Airtel digital TV HD and HD-DVR subscribers might be happy to note that their set top boxes are now software-enabled to upscale standard definition channels to 1080p HD, or in better words HD-like quality. While a few televisions, and quite a few DVD/media players and AV receivers, already offer this upscaling feature, this could be a welcome addition to the living room.
[RELATED_ARTICLE]It remains to be seen however just how good Airtel’s upscaling feature is. Reliance Digital TV also offers a large number of upscaled SD channels, as does Dish TV TruHD, and many users are not happy with the stretching from a 4:3 to a 16:9 ratio. The channels will, as before, come with Airtel’s Dolby Digital Plus sound experience.
According to Sugato Banerji, CMO-Airtel digital TV, Bharti Airtel, “We believe that these initiatives will help build category awareness in the HD market that has an increasing number of customers trying out various options that can help enhance their Standard Definition viewing experience. The journey towards True High Definition has but just begun for the Indian DTH customer and will get further impetus with the entire production, storage and distribution chain moving to HD over the next few years.”