DD Free Dish has become a lifeline of sorts for those wanting to consume TV channels for free in India. During the pandemic, the vast network of channels are not only keeping Indians informed and delivering general entertainment content, but are also helping education reach those with no broadband connectivity.
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India has seen a huge revamp in the way television channels are broadcasted to end consumers. Earlier this year, TRAI introduced new rules that brought DTH channels to consumers at much cheaper rates than before. While channels now come with a fixed Network Capacity Fee (NCF) and à la carte channels, Doordarshan remains a different beast.
To the uninitiated, Doordarshan is a public service broadcaster owned by the Broadcasting Ministry of India. Alongside All India Radio, Doordarshan forms one of the two divisions of Prasar Bharti. Established on September 15th 1959, Doordarshan is one of India’s largest broadcasting organisations in studio and transmitter infrastructure.
DD Free Dish: what is it?
As mentioned earlier, DD Free Dish is India’s only free Direct-To-Home service. At the time of its launch in December 2004, it offered only 33 channels. At present, the service offers 104 SDTV channels along with 40 Radio channels. It is available in Ku-Band on GSAT-15 (at 93.5°E). The DTH signals can be received through a small sized dish receive system, also known as Set-top Box and Dish of size around 60 to 90cm in diameter.
DD Free Dish channel list
LordDD Free Dish is a free Direct–to-Home service that was previously know as DD Direct+Doordarshan operates a total of 21 channels and has 46 studios. It has two all-India channels in the form of DD National and DD News. It also operates 17 regional satellite channels, 11 state networks, an international channel called DD India, a sports channel called DD Sports, DD Bharati, DD Urudu and DD Kisan.
While it has an expansive network of regional channels, Doordarshan also has a free-to-air satellite television provider called DD Free Dish. Previously known as DD Direct Plus, it is estimated to serve approximately 50 million Indian households. In other words, DD Free Dish accounts for around 25 percent of total TV households in the country. It offers a national, parliamentary, regional and state network of TV channels.
DD National channel list
- DD National
- DD Retro
- DD Kisan
- DD News
- DD India
- DD Sports
- DD Bharati
- DD Urdu
DTH Slot | Channel Number | Channel Name | Satellite Frequency | Quality System |
Test 101 | 001 | DD News | 11090 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 102 | 002 | DD National | 11090 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 103 | 003 | DD Retro | 11090 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 104 | 004 | DD Kisan | 11090 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 512 | 084 | DD India | 11090 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 505 | 077 | DD Sports | 11090 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 406 | 060 | DD Bharati | 11090 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 407 | 061 | DD Urdu | 11090 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
DD Parliamentary channel list
- Lok Sabha TV
- Rajya Sabha TV
DTH Slot | Channel Number | Channel Name | Satellite Frequency | Quality System |
Test 208 | 026 | Lok Sabha TV | 11170 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 209 | 027 | Rajya Sabha TV | 11170 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Doordarshan Regional channel list
- DD Assam (Assamese)
- DD Bangla (Bengali)
- DD Chandana (Kannada)
- DD Girnar (Gujarati)
- DD Kashir (Kashmiri and Urdu)
- DD Malayalam (Malayalam)
- DD Odia (Odia)
- DD Podhigai (Tamil)
- DD Punjabi (Punjabi)
- DD Sahyadri (Marathi)
- DD Saptagiri (Telugu)
- DD Yadagiri (Telugu)
- DD Arun Prabha (Hindi and English)
- DD Bihar (Hindi and Bihari)
- DD Madhya Pradesh (Hindi)
- DD Rajasthan (Hindi and Rajasthani)
- DD Uttar Pradesh (Hindi)
DTH Slot | Channel Number | Channel Name | Satellite Frequency | Quality System |
Test 316 | 052 | DD Assam | 11470 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 106 | 006 | DD Bangla | 11090 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 107 | 007 | DD Chandana | 11090 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 108 | 008 | DD Girnar | 11090 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 109 | 009 | DD Kashir | 11090 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 207 | 025 | DD Malayalam | 11170 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 202 | 020 | DD Odia | 11170 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 203 | 021 | DD Podhigai | 11170 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 204 | 022 | DD Punjabi | 11170 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 205 | 023 | DD Sahyadri | 11170 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 304 | 040 | DD Saptagiri | 11470 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 206 | 024 | DD Yadagiri | 11170 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 111 | 011 | DD Arun Prabha | 11090 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 506 | 078 | DD Bihar | 11550 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 311 | 047 | DD Madhya Pradesh | 11470 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 504 | 076 | DD Rajasthan | 11550 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 309 | 045 | DD Uttar Pradesh | 11470 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
DD State Network channel list
- DD Chhattisgarh (Hindi)
- DD Jharkhand (Hindi)
- DD Uttarakhand (Hindi)
- DD Manipur (Manipuri)
- DD Meghalaya (Khasi and Garo)
- DD Mizoram (Mizo)
- DD Nagaland (English)
- DD Tripura (Bengali and Kokborok)
DTH Slot | Channel Number | Channel Name | Satellite Frequency | Quality System |
Test 318 | 054 | DD Chhattisgarh | 11470 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 507 | 079 | DD Jharkhand | 11550 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 417 | 071 | DD Uttarakhand | 11510 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 118 | 018 | DD Manipur | 11090 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 117 | 017 | DD Meghalaya | 11090 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 317 | 053 | DD Mizoram | 11470 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 217 | 035 | DD Nagaland | 11170 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 218 | 036 | DD Tripura | 11170 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Hindi General Entertainment channel list
- Colors Rishtey
- Zee Anmol
- Big Magic
- Dangal TV
- Shemaroo TV
- Sony Pal
- Star Utsav
- Star Utsav Movies
- Sony Wah
- Filmachi
- Manoranjan Grand
- The Q
- Azad
DTH Slot | Channel Number | Channel Name | Satellite Frequency | Quality System |
Test 305 | 41 | Colors Rishtey | 11470 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 312 | 48 | Zee Anmol | 11470 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 401 | 55 | Big Magic | 11510 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 211 | 29 | Dangal TV | 11170 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 210 | 28 | Shemaroo TV | 11170 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 301 | 37 | Sony Pal | 11470 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 215 | 33 | Star Utsav | 11170 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 502 | 101 | Star Utsav Movies | 11550 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 508 | 80 | Sony Wah | 11550 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 510 | 82 | Filmachi | 11550 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 201 | 19 | Manoranjan Grand | 11170 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 216 | 34 | The Q | 11170 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 218 | 36 | Azad | 11170 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Youth-oriented General Entertainment channel list
- Zing
DTH Slot | Channel Number | Channel Name | Satellite Frequency | Quality System |
Test 511 | 083 | Zing | 11550 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Hindi Music channel list
- MTV Beats
- B4U Music
- 9XM
- Mastiii
DTH Slot | Channel Number | Channel Name | Satellite Frequency | Quality System |
Test 514 | 086 | MTV Beats | 11550 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 409 | 063 | B4U Music | 11510 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 403 | 057 | 9XM | 11510 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 408 | 062 | Mastiii | 11510 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Hindi-language Movies channel list
- ABZY Dhakad
- ABZY Movies
- ABZY Cool
- B4U Kadak
- B4U Movies
- Dhinchaak
- Enterr10 Movies
- Maha Movie
- Manoranjan TV
- Movie Plus
- Rishtey Cineplex
- Surya Cinema
- Zee Anmol Cinema
- Cineplex Bollywood
- BFlix Movies
- Dhinchaak 2
DTH Slot | Channel Number | Channel Name | Satellite Frequency | Quality System |
Test 201 | 19 | ABZY Dhakad | 11170 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 110 | 10 | ABZY Movies | 11090 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 214 | 32 | ABZY Cool | 11170 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 306 | 42 | B4U Kadak | 11470 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 112 | 12 | B4U Movies | 11090 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 115 | 15 | Dhinchaak | 11090 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 315 | 51 | Enterr10 Movies | 11470 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 404 | 58 | Maha Movie | 11510 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 501 | 73 | Manoranjan TV | 11550 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 303 | 39 | Movie Plus | 11470 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 302 | 38 | Rishtey Cineplex | 11470 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 216 | 34 | Surya Cinema | 11170 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 312 | 48 | Zee Anmol Cinema | 11470 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 217 | 35 | Cineplex Bollywood | 11170 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 314 | 50 | Dhinchaak 2 | 11470 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 412 | 66 | BFLIX Movies | 11510 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Hindi-language News channel list
- Aaj Tak
- Aajtak Tez
- ABP News
- India TV
- NDTV India
- News 24
- News Nation
- News18 India
- Republic Bharat
- TV9 Bharatvarsh
- Zee Hindustan
- Zee News
DTH Slot | Channel Number | Channel Name | Satellite Frequency | Quality System |
Test 414 | 068 | Aaj Tak | 11510 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 113 | 013 | Aajtak Tez | 11090 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 415 | 069 | ABP News | 11510 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 410 | 064 | India TV | 11170 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 313 | 049 | NDTV India | 11470 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 412 | 066 | News 24 | 11510 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 411 | 065 | News Nation | 11510 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 402 | 056 | News18 India | 11510 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 413 | 067 | Republic Bharat | 11510 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 308 | 044 | TV9 Bharatvarsh | 11470 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 405 | 059 | Zee Hindustan | 11510 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 416 | 070 | Zee News | 11510 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Devotional channel list
- Sadhana Bhakti
- Lord Buddha TV
- Aastha TV
- Sadhana TV
- Sanskar TV
DTH Slot | Channel Number | Channel Name | Satellite Frequency | Quality System |
Test 503 | 75 | Sadhana Bhakti | 11550 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 513 | 85 | Lord Buddha TV | 11550 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 309 | 45 | Aastha TV | 11470 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 317 | 53 | Sadhana TV | 11470 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 318 | 54 | Sanskar TV | 11470 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Bhojpuri channel list
- B4U Bhojpuri (Movies)
- Bhojpuri Cinema (Movies)
- Big Ganga (General Entertainment)
- Dabangg (Movies)
- Surya Bhojpuri (Movies)
- Zee Biskope (Movies)
DTH Slot | Channel Number | Channel Name | Satellite Frequency | Quality System |
Test 114 | 014 | B4U Bhojpuri | 11090 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 212 | 030 | Bhojpuri Cinema | 11170 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 116 | 016 | Big Ganga | 11090 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 310 | 046 | Dabangg | 11470 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 314 | 050 | Surya Bhojpuri | 11470 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 213 | 031 | Zee Biskope | 11170 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Marathi channel list
- Fakt Marathi (General Entertainment)
- Shemaroo Marathibana (Movies)
- Zee Chitra Mandir (Movies)
DTH Slot | Channel Number | Channel Name | Satellite Frequency | Quality System |
Test 515 | 87 | Fakt Marathi | 11550 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 516 | 88 | Shemaroo Marathibana | 11550 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 417 | 71 | Zee Chitra Mandir | 11510 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Punjabi channel list
- Maha Punjabi (Music and Movies)
- Manoranjan Movies (Movies)
- Zee Punjabi – (General Entertainment)
DTH Slot | Channel Number | Channel Name | Satellite Frequency | Quality System |
Test 509 | 081 | Maha Punjabi | 11550 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 501 | 073 | Manoranjan Movies | 11550 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
Test 418 | 072 | Zee Punjabi | 11510 V 29500 |
MPEG-2 DVB-S |
DD Free Dish: MPEG-4 streaming
DD Free Dish has been expanding from time to time. It has expanded to present capacity with the introduction of MPEG-4, DVB-S2 stream. It also has plans to add HD channels in the bouquet of DD Free Dish soon. Prasar Bharati also plans to expand the 80 MPEG-2 streams to MPEG-4 in phased manner.
It is different from other DTH operators because they provide paid service. The DTH operators charge customers because they need to uplink the encrypted TV signals to the satellite and the signals are received by subscribers through a receiving system. DD Free Dish works similarly but in this case, customers have to make only a one-time investment to purchase the dish receive system including the set-top box and dish antenna with LNB.
Doordarshan and its enormous presence
Doordarshan provides television, radio, online and mobile service throughout the metropolitan and regional India. It also provides service overseas through the Indian Network and IRadio India. From an experimental broadcaster, Doordarshan has come a long way. While rules have evolved, new players have come along, Doordarshan is still watched by a large section of the country.
If you are wondering for the reason then it is the simple fact that Doordarshan, also called DD, continues to offer free-to-air channels. Whether it is Krishi Darshan or news bulletin in your local language, Doordarshan has you covered with a wide array of channels spanning multiple Indian languages.
While it started in 1959, Doordarshan extended television service to Mumbai (then Bombay) and Amritsar only in 1972. Only seven Indian cities had television service until 1975, states a Wikipedia entry. Doordarshan for a long time remained the country’s sole television provider, giving it an enormous advantage.
How to tune your old DD Free Dish set-top box
1. Satellite Name
Step 1: Go to the Installation menu or visit the setup menu using the remote control.
Step 2: Select Satellite Edit menu.
Step 3: Select Add New Satellite menu.
Step 4: Select Sat Name Edit menu.
Step 5: Enter Satellite Name as GSAT-15.
Step 6: Enter Satellite Longitude as 93.5°E
Step 7: Press Exit.
2. LNB Configuration
Step 1: Go to LNB configuration and ensure that the satellite is selected as GSAT-15.
Step 2: Set LNB Types as Universal.
Step 3: Set LNB Power On.
Step 4: Press Exit.
3. Transport streams of Transponder (TP) Edit
Step 1: Go to Transponder (TP) Edit menu and once again ensure that the satellite selected is GSAT-15.
Step 2: Select Add New TP menu.
Step 3: Select TP frequency as 11,090MHz.
Step 4: Select Symbol rate as 29,500Ksps.
Step 5: Select Polarization as Vertical.
Step 6: Set 22K as OFF
Step 7: Set Disc. Equal to OFF
Step 8: Select Scan as FTA.
Step 9: Press OK
Once you have entered these values in your old set-top box, now go to Search and press Ok. This will add the new 16 TV and 6 Radio services and you can add other four Transport streams by entering respective frequencies, symbol rate and polarization.
DD Free Dish FAQs
Is Star Sports available on DD Free Dish?
Unfortunately, DD Free Dish doesn’t have any Star Network channels. This means DD Free Dish doesn’t have the Star Sports channels available for its users.
Is DD Dish free of cost?
Yes, DD Free Dish is free of cost in the sense that there’s no monthly payment involved. However, in order to get access to DD Free Dish, user need to invest in one-time DD Dish system kit. This include DD Free Dish DTH antenna, DD Free Dish STB, DD Free Dish coaxial cable, and DD Free Dish RG6 connectors. The initial cost for a good and branded kits is somewhere in the range of Rs 2,500.
How can I buy DD Free Dish?
You can buy DD Free Dish kit from any electronics shop in the nearest market. There are two types of STB available for DD Free Dish in market – one that’s approved by Prasar Bharti and the second is any free-to-air set-top box.
How can I watch paid channels on DD free dish?
You can’t watch paid channels on DD Free Dish because it doesn’t have the range of frequencies to connect to their satellite.