Worldspace is a revolutionary satellite based audio entertainment system. You hook up a special Worldspace radio to an antenna (Yagi or Patch) which is provided with the radio set. Each radio set has a specific code that needs to be activated before it can receive Worldspace broadcasts. Normally you pay for 1 yrs subscription after which you get a code number. You enter this code number into your set and you are ready to rock and roll. You need to point the antenna to the E to SE direction, depending on your location in India. You can place the antenna on your window, terrace, balcony just as long as you can get a clear view of the horizon in the E to SE direction. The length of the antenna cable does not matter normally, however you can always buy a booster (not expensive) if needed. But only buy this booster after you have tried out the system. The worldspace technician will come to your location and guide you in setting the system up complete with antenna and cable. Installation is painless as the Worldspace people are prompt and efficient.
For the money you have spent (I’ll come to that later because it depends on what type of radio you buy) you get lots of music channels - hindi, english, tamil, Malayalam etc. You have different genres for example Jhankaar gives you new hindi film songs, Farishta provides you with old hindi film songs. You also get to listen to devotional music or classical music. Besides this you get english music - country, rock, pop, classical etc . If that is not enough you get news channels - BBC, NDTV etc. The list goes on and on. You get crystal clear sound (stereo) with no distortion at all, in any weather condition.The best thing is that worldspace is ad free - no more boring jingles, no commercial breaks. Just pure entertainment 24/7.
Now we come to the various sets available - I own a Tongshi DAMB (R) set. It costs around 11, 000 Rs. If you think that you cant afford this, fear not as you can buy the BPL Celeste (my dad owns one), which costs 4000 Rs. I would recommend the Tongshi for several reasons - size (sits happily on your palm), portable (very light), equipped with remote control, clear backlit display, easy operation. On the other hand, the BPL Celeste is just an ugly radio with fiddly buttons. Hook both of these radios to an amplifier and there is not much difference in sound quality. One thing to remember is that the Tongshi does not have its own speakers - you either listen to it using earphones or attach external speakers to it. The BPL Celeste has a 10 watt speaker that begs you to attach external speakers/amplifier to the set, thats how horrible it sounds. The Tongshi works on two AA batteries while the BPL Celeste takes 3 D batteries. The Tongshi with its sleek and high tech. looks will go well with your expensive stereo system while the BPL Celeste will stick out like a sore thumb. One of the main reasons to go in for the Tongshi is the credit card sized remote control - have you ever tried operating your TV without a remote? Exactly!! Pair your system with a Yagi antenna(looks like a small TV antenna) which is weather proof.
The annual subscription has now been increased to 1800 Rs but believe me, this is money well spent. You will not regret buying the Tongshi set nor will you regret subscribing to the Worldspace network. I wish that I could install my set in my car (it does come with a magnetic holder which can be used to install the antenna on your car) but its not a practical idea as you will have to keep adjusting the direction of the antenna. Btw, I carry my Tongshi radio with me when I’m sailing on my ship which happens to be a 270, 000 tonne oil tanker - get to hear good old Indian music/news 24/7.