DTH major Airtel digital TV on Sunday said it has enabled all its high definition and HD recorder set top boxes (STBs) to show standard definition channels with improved quality.

Customers can view all their favourite programmes with enhanced contrast with sharper, brighter and more vivid picture quality. Airtel digital TV said in a statement.

HD transmissions offer better picture and sound quality compared to standard definition (SD) transmission. HD set-top boxes, which offer wide-angle viewing, are considered particularly suitable for watching sporting events and action movies.

Recently, Reliance Digital TV had said it will offer over 250 channels in high definition to its subscribers. “We believe that these initiatives will help build category awareness in the HD market that has an increasing number of customers trying out various options that can help enhance their Standard Definition viewing experience,” Bharti Airtel Chief Marketing Officer (Airtel digital TV) Mr Sugato Banerji said.

Airtel has 5.6 million DTH subscribers as of March 31, 2011, of which about five per cent are HD consumers. Its HD set top box is available to consumers at Rs 3,190 and HD box with a digital video recorder (DVR) is priced at Rs 3,990, while standard definition (SD) box for Rs 1,590.

To avail the facility, customers need to have a HD TV, Airtel digital TV (HD) or Airtel digital TV (HD) Recorder set top box as well as a HDMI cable to connect the set top box (STB) with the TV, it said.

However, for the true HD experience, consumers will have to pay for the HD channel bouquet, about 10 of which are currently available like Discovery, Nat Geo and some Star channels.