Type | Joint venture |
---|---|
Industry | Satellite television |
Founded | 2005 |
Headquarters | Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
Area served | India |
Key people | Kalanithi Maran (MD & CEO) |
Products | Direct broadcast satellite, Pay television, Pay-per-view |
Parent | Sun Network (80%) Astro Group (20%) |
Website | sundirect.in |
Sun Direct is an Indian direct broadcast satellite service provider. Its satellite service, launched on 2005, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in India. Sun Direct uses MPEG-4 digital compression technology, transmitting on INSAT 4B at 93.5°E.[1] and MEASAT-3 at 91.5°E.[2] It is the country's first MPEG-4 technology DTH service provider.
Its primary competitors are cable television and other DTH service providers—Airtel digital TV, Reliance Big TV, DD Direct+, Dish TV, TATA Sky and Videocon D2H.
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Sun Direct is a joint venture between the Maran's Sun Network family and the Astro Group of Malaysia. Sun TV entered into an MoU with the Astro group in January 27, 1997, when Aircel was not in existence, but since the government of India did not allow the use of KU band transponders for DTH services the project was put on hold, the firm said in a statement. After the DTH policy was announced by the government in December 2007, Astro picked up a 20% stake in Sun Direct TV, the stake was valued at approximately $115 million.[3] Sun Direct TV was registered on February 16, 2005.[4] However, the failed launch of INSAT 4C resulted in a lack of transponders, delaying the launch.[5] The service was finally launched on 18th Jan 2008 after availability of transponders from INSAT 4B.[6]
Sun Direct offered subscribers a satellite dish and Set-top box for free and basic monthly plan as low as 148 (approximately). Currently basic monthly plan costs 169(approximately).
Sun Direct spread rapidly all over the country owing to lowest pricing of any DTH services in India. In December 2009, Sun Direct was launched in Mumbai, Country's financial capital and announced its pan India launch. By 2009 it became the leading DTH provider with 3 million subscribers.[7] This makes it the second largest DTH service provider of India. In April 2010 Sun Direct became the No. 1 DTH service provider of India with 5.8 million subscribers and soon officially launched its HD service in India.
On July 7, 2010 a power glitch in the INSAT 4B[8][9] satellite turned down the DTH system partly and SUN Direct announced that the service will be free till whole services are restored.The partial service was restored on INSAT 4B with 193 channels and meantime SUN Direct is now transmitting 173 channels on MEASAT-3 for uninterrupted transition of its customers from INSAT 4B at 93.5°E.[1] to MEASAT-3 at 91.5°E.[2] Sun direct now using 4 Measat-3 Transponders(TP's) and 3 INSAT-4B TP's to provide DTH services, and additionally through exclusive agreement with BIG TV, a DTH arm of Reliance ADAG group, Sun Direct Shares 2 TP's of BigTV(BIG TV holds 12 TP's in Measat-3),i.e. BIG TV allows SunDirect to get signals of FTA channels to Sun direct. Now Sun Direct stopped it's Standard Definition TV services from INSAT-4B and moved its High Definition TV Services to INSAT-4B, Sun Direct now it's entire Standard Definition TV is from Measat-3. Sun Direct becomes the second DTH Provider to change satellite. The service is very poor or no service from sun direct
Sun Direct is also the first to provide high-definition television services in India.It provided the HD beam from Measat 3 at 91.5.Starting with two HD channels (National Geographic Channel HD and Tamil / Telugu HD Service).Now the HD beam is from INSAT-4B. It is the first DTH service provider to show IPL 3 in HD format and has tie up with SET Max.[7]
Sun Direct had about 6 million subscribers as of December 2010.[10] There are about 30 million DTH subscribers in India as of February 2011.[11]
The following is the list of channels provided by Sun Direct as of March 2011.[12]
Channel | Name |
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Sun Direct Help Channel | |
001 | Info Channel |
Tamil | |
100 | Sun TV |
102 | KTV |
104 | Sun Music |
106 | Adithya TV |
108 | Tamil Cinema Club |
110 | Chutti TV |
112 | Sun News |
114 | Seithigal |
116 | Kalaignar TV |
118 | Jaya TV |
120 | Jaya Plus |
122 | DD Podhigai |
124 | Raj TV |
126 | Makkal TV |
128 | Mega TV |
130 | STAR Vijay |
132 | Vasanth TV |
134 | captain tv |
136 | Puthiya Thalaimurai |
Telugu | |
150 | Gemini TV |
152 | Gemini Movies |
154 | Gemini Music |
156 | Gemini Comedy |
158 | Telugu VOD |
160 | Kushi TV |
162 | Gemini News |
166 | ETV Telugu |
168 | Maa TV |
170 | Zee Telugu |
172 | Vissa |
176 | ETV 2 |
178 | TV9 Telugu |
182 | NTV |
184 | Bhakti TV |
186 | Sakshi TV |
188 | ABN Andhra Jyothi |
190 | DD Saptagiri |
Malayalam | |
200 | Surya TV |
202 | Kiran |
204 | Malayalam Cinema Club |
206 | Kochu tv |
208 | Asianet |
210 | Asianet Plus |
212 | Kairali |
214 | Kairali We |
216 | Amrita |
220 | Jai Hind |
218 | DD Malayalam |
222 | Asianet News |
224 | Manorama News |
226 | Indiavision |
228 | Jeevan TV[ad on channel] |
230 | Reporter[ad on channel]
] |
Kannada | |
250 | Udaya TV |
252 | Udaya Movies |
254 | Udaya Music |
256 | Udaya Comedy |
260 | Chintu TV |
262 | Udaya News |
264 | ETV Kannada |
266 | Zee Kannada |
268 | Kasthuri TV |
270 | Asianet Suvarna |
272 | DD Chandana |
274 | TV 9 Kannada |
Hindi Entertainment | |
302 | DD National |
304 | Colors |
306 | STAR Plus |
308 | Zee TV |
310 | Sony |
312 | Sahara One |
316 | Imagine TV |
318 | Life OK |
320 | SAB TV |
322 | STAR Utsav |
324 | Zoom |
326 | DD Bharati |
Hindi Movies | |
330 | SET Max |
332 | STAR Gold |
334 | Filmy |
336 | Zee Cinema |
English Movies | |
402 | HBO |
404 | STAR Movies |
406 | WB |
408 | PIX |
410 | Zee Studio |
English Entertainment | |
452 | AXN |
454 | STAR World |
456 | FX |
458 | Fox Crime |
460 | Zee Café |
462 | Fashion TV[INDIA] |
Sports | |
500 | ESPN |
502 | STAR Sports |
506 | TEN Sports |
508 | STAR Cricket |
510 | DD Sports |
512 | TEN Action+ |
514 | NEO Cricket |
Kids | |
522 | Disney Channel |
524 | Pogo |
528 | Cartoon Network |
530 | Nick |
532 | Hungama |
534 | Disney XD |
536 | Baby TV |
Infotainment | |
540 | Discovery Channel |
542 | National Geographic Channel |
544 | Animal Planet |
546 | Nat Geo Wild |
547 | FOX Traveller |
548 | DD Gyan Darshan 1 |
News | |
550 | DD News |
552 | Times Now |
554 | CNN-IBN |
556 | NDTV 24x7 |
558 | CNBC TV18 |
560 | ET Now |
562 | NDTV Profit |
566 | CNN |
568 | BBC World News |
570 | NDTV India |
571 | STAR News |
572 | Aaj Tak |
574 | IBN Lokmat |
576 | CNBC Awaaz |
578 | Lok Sabha TV |
580 | DD Rajya Sabha |
582 | PTC News |
584 | News Live |
586 | India TV |
Music | |
600 | Channel V |
602 | VH1 |
604 | MTV |
606 | 9xm |
Regional | |
620 | DD Bangla |
621 | Zee Bangla |
622 | ETV Bangla |
623 | STAR Jalsha |
625 | STAR Ananda |
626 | Akash Bangla |
627 | Sangeet Bangla |
629 | ETV Oriya |
630 | DD Oriya |
634 | Orissa TV |
638 | ETV Rajasthan |
640 | DD Urdu |
642 | ETV Urdu |
650 | DD Sahyadri |
652 | ETV Marathi |
655 | Zee Marathi |
656 | Mi Marathi |
657 | Zee Talkies |
658 | STAR Majha |
660 | DD Girnar |
661 | ETV Gujarati |
662 | TV9 Gujarati |
666 | PTC Punjabi |
668 | PTC News |
669 | ETC Punjabi |
670 | DD Punjabi |
675 | Mahuaa TV |
680 | DD Kashir |
691 | DD North East |
693 | Nepal 1 |
Religious | |
700 | Aastha |
34 | Sadhna TV |
702 | SVBC |
706 | Shalom TV |
708 | Sanskar |
710 | GOD TV |
International | |
755 | RT (Russia Today) |
High Definition | |
964 | Discovery HD World |
966 | National Geographic Channel HD |
968 | Movies Now |
970 | Tamil Movies HD |
972 | Telugu Movies HD |
974 | Tamil Songs HD |
976 | Telugu Songs HD |
978 | DD HD |
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