NEW DELHI: Doordarshan’s Freedish, India's only free direct-to-home (DTH) service, is migrating from its old platform to a new upgraded one with effect from midnight of 9 January (12.05 am of 10 January) in its attempt to increase its capacity.

The migration would result in increase of TV channels from 59 to 64 and radio channels from 22 to 24.

Prasar Bharati chief executive officer Jawhar Sircar said recently that the pubcaster would have to strengthen its DTH platform, Freedish if it has to survive.

He had announced in November that Freedish was expected to go up to 112 television channels in the next few months but he had made it clear to the government that while most were coming through e-auctions, some popular channels may have to be ‘attracted’ to join Freedish since satellite television was the future. He said he was not opposed to digital terrestrial transmission but advances in technology may make it obsolete.  

In fact in a pace that has surprised many, Doordarshan has held 19 e-auctions for Freedish as on 12 December.

DD Sources also said that while Freedish may be encrypted to keep a tab on the number of subscribers, it would remain free-to-air.

To access the upgraded platform, the viewers need to edit the Transponder Parameter by changing only the Symbol Rate from 27500 Ksps to 28500 Ksps in four transponders and retune/rescan their Set Top Box to receive the upgraded TV and radio channels.

Freedish viewers can get further information regarding retuning/rescanning of their Set Top Boxes on DD's official website: ddindia.gov.in

 Viewers/subscribers who do not rescan their Set Top Box will continue to get only ten channels for a period of seven days only from the date of upgradation. Out of these ten channels, one channel is an informative channel which will show detailed procedure for re-tuning the Set Top Boxes.