Dialog Mobile TV: Updated

Dialog has updated and improved their Mobile Streaming Television service sometime during the last few days. I was pleasantly surprised to browse to the Dialog Mobile TV Channels page and find some new channels and a new design.

3G and GPRS Feeds
First of all, each channel has two feed. One is for 3G and the other for GPRS. The GPRS feed has a lower bitrate so that GPRS users can actually watch television properly without spending the day buffering. The 3G feed has a higher bitrate and therefore higher quality, and so far I have not experienced any buffering problems.

New Channels
The important part is that Dialog has introduced new channels. Two of the new channels are popular pay television channels. Another new channel is a local pay television channel, launched last year on Dialog Satellite Television. I have never heard of the other new channels, so it is possible that Dialog (or a friendly company) is broadcasting those themselves.

Live Cricket







This channel contains STAR Sports India which broadcasts the India-Australia-Sri Lanka Triangular Series these days. It is unknown whether this channel is permanent.








The good old new channel that was available on Mobile TV for a long time now.








This remains Cartoon Network India, and is a trouble for parents who care about their Phone bills. Nothing has changed here (except for the seperate GPRS and 3G feeds).

Channel C
This is a new channel which broadcasts Sri Lankan music videos. It is currently undergoing test transmissions.









The ultimate channel for Hollwood Gossip and News. It is unclear whether this is the Asian feed or European Feed so far. But this channel is supposed to turn up on Dialog Satellite Television as well in the next few days.









This is the Sri Lankan pay television channel which broadcasts tele-dramas and films 24/7. It was launched on Dialog Satellite Television in December last year. The channel will be available only for Dialog Satellite TV customers who pay an extra LKR 25 after March 31st 2008. This makes me wonder whether Mobile TV customers too will have to pay for the channel.

Crazy TV
All things crazy! I go crazy when I try to sort out if this channel is international. So I believe that this channel may be broadcasted by Dialog themselves.

Joke TV
Once again, the channel is self explanatory. And also, this too may be broadcasted by Dialog.

Bollywood TV
This channel broadcasts Indian music. So far I have not seen any films, so maybe the channel is only for Bollywood Music. I've never heard of this channel before either.

Local Channels
The local channels on Dialog Mobile TV are the same as on Dialog Terrestrial and Dialog Satellite, except that here TNL is missing. Isn't something else missing from before?

The loss of the Maharaja
Yes, Sirasa TV, Channel One MTV and Shakthi TV are missing. And possibly they are not returning at all. Why? I don't know.

There is a possibility that Dialog wants Maharaja out of the way as Dialog is launching its own channels now. Or maybe Maharaja Corporation wants their channels to be available only on terrestrial. Whatever happens, it's Maharaja's loss, not Dialog's.

Final Thoughts
This improvement is likely to heat up the mobile market in Sri Lanka. So far, Dialog has been utterly silent about this, but soon there is likely to be a major advertising programme. Mobitel will work fast to improve their services and maybe introduce some new channels to their Mobi TV service. However, no one seems to be talking about any Mobi TV, even though Mobitel has announced it. Does anyone know about it?

These days Dialog may be celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Dialog GSM (not confirmed), which means that there will be many benefits for customers.

I'm watching and waiting for Dialog's next move, as well as their competitor Mobitel's next move.