MUMBAI: Tata Sky Ltd has joined hands with Thomson for set-top-boxes (STBs) to support the launch of its direct-to-home (DTH) service in mid 2006.
Thomson, well known for providing STB technology to DTH service providers across the globe, will manufacture set-top boxes in India and provide a countrywide after-sales service and support network for Tata Sky customers.
Tata Sky is investing in building a high quality digital infrastructure in the country for better television viewing experience to Indian households. The service will enhance the choice for viewers looking for the best of pay television services in the country.
Tata Sky LTD CEO Vikram Kaushik said, "Selecting Thomson as a preferred partner gives us proven high quality customer premises equipment, through which we can deliver our programming and associated interactive services. This agreement is an endorsement of our commitment to provide state-of-the-art DTH services in India and offer customers with the best satellite TV services available. Our DTH service will completely redefine the television viewing experience in India and our landmark agreement with Thomson takes us a step closer to our goal."
Thomson senior vice president satellite, terrestrial and cable business unit Koen van Driel said, "As the largest and most exciting new DTH TV project in the world, we are very proud to have been selected as a key supplier by Tata Sky. In choosing Thomson, Tata Sky has demonstrated its confidence in the high quality of our set-top box products, our ability to deliver a customised product in a relatively short time frame, and our global development and support network."
In addition to meeting the Bureau of Indian Standards requirements, the Thomson STBs will have a feature-rich design that will enable Tata Sky to deliver multiple programming, pricing packages and interactive services to its customers.
The digital technology service of Tata Sky will eliminate many recurring problems that consumers face while watching television today. The DTH satellite signal will be uninterrupted by power cuts and cable cutting, thus eliminating instances of service downtime.
Also, the Tata Sky service will have fixed channel positions and pre-tuned audio levels, which will improve the visual and audio quality of broadcast. The agreement with Tata Sky marks Thomson's entry into the DTH Satellite television market with STBs developed and customised for Tata Sky at its R&D center in Bangalore.
