Very soon set-top boxes for TV viewing will be the thing of the past as built-in satellite tuner in TV sets will give viewers access to over 200 free-to-air channels.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur informed that “efforts are being made to have a built-in satellite tuner in television sets”.
At present, viewers need to purchase a set-top box for viewing various paid and free TV channels.
Built-in satellite tuners in TV sets would enable reception of free-to-air TV and radio channels by mounting a small antenna at a suitable place such as at the rooftop or side wall of a building.
There has been a humongous expansion of general entertainment channels on Doordarshan’s Free Dish, which has helped attract crores of viewers, the minister said.
“I have made a new beginning in my department. If your television has a built-in satellite tuner, then there will be no need to have a separate set-top box. One can have access to more than 200 channels at the click of the remote,” he said.
Doordarshan is in the process of phasing out analog transmission, and free-to-air channels will continue to be broadcast using digital satellite transmission, according to reports.
In December last year, Thakur had written to Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to issue directions to television manufacturers to adopt the standards issued by the Bureau of Industrial Standards for built-in satellite tuners.
