Sri Lanka Dialog TV
Channels
and Packages
This page of links supplement the monthly program guide posted by Dialog TV often late for
HBO, HBO Signature, CINEMAX, HBO Hits, Hallmark Channel, Star Sports, ESPN, AXN, Discovery in .pdf format for 9 of the 54 channels.
The most convenient weekly program guide can be obtained on TV screen using the EPG key on DTV remote. The screen may remain blank while it takes about 30 seconds to load. However it is not as yet available for all channels and often out of Sync.
See also in Wikipedia on Dialog TV - channels - history
and the Forum,
blog and Unofficial website for recent news on DialogTV.
DTV uses the INTELSAT 12(45.0E) geostationary Satellite.
Click on logo to obtain daily Schedule if posted on Internet.
Click on Name to go to web homepage of Channel
L=Lite 100 is included in S=Super 500 which is included in G=Great 900 which is included in V=Value 1400.
Excluding Local TV and FM Radio channels.
Lite 100=7 Channels. Super 500=22 Channels.
Grand 900=38 Channels. Value 1400=48 Channels.
Excluding non-English channels
Lite 100=5 Channels. Super 500=19 Channels.
Grand 900=30 Channels. Value 1400=40 Channels.
I have also edited in information posted on DialogTV Forum.
According to DTV the religious channels are available Free only on request. However both were automatically included in my subscription. GodTV was later scrambled. The Buddhist channel is listed as Zero rental.
The Customer Care Hot-Line 0777679679 is most often engaged and if answered require a long wait. The E-mail dtv.billing@dialogtv.com given in DTV bill replied quickly. Feedback can be sent to service@dialog.lk . It sends an automated acknowledgment.
If new channels have been added and you need to rescan TP3,
click Menu -> Installation Ok> password ->
Four Favourite channel lists can be programmed and saved which can be accessed by FAV key on the remote. It allows you to use a menu list which has only the channels you watch and in any order that you like to have them.
It is useful to set the Menu opacity to under 100% (default) to enable seeing
the picture behind any Menu or info panel. Minimum is 75%
Do you still recieve the "The Buddhist" channel which is
advertised as Zero rental and local FTA channels.
Does one own the Satellite Dish and STB (Set Top Box).
News Reports
Channel Line up
DTV should also switch the Discovery and National Geographic channels
from the Indian feed to the Asia Edition.
The Indian channels are sometimes dubbed in Hindi and also contain too
many paid advertisement programs.
DTV should particularly try to add the Discovery Science Channel as was
discussed few times on the DialogTV forum.
Set Plans - Intruduced in 2007 September.
The current set plans which mix Hindi channels with English channels
not only does not give subscribers any useful choice, it does not give
any feedback to DTV as to what is popular among subscribers.
For example I have selected just 18 of the 38 extra channels I get
with the DTV 900 package in to my favorites. I wish I could subscribe
to those 18 for under Rs 900 + VAT per month. I would then be able to
afford to subscribe to other channels I am interested in. The current
set plans don't help. I am paying for 20 channels I never watch while
missing out on some other movie channels in the higher package.
DVR Needed
When Time permits you can watch prerecorded TV programs you are most
interested in. When you watch the News you can skip over the news
items you are not interested in.
A fully integrated DVR changes the TV watching experience enormously.
After having used TiVo in USA for few years, I don't like letting
the TV schedule govern what I do at anytime. I maybe able to afford a
higher priced package, but remain with the G-900, since I rarely
remember to catch the start of a movie. With a DVR I would be willing
to pay more to get a better selection of Movies to prerecord and
watch. Else DVD Movies are cheap to buy in Lanka.
Record one while watching another requires the SetTopBox have that
dual reception capability. In USA the newer TiVo DVR integrated with
the Cable SetTopBox allow that. It is useful but not essential. Record
while watching a prerecorded is needed.
Basic DVR's
sell for about US$100.
TiVo is run on a Linux computer, so there are lots of hacks. Search
for "TiVo hacks" on Google. I will probably buy a TiVo, for cheap on
eBay, the next time I can get opportunity to have it brought back to
Lanka, so I can hack it.
Competition
Please send any corrections or comments to kavanr @ gmail.com
1 Channel Search Ok> DialogTV bb> Manual Scan > V Select Tranponder TP3
V Start Scan
To set Favorite channels click Menu -> Installation Ok> password -> 2 Set Favourite List
To rearrange order of Favourite channels click Menu -> Installation Ok> password -> 3 Favourite List Edit
Press yellow Button to highlight channel to Move. Move it with channel up&down keys. Press yellow Button again to save location and exit move.
To set opacity click Menu -> 3. System Settings Ok> 1. Common Settings Ok> Opacity : Modify and Exit.
Questions - Updated 2007 September 18th
What happens if you cancel a DTV subscription.
Don't even subscribe to LITE 100.
Can one sell system and let new owner subscribe to DTV.
Can someone who is say going abroad for some months suspend
a DTV service and resubscribe at a later date.
Problems - Updated 2007 July 14th
Dialog Sat TV to target 250,000 customers by December 2007
DTV should remove Hindi channels such as SET SAB. The customers most
interested in Hindi channels would clearly subscribe to DishTV from India.
DialogTV needs to support the Local market mainly interested in English,
Sinhala and Tamil content.
Set plans need to be grouped by language and content or available
individually to be useful.
I wish DialogTV will keep to it's Motto Future Today and
introduce a SetTopBox that includes a Digital Video Recorder (DVR)
service, as available in USA. The CPU of the DVR maintains a list of
interested programs and keywords and automatically records the
selected programs on a hard disk for viewing when time permits. The
DVR Hard disk gives high quality and direct access unlike sequential
access VCR. Anyone who has experienced
This page is maintained by Kavan Ratnatunga at
http://www.lakdiva.org/dialogtv/ as a part of my
Lakdiva.org
website.
I subscribed to the Grand 900 Package on Thursday
2007 July 5th. I got it from
SingerMega paying the Rs12,500 connection fee with
12 month interest free installment plan on my
HSBC credit card.
