How to Choose Your TV Channels Wisely

Selecting channels for cable TV based on a consumer’s preference was limited in the last few years. A consumer was bound to buy channels in packs and pay for even the channels that he or she didn’t want. Now, the tables have turned in favor of the consumer as TRAI has created a new framework and implemented it. The consumers are given the power to select which channels they want and are not bound to pay for channels that they don’t need.

If you want to make the most of this new power of selecting channels for cable TV and need some assistance, then do read on to know some tips on how to choose your TV channels wisely.

ASK EVERYONE’S OPINION

The first thing you need to do when selecting channels for cable TV is to ask everyone in your house, be it your family members or your roommates about which channels they need. This will help you to choose the channels wisely, and you will not need to change your choice of channels later on just because you didn’t include a family member or a roommate in the process.

DON’T PAY FOR PROBABILITIES

While selecting channels for cable TV, make sure that you pay for channels that you need and not select the channels that you might watch some day. For instance, if you plan to learn cooking some day and planning to include cookery-based channels in the pack, don’t do that until you have the time to learn cooking. Remember, if you don’t watch a channel but include it in the pack, you will have to pay for it. A smart idea would be to skip the cookery channels for now and add them in when you have the time to spare.

REMEMBER THE COSTS

You need to pay a new Network Capacity Fee of INR 130 (plus GST) for 100 channels. So, make sure that you keep the number of channels you select to a minimum as the NCF will increase when the numbers increase. For instance, you need to pay NCF of INR 20 for a slab of 25 channels if you choose 125 channels instead of 100.

YOU CAN’T AVOID FREE CHANNELS

You get 25 free channels in your pack, and you can’t avoid them. These channels are pre-chosen, so you just have to bear with them or simply ignore them. They are the DD channels.

HD VS. SD

If you choose one HD channel, it will be counted as two SD channels. So, make sure you keep the number of HD channels to a minimum if you want to save on TV DTH costs.

CHANNEL BOUQUETS ARE EXPENSIVE

Channel bouquets created by the broadcasters like Star Network are expensive so you better not be tempted by them unless of course, you want to see every channel available in the bouquet (which is rare).

If you need more help in selecting channels for cable TV, make sure you visit the website or app of the cable operator, log in there and create your pack. It’s easier than you think!