As we have all heard, history does tend to repeat itself occasionally. Take a look at how video destroyed radio stars, DVDs eliminated traditional cassettes, and online content destroyed DVD sales. Similar to how DTH (Direct-to-Home) and cable providers do battle with the newest OTT (Over-the-Top) services for survival.

One of the most recent debates in every Indian residence is OTT vs. DTH. Various family members will have different perspectives on who will win this challenge in the end. For instance, the family's oldest members might not think OTT platforms are viable. However, younger people might not even be able to conceive a world without access to OTT services.

Locations of individuals may also have an impact on this predictions, in addition to age segments. People who have limited access to high-speed internet in rural India, may firmly argue that OTT platforms cannot replace DTH or cable services. Ask the same question of people who live in metropolitan areas. We are all know of how different their perspective will be from the first.

OTT: (Over-the-top)

Web-based OTT services allow consumers to pay for the specific content they want to binge watch without dealing with DTH or cable operators. They offer video and audio streaming content. These offer quick payback, multi-device accessibility, and service quality that is more cheap than DTH. However, some disadvantages of OTT services include binge-watching, continuous dependency on the internet connection, and lack of censorship.

DTH: (Direct-to-home)

DTH is a direct-to-consumer encrypted transmission that travels via satellite. The consumer at his end uses a tiny dish antenna to directly receive DTH transmission. Unlike a typical cable connection, a set-top box can decrypt this encrypted transmission. DTH has great signal quality, good coverage, and controls censorship. On the other hand, compared to OTT platforms, the DTH installation process is lengthy and technical, the services slow during severe weather events like strong rains, and the content collection is less.

To have a good understanding of both types of services, let's look at various elements that can support in or prevent OTT platforms from replacing traditional television:

1. Population: (Young vs Old)

The younger generation is currently obsessed with OTT platforms. The biggest OTT pull for the younger generation is the simple freedom to watch your favourite film or show whenever and wherever you want to. The youthful generation today values privacy more than ever. Their desired level of privacy is provided through OTT platforms. However, while considering Indian social dynamics, not all adults aged 20 or older are able to watch adult content with their parents without the situation being awkward. Furthermore, young individuals find it simple to switch between different programmes on their laptops and phones due to their ongoing addiction to social media sites.

2. Region: (Rural vs Urban)

Good speed internet is one of the crucial infrastructure components to make you enjoy your OTT streaming. The truth is that hardly everyone on Earth has access to 4G or 5G services. In our nation, not everyone has access to internet with a reasonable speed. Because of their satellite advantages in terms of limited internet penetration in a given location, DTH services will always prevail. Imagine having such a bad network 365 days a year. How many times would your frustration have caused you to toss the TV remote or break the screen of your phone?

3. Tech Savvy vs Technophobic:

Nowadays, it sometimes seems that children start using smartphones while still in their mothers' wombs. To use all of the cutting-edge capabilities offered by OTT platforms, users must have a basic understanding of technology. A user should be able to complete simple tasks like finding a show or movie, clicking play or stop, creating accounts, making payments online, etc.

Conclusion:

OTT may eventually replace India's DTH service, but it may take decade or so. Why? Because everything will depend on how technology aware our population becomes both among the young and the old, how quickly high-speed internet gets to remote Indian villages, and how quickly the viewing discrepancies we discussed in the previous sections fade. We anticipate that OTT and DTH will work together to offer a balanced viewing experience.