Hardware

Cable TV DAS and the head end factor

Published

12 years ago

November 5, 2013

MUMBAI: Digitisation is meant to bring about transparency and order to what has for long been talked about as an unorganized business. The pressure of scaling up in order to deliver digital cable TV has also had an expected fallout: consolidation. Smaller cable ops, independent operators have been forced to join hands with existing national MSOs like Hathway or DEN or amongst themselves. And this fusing has resulted in the reduction of the number of headends in the major metros – especially in Delhi and Mumbai where there has been a shrinkage from 110 to 15 and from 50 to seven respectively.

“Consolidation of headends is taking place in the transition from analogue to digital phase. Also the trend now is that the MSOs set up headends only in areas where they cannot get access to a fiber line or a digital line. Also they are looking for solutions like getting a line from say Delhi or Mumbai to the nearby areas,” informs an industry expert.

Industry experts attribute this change to factors such as rising costs of digital headends, billing procedure and administrative control.

Explains Hathway Cable & Datacom MD & CEO Jagdish Kumar: “With digitisation has come the convergence of technologies and features like high definition content, VAS and broadband accessibility. All this in turn requires large amount of investment to manage economies of scale, thus ushering consolidation.”

While Hathway currently has 23 headends and seven backup headends, including GTPL, several independent operators, informs Kumar, have evinced a keen interest in aligning with its ongoing digital plans, largely due to its success in Phase I and II.

“We’ve drawn up ambitious expansion plans for Phase III and IV. We will soon make announcements on a few strategic acquisitions,” he exults.

IndiaCast Media Distribution executive vice president Amit Arora agrees that a number of Delhi and Mumbai-based independent operators have started taking their digital feeds from bigger MSOs.

“This arrangement is gaining popularity since it isn’t easy for every independent operator to make the huge capital investment needed for digital headends. And consolidation of headends has led to central warehousing of data and SMS,” he says.
According to Ortel Communications CEO BP Rath, with a 200 channel headend costing nearly Rs one crore, it is not worth investing that kind of money for an independent operator who caters to say 10,000 customers in a small town.

“So, they are joining bigger players in order to take feeds from them. While smaller operators merged with bigger players even during the analogue phase, it is now happening on a larger scale. And one will see further consolidation during phase III of digitisation,” he says.

Apart from independent operators joining forces with bigger MSOs, the other reason for consolidation is the advent of the conditional access system (CAS) and the subscriber management system (SMS), as well as the prerequisite for getting these systems audited and approved by broadcasters.

“When the bigger MSOs are taking so long to adjust to the new system and maintain quality as per the regulation, how will the small players be able to do it?” questions InCable managing director Ravi Mansukhani. “With consolidation, the big MSOs will take care of all the back office problems and the on-ground activity will be done by the independent operators.”

“All this has led to a whole lot of process issues, which the smaller MSOs find difficult to manage and that is why independent operators are joining bigger players,” adds Rath.

Ortel, which has 31 analogue headends, two digital headends and four analogue plus digital headends, is waiting for phase III. “It is only after that, we will see consolidation happening in Orissa and Chhattisgarh. Though we have our own headends, we are also talking about intercity connectivity,” informs Rath.

Kumar too feels that “the trend will continue even in phase III and IV. The demand for digitisation will impact local independent operators, who will find it difficult to manage independently. Hence, the independent operator would continue to look to aligning with the bigger MSOs.”

However, Arora thinks otherwise. “The consolidation process has already come to a phase where I do not see any further consolidation happening in phase III. The big wave has already happened in phase II,” he says.

So when a smaller operator takes digital feed from a bigger MSO, how do they share revenue? “The revenue share worked out between bigger MSOs and independent MSOs is purely on mutually beneficial terms based on investments and services being provided in the market,” says Kumar.

Arora elaborates: “Everybody has worked a different revenue model. Someone has opted for a 49:51 split, some have a 50:50, while some will have a 51:49 split. The revenue share depends on the strength and the need for funds.”

Coming to another metro, Kolkata, unlike Delhi and Mumbai, its five big players: GTPL, Hathway, Manthan, IMCL and Digicable Network have not seen an urge to merge.

Meanwhile, Arora sounds a cautionary note. “A takeover of one MSO by the other in Kolkata would only be possible if there is a national degree of consolidation.”

According to Mansukhani, the biggest consolidation will take place nationally. “Right now only the small and middle level players are going to the big players and then ultimately few major players will have control.”

Mansukhani feels that even international players will show interest in India once they see healthy cash flows of the MSOs in DAS I and II areas. “This is when the maximum consolidation will take place and this will happen once the entire phase I and II is complete.”

Talking about the evolution of cable TV on the ground in Kolkata Manthan Broadband Services director Sudip Ghosh says, “Players with a subscriber base of more than five lakh might not consolidate headends. But Kolkata can see the consolidation of players with others having a subscriber base of around three to four lakh.”

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Hardware

Addverb launches Elixis-W wheeled humanoid in India

Published

3 days ago

February 5, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Addverb has taken a decisive turn on the road to humanoid automation, unveiling its first wheeled humanoid robot, Elixis-W, at LogiMAT India 2026 in Mumbai. Built and manufactured in India, the robot signals the company’s push to make so-called physical AI a practical presence on the factory floor rather than a futuristic concept.

Unlike traditional fixed automation, Elixis-W is designed to move, think and work alongside people in dynamic industrial settings. The robot combines adaptive wheeled mobility with dual arms, each fitted with five-fingered dexterous hands, allowing it to handle tasks that demand precision as well as flexibility.

At its core sits a Physical AI-ready architecture, supported by dual Nvidia Jetson Orin and Thor computing units. This setup is intended to give the robot the ability to perceive, plan and adapt to changing environments, rather than simply follow pre-programmed routines.

According to Addverb CEO and co-founder Sangeet Kumar, the humanoid reflects the company’s long-standing belief in human-robot collaboration. He said the robot is designed to take on repetitive, risky or physically demanding tasks, freeing human workers to focus on higher-value decision-making roles.

Alongside the humanoid, Addverb also showcased two new intralogistics solutions. The Cruiser 360, a four-way pallet shuttle, is aimed at high-density storage environments where space and speed matter. The FlowT, an autonomous forklift, is designed to move materials safely in busy warehouses and factory spaces.

Visitors also saw Trakr, the company’s quadruped robot, navigating the exhibition floor, offering a glimpse of how legged machines could assist in future warehouse and industrial operations.

Addverb, which began as a warehouse automation specialist, has steadily expanded its global footprint across the United States, Europe, Australia and Asia. Its client list includes Reliance, HUL, PepsiCo, Maersk, Mondial Relay and DHL.

With the launch of Elixis-W, the company is steering towards a future where robots are not just bolted to the floor, but rolling, reasoning and working shoulder to shoulder with people on the shopfloor.

Distribution

Prasar Bharati opens DD Free Dish slots as mid-year auctions return

Published

3 weeks ago

January 17, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

New Delhi: Prasar Bharati has thrown open applications for fresh capacity on DD Free Dish, signalling a timely opportunity for broadcasters looking to expand reach without long-term lock-ins. The public service broadcaster has issued a dual notice for its 95th and 96th online e-auctions, aimed at filling vacant MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 slots on a pro-rata basis for February and March 2026.

The two auctions are tentatively scheduled to begin on January 27, with allotments valid from February 1, 2026. Applications for both auctions close on January 21 at 3 pm, giving channels a narrow window to get their bids in.

The 95th e-auction will cover vacant MPEG-2 slots, while the 96th will focus on MPEG-4 capacity. Participation is limited to satellite television channels holding valid downlinking and uplinking permissions from the ministry of information and broadcasting. International public broadcasters cleared by the ministry are also eligible.

As with previous rounds, channels have been grouped into buckets based on genre and language, with sharply differentiated reserve prices reflecting reach and demand.

For the MPEG-2 auction, Hindi and Urdu general entertainment channels sit at the top of the pile. The starting reserve price for bucket A+ in the first round is Rs 2,63,48,000. Movie, music and sports channels in Hindi and Urdu follow in bucket A at Rs 2,10,14,000. Bhojpuri channels and other Hindi and Urdu genres, excluding devotional content, fall under bucket B with a reserve of Rs 1,78,62,000. Hindi and Urdu news channels in bucket C start at Rs 1,33,27,000, while bucket D, which includes regional language channels, English news and devotional or spiritual channels, begins at Rs 1,13,96,000.

The MPEG-4 auction comes in at a far leaner price point. News and current affairs channels in Hindi, English or pan-India languages, grouped under bucket G1, start at Rs 13,41,000. Non-news genres under bucket G2 have a reserve of Rs 8,80,000. Regional languages such as Marathi, Punjabi and Gujarati in bucket R2 begin at Rs 4,84,000. Southern language channels in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, grouped under bucket R1, start at Rs 81,000, the same reserve price set for other scheduled 8 regional languages in bucket R3.

Prasar Bharati has underlined that compliance will be closely watched. Broadcasters must ensure that at least 75 per cent of their monthly programming, excluding advertisements, aligns with the declared genre and language. Any deviation could trigger show-cause notices or even removal from the DD Free Dish platform.

For channels chasing reach in a crowded market, the message is clear. The window is brief, the prices are set and the audience is waiting. On DD Free Dish, visibility still comes cheap, but only for those ready to move fast.

Hardware

CES 2026 puts AI centre stage, from robots to smart homes

Published

1 month ago

January 7, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

LAS VEGAS: The future of home technology is arriving faster than expected. At CES 2026, smart homes decisively moved past apps and voice commands, signalling a shift towards systems that anticipate behaviour, act autonomously and blend invisibly into daily life. From mobile robots and adaptive sleep tech to AI-driven wildfire protection, these are not distant concepts. All are slated to reach consumers this year.

Exhibitors made it clear that intelligence, not connectivity alone, is now the defining feature of home tech. Devices are learning routines, adjusting environments in real time and, increasingly, taking decisions without human prompts.

Hyundai motor group used CES 2026 to unveil an AI robotics strategy aimed at making humanoid robots central to industrial work, signalling a shift from automation to what it calls “human-centred” physical AI. Anchored by its partnership with Boston dynamics, the plan spans co-working robots for hazardous and repetitive tasks, an end-to-end robotics value chain, and tie-ups with global AI firms.

Hyundai

The group plans to mass-produce the Atlas humanoid and deploy it across factories from 2028, starting with parts sequencing and scaling to assembly by 2030, positioning humanoids as the fastest-growing segment of the physical AI market.

TCL set the tone on the entertainment front with the X11L SQD-Mini LED 4K TV, which uses super quantum dot technology to deliver brighter whites, deeper blacks and sharper contrast. Unlike conventional RGB panels, the display relies on quantum dots illuminated by pure white light. Available in 75-, 85- and 98-inch variants, the 85-inch model is already up for preorder at $7,999.99.

LG’s AI Home Robot pushed the idea of the smart assistant off the counter and onto wheels. Designed as a mobile hub for the household, the robot navigates autonomously, responds to voice commands, monitors indoor conditions and connects with smart appliances. Crucially, it recognises household routines and adjusts settings based on presence and context, going well beyond today’s static voice assistants.

LG Robot

Sleep technology emerged as a major theme. The Sleepal AI Lamp combines lighting with sleep science, tracking sleep patterns, dynamically adjusting colour temperature through the night and waking users in sync with their sleep cycles. Over time, it learns individual responses rather than relying on fixed schedules, creating a personalised sleep environment.

Ceragem took the concept further with its Youth Bed featuring an AI health concierge. The bed monitors posture, sleep quality and physiological signals, then actively adjusts support and temperature. The integrated system also offers health recommendations, repositioning the bed as an active wellness platform rather than passive furniture.

Ceragem

Home security also received an intelligence upgrade. Lockin’s AI Smart Lock uses behavioural patterns and AI-based recognition to identify residents, flag unusual activity and adapt to daily routines. The aim is frictionless access paired with constant, background vigilance—security that operates quietly rather than reactively.

CES also delivered its share of playful innovation. GameSir’s Swift Drive Racing Gamepad features a compact steering wheel embedded at its centre, connected to a high-precision Hall effect encoder and a direct drive motor for force feedback. Haptic triggers simulate effects such as ABS braking, bringing console-style realism closer to professional racing rigs. Pricing and availability are yet to be announced.

Gamesir

Perhaps the clearest sign of how far smart homes have evolved came from outside the living room. The Home Wildfire Defence System uses sensors, AI monitoring and automated sprinklers to seal vents, dampen surroundings and protect properties from approaching fires. It reframes smart home technology not as a convenience layer, but as a potentially life-saving infrastructure.

Collectively, HP’s CES 2026 line-up spans three HyperX Omen gaming laptops (Omen 15, Omen 16 and Omen Max 16), four gaming monitors ranging from the entry-level Omen 24 G2 IPS to high-refresh QD-Oled panels including the Omen Oled 27q, Oled 27qs and the ultrawide Oled 34, alongside eight HyperX peripherals.

These include four gaming keyboards under the Origins 2 series, three audio products: Cloud Earbuds III, III S and a forthcoming Neurable-powered EEG headset and the Clutch Tachi arcade controller.

Intel’s CES 2026 announcements centred on the new Core Ultra Series 3 platform, spanning mobile and edge processors built on its US-made 18A process. The line-up introduces a new Core Ultra X9 and X7 class with integrated Intel Arc graphics, offering up to 16 CPU cores, 12 Xe-cores and 50 NPU Tops, alongside mainstream Intel Core variants for thinner, lower-cost laptops.

Intel

Beyond PCs, Series 3 processors are also certified for embedded and industrial deployments, targeting AI workloads across robotics, smart cities, automation and healthcare, with consumer laptops arriving from late January 2026 and edge systems following in the second quarter.

Lenovo announced a strategic tie-up with Nvidia to help AI cloud providers deploy data centres faster, as the world’s largest PC maker sharpens its push into artificial intelligence.

Lenovo

Alongside the partnership, the company unveiled a new AI platform, showcased multiple concept devices, revealed concept AI glasses, and previewed an AI assistant wearable under “Project Maxwell”. Lenovo also used the show to debut its first foldable smartphone under the Motorola brand, underscoring its ambition to extend AI beyond PCs into wearables, smart devices and cloud infrastructure.