Daarsat, a new Direct-to-Home Pay TV platform coming from the stables of Daar Communications, owners of AIT and Raypower is ready to commence test transmissions from this week.
Being the first satellite Pay TV platform offering service in Nigeria and operating entirely from the country, it is about to redefine the landscape of broadcasting in Nigeria and the owners could not be more proud.
Daarsat which has capacity for 100 channels, will utilize the latest compression technology – the MPEG4 format which will enable it transmit high definition programming as the world is approaching the era of digital broadcasting.
Aleogho Dokpesi, Chairman/Founder of Daar Communications last week at the distributors’ conference in Lagos said "Right now, we have 40 channels ready on take off and we have succeeded in having a wholly Nigerian indigenous pay-TV platform. We have all types of genre comprising entertainment, sports, children’s programmes, documentary, history, musicals, news, economic and business information. All areas of human endeavour are covered – in that way, you have a platform that would be able to cater for the public in its entirety."
"The marketing plans are on-going and would be upgraded as time goes on and our competition will be both on price and quality. This platform has coverage for the whole of the continent of Africa so; we are starting our marketing first in Nigeria and then other countries in due course."
The company will also be the first to introduce Integrated Decoder and LCD Television which receives both digital terrestrial and satellite television signals. Dokpesi attested to the ruggedness of the TV when he said it looks like what we see in Samsung and LG Flat Screen TVs. "Yes, we have worked with the best of their engineers and these sets are products of over two years research by Kaon Media, one of the world’s best TV manufacturers."
Two types of decoder-embedded TV sets would be available and the company is offering their subscribers free Internet-ready Visafone lines as part of their contribution to the information driven terrain. However, the starter price for all hardware and software equipment is N40,000 and subscription fees are as low as N5,000 for the whole 40 channels.
The company has disclosed that it will in its first year of operation begin the manufacture of decoders in Nigeria as a way of adding local content while stating that they have engaged the services of expatriate engineers who will develop the manpower in engineering and technical areas to speed up the transfer of technological skills required in the industry.