(21 December 2009 2:20 pm)

NEW DELHI: The growth of new technologies will remain stunted until the cable operator is given incentives to digitise. There is, thus, need for more regulation so that the last mile cable operator feels more motivated to adapt to new technologies, says NDS India GM Alan Dishington.

The tax regime for direct-to-home needs to be rationalised and IPTV is still too costly, Dishington adds. Despite this, the DTH sector is set for growth in India. The TV on mobile sector, on the other hand, is unlikely to grow as one can't not watch the tiny screens for too long.

Digital video recorders (DVR) is a new technology and may take some time to grow, particularly as the set-top boxes are subsidised and so not highly priced. But a study in India by NDS this year shows positive trends for the growth of the DVR market, Dishington points out.

Once consumers have used a DVR, they cannot do without one: the DVR ranks as the second most essential household technology item (77 per cent), beaten only by the mobile phone (94 per cent), according to the survey.