ITV

Category: iWorld

  • InstaLively raises $120,000 from Angel investors

    InstaLively raises $120,000 from Angel investors

    NEW DELHI: InstaLively, the first mobile app in the world, which can live stream directly in HD from any android phone to YouTube, has recently raised $120,000 from six Angel Investors.

     

    InstaLively is the first end-to-end live streaming solution, available both on mobile and the desktop.

     

    The six Angel Investors, who have invested about Rs 75 lakhs ($120,000) into this new venture includes Outbox Ventures’ Niraj Singh, MeraEvents, Google India MD Rajan Anandan, Slideshare co-founder Amit Ranjan, GSF founder Rajesh Sawhney and German investor AECAL.

     

    The primary aim of the fundraise is to capture the global live streaming market. The target market includes events ranging from entertainment to corporate to personal events (like birthday parties and weddings). 

     

    In the past two months, the company has successfully piloted with marquee clients like Google, Mary Kom, NASSCOM for Start-ups, NrityaBharati, GSF, Meraevents and Belgian Embassy amongst others.
     

    InstaLively helps broadcast videos to the cloud in just a single click. The technology is such that using the InstaLively mobile app, one can live stream to YouTube directly from an Android phone with a single click. Moreover, InstaLively has also builtDesktop Apps (Windows & Mac) to live stream from a professional camera.

     

    The USP of InstaLively is that it integrates seamlessly into one’s YouTube channel and has two live streaming modes – “Do-it-Yourself” OR “Get External Help.” In the latter, the nearest videographer comes to your location on the click of a button to live stream or record the event into your YouTube channel.

     

    InstaLively co-founder Karthik Vaidyanath said, “Our technology is way superior to live streaming apps like Meerkat, Stre.am or any other app doing the rounds lately. Cross-platform low bandwidth video delivery is important in Asian market and closely integrating with YouTube, InstaLively facilitates it way better than any other LiveStreaming solution in the market today.”

     

    Sawhney added, “InstaLively is bringing together the video delivery capabilities of YouTube with the real time reach of Social Media.”

  • IPL & Twitter launch new initiatives to enhance user experience

    IPL & Twitter launch new initiatives to enhance user experience

    MUMBAI: Continuing from their partnerships in 2013 and 2014, the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Twitter have come together for the eighth season to bring new products and experiences to enhance the cricket viewing experience for fans around the world.

     

    Cricket enthusiasts and IPL aficionados, who are online or offline, watching on any type of device or screen, those on the Twitter mobile app, desktop web to SMS will all be able to participate in the festival this year.

     

    Speaking about the partnership, IPL governing council chairman Rajiv Shukla said, “IPL has always strived to put fans first. The evolution of our partnership with Twitter means that this season will be even more accessible to fans with real-time, interactive experiences both online and offline.”

     

    Highlights of the initiatives launched are as follows:

     

    IPL Hashflags

     

    Waving the flag for your team has never been easier, as IPL will become the first sports league in the world to use hashflags on Twitter. “Hashflags are a fun and easy way to add some colour to tweets, and IPL fans on Twitter who use their favourite team’s hashtag will see that team’s flag appear after the text. The official hashtags for Hashflags are #IPL, #CSK, #DD, #KKR, #KXIP, #MI, #RCB, #RR and #SRH,” informs BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur.

     

    Missed Call to follow IPL

     

    In another global first, IPL will become the sports league that debuts the opportunity for sports fans to stay connected to their Twitter account via missed calls. Fans, who give a missed call to IPL on 011 3008 2008, will receive up to six tweets per day from @IPL that contain the hashtag #live as SMS. This service is free and will make the IPL even more accessible for fans as they can get Twitter updates from IPL even without an Internet connection.

     

    IPL Timeline 

     

    With BCCI having introduced cricket timelines on Twitter, a special IPL Timeline has been created within all of Twitter’s platforms, from iOS to Android and also twitter.com. The two distinct timelines, one each for the tournament and live games, which will give fans all they need to know, from IPL to the fans, experts to the teams. Game timelines can be found by using match specific hashtags like #KKRvMI, #CSKvDD, #KXIPvRR, #CSKvRR. Users will also be to tweet with the tournament and match hashtags from right within this timeline. For mobile, this experience is available to all users who have updated to the latest version of the Twitter app.

     

    IPL tweet-Wall-of-Fame

     

    The IPL tweet Wall of Fame will give fans an opportunity to be seen by viewers watching the IPL around the world. The IPL will select the best tweets from users tweeting with #PepsiIPL and showcase them in the live global TV broadcast of every match. Fans whose tweets are showcased on air will then receive a tweet from @IPL with the screenshot of their tweet going on live TV. These tweets will also be featured on a dedicated IPL tweet-Wall-of-Fame page on iplt20.com

     

    IPL Q&As on Periscope

     

    Innovating with live mobile video broadcast, IPL will also take fans behind-the-scenes like never before with surprise, real-time Q&As. Fans on iOS will be able to watch and type in questions to their favourite players and commentators as they engage with them from the IPL Periscope account.

     

    IPL #OrangeCap and #PurpleCap

     

    In the latest season of the IPL, fans will also have the opportunity to tweet and create their own #PurpleCap and #OrangeCap leaderboards by using #PepsiIPL and #<Player’s last name> or his Twitter handle. The results will be displayed in real-time on a special leaderboard in the IPL on Twitter section of iplt20.com from the end of Week 1 to the end of the season.

     

    Twitter India and Southeast Asia market director Rishi Jaitly said, “The IPL has led the way with cutting edge innovations and we are thrilled that they are giving Twitter users the opportunity to consume and engage with such premium content and content participation experiences again this season. It is a reflection of their commitment to reach and engage a mobile, global fanbase across all screens and devices.”

  • YuppTV app hops on to Vizio Smart TVs

    YuppTV app hops on to Vizio Smart TVs

    MUMBAI: YuppTV is all set to bring South Asian content to television viewers and has collaborated with the US based smart TV giant Vizio, through the their Internet Apps Plus platform for the same. 

     

    The platform offers a world class broadcast experience with extensive range of options.

     

    YuppTV CEO Uday Reddy said, “We’re glad to add yet another leading television manufacturer to our list of choices for the benefit of consumers. Vizio Smart TV’s products are well-recognized in the market and we are confident the launch will give our customers many reasons to rejoice as they enjoy the entertainment they love.”

     

    Viewers using YuppTV app on Vizio Smart TVs can benefit from more than 200 channels in 12 South Asian languages and 10 days of Catch-up TV and unlimited movies in different genres from various production houses. YuppTV application on Vizio Smart TVs will be available for customers in US, Canada and Mexico regions.

     

    Vizio vice president product management John Schindler added, “Vizio is excited to offer YuppTV on its Smart TV platform, Vizio Internet Apps Plus. For Vizio consumers looking to stream South Asian content, YuppTV is a great fit and adds yet another entertainment option to Vizio’s already robust app collection.”

     

  • Reliance Jio to provide 4G at Wankhede Stadium during IPL

    Reliance Jio to provide 4G at Wankhede Stadium during IPL

    MUMBAI: The telecom venture of Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries, Reliance Jio Infocomm, has chosen the Wankhede Stadium to provide its 4G services through Wi-Fi.

     

    Around 30,000 people who will come to see the eighth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be able to enjoy the services. At present, the organization has started to test the 4G services at the stadium.

     

    The infrastructure to provide Wi-Fi along the entire stadium has been set up and the company has begun trials of the service. Besides, the company’s executives are working on varied factors so that high-speed services are efficiently delivered to the people.

     

    Out of the eight franchise cricket teams of the IPL, Mumbai Indians, is owned by IndiaWin Sports Pvt. Ltd., which belongs to the group of Reliance Industries. This is the main reason why Reliance Jio has chosen Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium to offer its services. Seven T20 league matches of Mumbai Indians will be played at Wankhede Stadium. The first match at Wankhede Stadium will be of Mumbai Indians against Kings XI Punjab on 12 April.

     

    Some other league matches that Mumbai Indians will play at Wankhede Stadium will be against Chennai Super Kings on 17 April, SunRisers Hyderabad on 25 April, Rajasthan Royals on 1 May, Delhi Daredevils on 5 May, Royal Challengers Bangalore on 10 May and Kolkata Knight Riders on 14 May. Spectators of all these matches will be able to enjoy the 4G service experience. 

     

    Preparations of Reliance Jio Reliance Jio is gearing up for its official launch of 4G services. It is conducting varied tests in different regions of the country to provide efficient services.

     

    It has chosen few campuses of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and high-streets in some of the states, for the same. In January, the organization offered the services to many entrepreneurs from around the world who were present at Vibrant Gujarat summit held in Gandhinagar. Providing 4G internet services for four – five hours at Wankhede Stadium will be completely different than the previous trials. Cricket fans will have a different experience when they will be able to send real-time images and videos and also do video-chats with people outside, using the 4G service.

     

    Reliance Jio is the first telecom company to acquire pan-India unified licence that enables it to give 4G services. After the recently concluded government’s spectrum sale, Reliance Jio on 26 March, bagged rights to use spectrum in 13 regions across the country. 

     

    The company spent around Rs 10,077.53 crores to get spectrum in the frequency bands of 800 MHz and 1800 MHz. Reliance Industries chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani had then said, “Jio’s seamless 4G services using proven multi-band LTE technology and supported by our large spectrum footprint will provide superior user experience for voice, video and data services in line with the best service providers in the world.”

     

  • OTT video service HOOQ to launch in India soon

    OTT video service HOOQ to launch in India soon

    MUMBAI: Digital platforms are making giant strides across the globe and its ripples are being felt across India too. Even as Star India’s recently launched all-encompassing over-the-top (OTT) video service Hotstar takes a steady lead in India, a new player is soon slated to enter the market.

     

    HOOQ – the new over-the-top (OTT) service in Asia from Singtel, Sony Pictures Television and Warner Bros. Television will soon launch in India.

     

    HOOQ, now launched in the Philippines, delivers Hollywood blockbusters and television series, as well as popular local movies and programmes, to customers anytime, anywhere by enabling viewers to stream and download their favourite shows on their device of choice.

     

    Apart from India, HOOQ will start off by rolling out progressively in the Singtel Group’s Asian footprint, including the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand.

     

    Additionally, HOOQ has joined hands with Quickplay’s managed video platform to power its services. Quickplay is providing HOOQ with a comprehensive multi-partner turn-key solution that enables service and content providers to deliver a superior unified viewing experience in the home and on the go.

     

    HOOQ has selected Quickplay’s managed services to operate the largest subscription based OTT service in Asia, leveraging Quickplay’s advanced virtual head-end, cloud economics and decade of experience in providing complex, multiscreen services for leading providers such as AT&T, Bell, and Verizon.

     

    HOOQ viewers across Asia will enjoy personalized experiences across all devices, platforms, mobile and WI-FI networks. 

     

    Quickplay will deliver the fully hosted premium OTT video solution, providing the largest library of multi-language content in Asia. The solution initially includes the secure streaming of over 10,000 movies and TV series of encoded and optimized Video-on-Demand (VOD) content and adaptive streaming.

     

    In addition, Quickplay’s managed services include DRM solutions by Microsoft PlayReady and Verimatrix, managed user entitlements by Evergent Technologies, and enriched content from premium content providers from North America (Hollywood) and Asia. QuickPlay, in partnership with Evergent, is providing a distinct feature that enables HOOQ to leverage Singtel Group’s extensive telco billing relationships across Asia, enabling consumers to employ a range of payments including mobile post-pay contracts and pre-paid credits. In emerging markets where credit card ownership is limited, this feature is a critical enabler to overall adoption and accessibility.

     

    “We are proud to enable this ground-breaking premium OTT video service for HOOQ. This is the largest OTT deployment of its kind in Asia – this level of scale and complexity is unmatched and is a service that Quickplay is uniquely positioned to deliver on. The HOOQ vision of securely bringing premium global and local content to Asian viewers – in the home or on the go – is truly disruptive and well aligned to Quickplay’s goal of enabling superior viewing experiences and providing the greatest choice of premium content to the most viewers, anytime, anywhere,” said Quickplay CEO and founder Wayne Purboo.

     

    “Quickplay was a clear choice for HOOQ when you are building a business that needs to scale up to a footprint covering over a billion people. Their proven market leadership and experience in powering premium video allows us to provide quality viewing experiences and seamless integration especially when working across emerging markets and multiple partners,” added HOOQ CEO Peter G. Bithos.

  • Hotstar notches record 340 million views during WC

    Hotstar notches record 340 million views during WC

    MUMBAI: The ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 has registered 340 million video views on Hotstar through the tourney making it the most viewed sporting event ever on digital in the world. The eleventh edition of the World Cup registered a record 87 million unique users on Star’s digital platforms – Hotstar and starsports.com, over the course of the tournament, the highest ever aggregation of users for a sporting event on digital, claims Star India.

    With 13.5 billion hits during the course of the event, the tournament registered an all-time high for any single digital broadcaster for a sporting event globally. The tournament also created global history for digital viewership with 50 million video views for the India Australia semi-final clash, the largest for a single event for any broadcaster anywhere in the world on digital. The game surpassed the previous record of 25 million video views set by the India – Pakistan league game of the WC.

    Speaking on the achievement, Star India COO Sanjay Gupta said, “The tournament logged record views on digital from the opening day itself and broke the internet during the India – Pakistan game. Mobile has emerged as a preferred platform for the 87 million Indians, and we will look to renew the fans’ relationship with their sport again with the Pepsi IPL on Hotstar.”

    Hotstar will stream all the 60 games of the Pepsi IPL live, including the qualifiers, eliminators and the final. With a dramatic surge in viewership on digital platforms in the last 12 months, Hotstar is likely to reach more than 100 million fans over the course of the IPL. Hotstar will also be programming a digital-only pre show that builds on the dramatic success of the two original shows it created for the WC, One Tip One Hand and Juicy Half Volley.

    The Pepsi IPL has also witnessed interest from a mix of large traditional advertisers as well as new advertisers looking to associate with cricket. Key categories of advertisers include two-wheelers, four-wheelers, e-commerce, FMCG, handsets and durables.

    Hotstar digital platform that has content across sports, TV shows and movies in seven languages, was launched on 1 February, 2015, 14 days before the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. With over 12 million downloads in a month, the application has witnessed the fastest adoption of any digital service in the world.

  • Star India’s Hotstar records 7.2 million views on IPL day 1

    Star India’s Hotstar records 7.2 million views on IPL day 1

    MUMBAI: After setting the record for the largest sporting event on digital with the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, Star India’s Hotstar is off to a stunning start with Pepsi Indian Premier League (IPL) 2015. 

     

    The platform recorded 7.2 million video views for the first match between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders on 8 February. This is six times the viewership on starsports.com last year for the first match of Pepsi IPL 2014.

     

    Coming soon on the back of the World Cup, which recorded the biggest digital traffic for a single sporting event for a broadcaster globally, the surge in traffic for the start of start of Pepsi IPL 2015 suggests that the tournament is likely to set new global records for Hotstar.  

     

    Hotstar is streaming all the 60 games of the IPL. With a dramatic surge in viewership on digital platforms in the last 12 months, the platform is likely to reach more than 100 million fans over the course of Pepsi IPL 2015. It is also likely to see a striking growth in video consumption over last year’s version, which was broadcast on starsports.com.

     

    Hotstar will also be programming a digital-only pre-show that builds on the dramatic success of the two original shows it created for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, One Tip One Hand and Juicy Half Volley.

  • Star India partners Accenture for Hotstar

    Star India partners Accenture for Hotstar

    MUMBAI: Intending to spark a billion imaginations, Star India roped in Accenture to help develop, launch and deliver its over-the-air programming through Hotstar. 

     

    The video on demand (VOD) platform, built on the Accenture Video Solution (AVS) software platform, is funded primarily through advertising, using the platform’s new digital advertising functions. Taking advantage of a fully cloud-based infrastructure, Hotstar is serving the entire country with a catalogue of more than 45,000 movies and television series.

     

    Accenture helped Star India develop and launch the online video service to establish an online entertainment destination by building on a “mobile first” strategy. Leveraging AVS, Star can deliver broadcast-quality content to consumers on a wide variety of devices over Wi-Fi, 4G, 3G and 2G networks, including those with limited bandwidth resources such as 2G feature phones.

     

    “With Hotstar, our ambition is nothing less than the establishment of a whole new model for on demand video consumption in the world,” said Star India COO Sanjay Gupta. 

     

    “We will drive dramatic innovation on this platform with benefits for both users and advertisers. Accenture has been a valuable partner in this effort. They are walking side by side with us in creating this compelling platform, bringing the best of their product and technology expertise to the table. Together, we will establish compelling new benchmarks in the Over the Top space,” he added.

     

    In addition to service delivery, Accenture is managing the Hotstar operations round the clock utilising the client’s on-site team in Hyderabad and Accenture’s Global Video Operations Center in the Philippines. The service supports more than 7,000 different digital devices with its mobile-friendly platform, which delivers video streaming and downloads in any of India’s urban and suburban areas. The powerful AVS analytics engine will also provide Star with the capability to predict and help drive user behaviors with personalized content recommendations.

     

    In February, Hotstar, along with starsports.com, its digital platform counterpart, served more than 25 million video views during an Indian-Pakistan cricket match to make it the most watched sports event online of all time.

     

    “By creating a digital video service available on multiple screens, Star has secured its status as India’s most advanced next-generation content provider,” said Accenture communications, media & technology managing director Ashish Khanna.

     

    “It is one of the first services globally to offer entertainment, movies and sports on a single platform for free while enabling new consumption models. This provides consumers access to a rich catalogue of content delivered online with interactive advertising formats that provide multiple opportunities for content monetization by Star’s advertisers and we’re excited to be Star’s delivery partner,” he added.

  • ShopClues partners NSFDC to promote rural craft & artisans

    ShopClues partners NSFDC to promote rural craft & artisans

    MUMBAI: ShopClues.com, a multi-category online marketplace, has joined hands with National Scheduled Castes Finance & Development Corporation (NSFDC) to support hundreds of smaller sellers and artisans from backward classes to find a wider market for their goods.

     

    The company has entered into an MoU with NSFDC, which is a Government of India undertaking under the aegis of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The vision behind this partnership is to provide a robust online marketing platform to the products made by NSFDC beneficiaries. This way, they expand their reach tremendously and the customers of ShopClues get ready access to their stellar productions. 

     

    ShopClues will also provide training, infrastructural support in marketing, data analytics and customer acquisition to the NSFDC beneficiaries. Their catalogues will become a part of the ShopClues’ National Retail Heritage (NRH), which has previously pushed sales for numerous local manufacturers and artisans. NRH is an effort by ShopClues to bring online, the most popular markets of India that are famous for their unique product offering.

     

    ShopClues.com CEO & co-founder Sanjay Sethi said, “We saw an immense potential for the NSFDC beneficiaries in the e-commerce revolution that is happening in the country. They not only get to leverage our platform, but also gain confidence in their work thanks to the enhanced sales, professional training and exposure that they will get via ShopClues. We look forward to expanding the scope of our CSR initiatives in a similar manner that leads to a win-win situation for the retailers, for us and for our customers.”

     

    NSFDC CMD RK Singh added, “The purpose of our association with ShopClues.com is to economically empower the scheduled caste artisans by providing them an online e-retailing platform and mentoring to organize them in cluster mode,  upgrade their product quality and upscale their production to meet the marketing demand. This would enable them to earn sustainable incomes in the long run and become successful entrepreneurs. Online marketplaces like ShopClues has democratized brand-creation – so, we’re hoping that the merchandise produced by our community finds mass-appeal and these artisans get recognition in India and abroad.”

     

    ShopClues will help the ministry to prepare catalogue of products for the beneficiaries with attractive pictures, accurate prices, descriptions etc. and display it on its website. It will also update this catalogue periodically to drive sales. The team at ShopClues will intimate the local sellers through e-mail, SMS or telephone about orders from buyers. Payments will be made to the vendor/seller through RTGS/NEFT after the delivery of goods. Also on the anvil is a classroom and on-the-job training for sellers on e-marketing-related subjects such as merchandising, quality management, packing and shipping of products.

  • Netflix to release Ricky Gervais’ film ‘Special Correspondents’

    Netflix to release Ricky Gervais’ film ‘Special Correspondents’

    MUMBAI: Special Correspondents, a new original feature film written and directed by Ricky Gervais and starring Eric Bana and Gervais, will debut worldwide on Netflix next year.

     

    With Special Correspondents, Gervais has written a hilarious, modern comedy in which Bana plays a struggling New York based radio journalist, whose arrogance and decadent lifestyle has hindered his career. With his job on the line he fakes front line war reports from the comfort of his hideout above a Spanish restaurant in the heart of Manhattan.

     

    “Special Correspondents is classic Ricky Gervais: smart social satire with heart. It’s the kind of great grown-up comedy that studios rarely make anymore, one that’s perfect for Netflix members around the world,” said Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos.

     

    Gervais added, “Having shaken up the TV industry, Netflix is about to do the same to Hollywood. It’s great to be part of the changing future. Ted Sarandos is the new Godfather of entertainment and he made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

     

    The film is a co-production between Bron Studios and Unanimous Entertainment. Ricky Gervais, Unanimous’ Chris Coen, Bron’s Aaron L. Gilbert, Manuel Munz and Larry Sanitsky will produce.

     

    Creator and star of The Office, Extras, and Derek, Gervais has won three Golden Globes, two primetime Emmys and seven BAFTAS. The Office is the most successful British comedy of all time, shown in more than 90 countries with seven remakes. Gervais, an award winning stand-up comedian, has hosted the Golden Globes three times and has written, directed and acted in the films Cemetery Junction and The Invention of Lying.

     

    Bana is one of Australia’s best known actors and began his career as a comedian in the sketch comedy series Full Frontal before winning critical acclaim in the biographical crime film Chopper. Since then, Bana has starred in such films asMunich, Black Hawk Down, Hulk, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Hanna, and Star Trek. He has received Australia’s highest film and TV awards for his performances and will next be seen in director Jim Sheridan’s The Secret Scripture, Guy Ritchie’sKnights of the Round Table: King Arthur and The Finest Hours.