in fray.

Now for the channels only NATGeo HD are available. Discovery HD, Star Movies and HBO are lined up but they do not know when?

I really do not understand the fascination people have with the recorder. Believe me, you may use it a little regularly in the beginning six months; afterwards it will just be a more fancy STB.

Does anyone really find any program/content worth recording?

I watch TV once a week for F1 or MotoGP rest wife wants to record something once in a while. We rarely watch it currently but she thinks its one time sunk cost that will be used once she starts to nag me and will not let me see my 4 hrs of TV. I can record. So I was really thinking if recording a non HD content is worth the sunk cost and on the other hand, do we have enough HD channels or is it just playing in hands of the marketing?

Thanks!

I will tell you once again - do not waste your money on the recorder HD or non-HD - it will become useless in less than a year - perhaps even six months. I have seen it happen. But if you think otherwise, then it is your choice and money.

As far as HD goes, currently there are maybe only two (true) HD channels (Discovery HD and NatGeo HD). But very soon more will appear. The main issue is the price:

• Almost all foreign channels and some Indian channels can be HD tomorrow.
• The content providers (Star, Sony, ESPN, CNN, BBC, etc.) are ready with the feed but DTH providers need to be ready with bandwidth and pricing.
• DTH providers will have to work out the costs vs. retail price. They will also have to project the number of people opting for HD.
• The main subscriber base will obviously come for local (Hindi and Regional language) channels and not English. So there must be a lot of these HD channels.

In my opinion, subscribing to HD (currently) is worth it if:

• you have an HD-ready or Full-HD LCD/Plasma TV - otherwise do not even think of it
• you watch a lot of infotainment channels
• you like sports - currently sports are usually SD but some events will be in HD - the US open starting soon will be in HD.

i too am fascinated with a HD recorder,but with more stress on the time shifting part than the recorder itself.will DVRs like TIVO be launched in india soon?
i am currently using a 2 parallel analog TV tuner card setup +analog cable both with time shifting capability installed on a windows 7 ultimate OS and have used the pause function to the maximum possible limit and now can't possibly think of going back to "live only" TV viewing experience.

i think the recorder is better since there arent much hd channels in India so atleast u can catch up with shows u miss

The solution to this is Airtel needs to come up with a HD DVR.