ITV

Category: Hardware

  • Amagi debuts machine-learning powered content-preparation suite

    Amagi debuts machine-learning powered content-preparation suite

    MUMBAI: Amagi, a cloud-based technology provider for media processing, has launched Tornado, a machine learning-based content preparation service that enables TV networks and content owners to scale their operations and accelerate broadcast workflows.

    Over the last three years, the broadcast industry has had to evolve significantly due to a rise in multi-screen content consumption, demands for “here and now” content and a shift in how consumers are viewing content as more consumers move from cable to over-the-top (OTT) services.

    In such an evolving scenario, TV networks, content owners and digital-first networks are creatively trying to grab a piece of the action by trying new mediums and delivery methods to provide better experiences to consumers while streamlining costs and operations. Content preparation, however, continues to require pain-staking hours of manual work and massive overhead costs.

    Compared to traditional manual content preparation, the company claims that the suite is nearly six times more efficient, allowing broadcasters free up capital and streamline workflows.

    Tornado is a cloud-based machine learning-augmented content preparation suite that tackles content preparation challenges head-on. It is conceptualised as a suite of machine learning-based content preparation services that dynamically evolve as machines learn more about each segment of a video asset as they process higher volumes of content. Tornado can cater to the unique preparation needs of TV networks, content owners, vMVPD platforms, and digital-first networks with the company planning to continually expand the suite functionality and capabilities to optimise the entire broadcast workflow.

    “Given how competitive broadcasting has gotten today, it has never been more important for broadcasters to be able to optimise their operations and spends,” Amagi CEO Deepakjit Singh said.

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  • Sharp and TiVo extend interactive program guide deal to power content Discovery across entertainment devices

    Sharp and TiVo extend interactive program guide deal to power content Discovery across entertainment devices

    MUMBAI: TiVo Corporation (NASDAQ: TIVO), a global leader in entertainment technology and audience insights, today announced that Sharp Corporation will further utilize TiVo’s G-Guide HTML across Sharp 4K smart TVs and Ultra HD Blu-ray recorders in Japan, TiVo’s G-Guide xD app and remote schedule recording service for its Blu-ray recorders. This renewal with TiVo allows Sharp to continue delivering one of the industry’s most advanced interactive program guides to its viewers throughout Japan.

    Additionally, Sharp Corporation has signed an expanded multi-year license to TiVo’s patent portfolios enabling Sharp to build customizable content discovery services across its devices.

    “Today’s renewal with Sharp is a testament to TiVo’s customer commitment to their current and future business goals through our technological innovations and the importance of search and discovery for entertainment lovers around the world,” said Michael Hawkey, senior vice president and general manager, user experience, TiVo. “TiVo continues to meet the needs of customers worldwide and is recognized for delivering visually-rich, interactive program guides across devices and platforms that feature streamlined user interfaces and search capabilities.”

  • HARMAN announces Priyanka Chopra as global brand ambassador

    HARMAN announces Priyanka Chopra as global brand ambassador

    HARMAN International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. focused on connected technologies for automotive, consumer and enterprise markets, today announced that actress, singer, producer and philanthropist Priyanka Chopra has been named a global brand ambassador for the company’s JBL and Harman Kardon® audio brands. Chopra will participate in a series of marketing initiatives including social media and brand awareness events for JBL and Harman Kardon. As ambassador of these brands, Chopra will walk the red carpet at the Clive Davis Pre-GRAMMY® Gala Salute to Industry Icons with other luminaries as part of this weekend’s GRAMMY® celebration. HARMAN is the official sound of the GRAMMYs and a recipient of three technical awards for its JBL, AKG and Lexicon brands. 

    “Priyanka Chopra is the epitome of a barrier-breaking performer, bringing her iconic style and grace to everything that she does, from her award-winning entertainment career to her philanthropic work, and reaching fans all over the world,” said Ralph Santana, Chief Marketing Officer of HARMAN. “She is a force to be reckoned with and we look forward to working with her to develop innovative and engaging collaborations for our audio brands that are truly unique and first of their kind.” 

    After being crowned Miss World, Chopra made her foray into the entertainment industry and soon catapulted to international stardom. In 2015, Chopra made her American TV debut, making history as the first Indian actress to headline the lead role in an U.S. television series, starring in ABC’s Quantico. She was named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2017. Chopra is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and is also involved in a number of philanthropic efforts to promote gender equality and the health and education of children around the world.

    “Music brings the world together. It defies boarders, colors and norms, often bridging cultures, genders, and generations,” said Priyanka Chopra. “Songs often become symbols of moments throughout our lives, encouraging, inspiring, empowering, and at times, healing us. I’ve long admired the sophistication of Harman Kardon and vibrant energy of JBL, and am honored to be collaborating with such iconic brands.”

    Chopra joins a diverse roster of HARMAN brand ambassadors from music, sports and entertainment, including American multi-platinum performing artist Demi Lovato; prolific musician, producer and humanitarian Quincy Jones; Indian music mogul Dr. A. R. Rahman, world-renowned pianist, educator and philanthropist Lang Lang, 2015-16 NBA Kia Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry; NBA All-Star and musician Damian Lillard; and soccer star Jerome Boateng, among others. HARMAN’s ambassador team reflects the brand’s continued emphasis on forging unique and integrated partnerships that reach deeply into culture.

  • Etere HSM expands interoperability with Grass Valley

    Etere HSM expands interoperability with Grass Valley

    Etere HSM features an integration with Grass Valley that improves interoperability, streamlines connectivity, enables faster content processing and includes deep archive capabilities.

    Etere introduces a new integration layer between Etere Hierarchical Storage Management (HSM) and Grass Valley software for Newsroom and Video Production environments. The integration brings Etere’s interoperability to the next level. Etere HSM features the capability to read Grass Valley’s archival and restoration job requests through the Application Programming Interface (API). 

    Etere HSM is a software tool that provides an integrated and complete management of all archives with a unified console, enabling a seamless integration of both proprietary and industry file systems, as well as the information of archives located in multiple locations across the world. Etere HSM also provides the advantage of a streamlined setup with deep archive capabilities. Whenever an archive operation is requested, Etere HSM triggers the storage of clips from Grass Valley to a digital library, for e.g. Linear Tape-Open (LTO) tapes and Optical Disc Archive (ODA) optical disks. 

    Designed for a superior user experience, users of Etere HSM are also able to launch other workflows simultaneously, for example, the creation of proxy copies in low resolutions before archiving the content. The integration empowers users to search and preview the materials available in Etere Media Library directly from the Grass Valley system through both the Web and Win32 interfaces. 

    In the event where a file retrieval is requested, Etere triggers a clip’s restoration from the LTO tape/ODA disk into the Grass Valley system and delivers a notification once the job is completed. Etere HSM improves the speed and ease of content connectivity and processing so that you can focus on the content creation. Etere is committed to providing continuous innovations and new capabilities that empower its users with a greater advantage. 

    Etere provides more options to drive the workflows that you need, the way you want it and with the reliability that you can trust. For more information on Etere solutions, drop us an email at info@etere.com

  • HAL Robotics ropes in Navanit Samaiyar as board member and advisor

    HAL Robotics ropes in Navanit Samaiyar as board member and advisor

    MUMBAI: HAL Robotics has roped in Navanit Samaiyar as its board member and advisor. Samaiyar has a record of setting up, scaling and transforming businesses across a very wide cross section of industries spanning from IT/ ITeS to steel, telecom, engineering goods, earthmoving machinery, logistics and warehousing, agribusiness and healthcare.

    Samaiyar brings 25+ years of leadership experience to HAL Robotics with experiences from IBM, GE, Reliance and Clove Dental.

    HAL Robotics is a Gurgaon-based technology start-up, which helps enterprises to improve their operating business matrices by deploying its “home-grown AI-powered IoT data platform, which is interwoven with custom-designed special purpose hardware sensors”.

    Samaiyar has the unique ability to drive/ setup systems and processes drawn from large corporation’s experiences coupled with nimbleness of startups is key to business ‘sustainability’ while driving exponential growth through relentless employees, customers and market focus aided by a measured risk-taking and innovative culture. Samaiyar’s work experience has spanned across top-notch global MNCs and Indian blue chip enterprises apart from various startups/ self-promoted ventures. Having managed diverse operations domestically and across the globe, Samaiyar has a special knack for production planning, supply chain and logistics, product management and development, marketing/ sales & brand management.

    Commenting on this development, HAL Robotics MD Prabhakar Chaudhary said, “It gives me immense pleasure to welcome Navanit Samaiyar as our board member. His previous experience and grasp of a wide cross section of industries are going to help us better structure and scale-up the venture. We are further looking forward to collaborating amongst the vast talent pool at HAL Robotics and growing together.”

    On his current undertaking, Navanit Samaiyar said, “I am excited to be part of the HAL Robotics. The promising start-up endeavours to solve certain crucial challenges faced by the industry today, especially the lack of visibility, logistics and the resulting operational inefficiencies. Furthermore, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, big data, IoT and more are going to define the future of our generation and I can’t wait to begin my work, collaborate and strategise with the team in order for the venture to scale up, expand and achieve its business objectives. It is particularly energising to work alongside some of the smartest young minds both in IoT hardware and software and a wide range of AI and machine learning technologies”

  • STB cos in India, China enhancing features, providing customised solutions, Technavio enlists top vendors

    STB cos in India, China enhancing features, providing customised solutions, Technavio enlists top vendors

    MUMBAI: The global STB market is characterised by intense competition as the market is saturated in developed countries. The market share of these players is declining because of the entry of new players. The STB companies are enhancing the features of STBs and providing customised solutions to retain their market share.

    Technavio, a technology research and advisory company, has enlisted the top five leading vendors in their recent global set-top box (STB) market report. This report also lists 45 other prominent vendors that are expected to impact the market during 2017–2021.

    There is a high demand for pay-per-channels used by customers who use gateways and multiscreen devices. The ongoing shift to the HD format contributes to the growth of the market. Digitisation in China, India, and Brazil contributes significantly to market growth. The ongoing shift from analogue to the digital platform in China and India has created the demand for HD STBs in these countries.

    Competitive vendor landscape: “The global STB market is characterised by intense competition as the market in developed is expected to be stagnant in future. The market is fragmented owing to the presence of a large number of small players. The entry of new players intensifies competition and reduces the profit margins of other vendors. The players are enhancing the features of STBs and providing customised solutions to retain their market share,” says Ujjwal Doshi, a lead consumer electronics research analyst from Technavio.

    The growth of the global STB market is driven by digitisation that has been taking place in developing countries, such as Argentina, Brazil, China, and India, since 2010.

    ARRIS International: ARRIS International offers STBs, digital video and IPTV distribution systems, broadband access infrastructure platforms, and associated data and voice equipment. The wide portfolio of the company offers end-to-end solutions that offer service providers a variety of choices to customize their approach to IP transition. The company focuses on expanding its product and solutions portfolio through organic development, partnerships, and acquisitions.

    Broadcom: Broadcom offers a range of consumer electronics products including STB, central office broadband access equipment, residential gateways, and stand-alone broadband access modems. Global service providers introduce new technologies and services in STBs such as HD content, transcoding, digital video recording, and increased networking capabilities.

    Pace: Pace provides technology solutions and caters to the subscription-based TV services providers and broadband industries. It offers a wide range of media servers, STB, gateways, software, optical transport and access control network solutions, and highly specialized services.

    Roku: Roku focuses on manufacturing streaming entertainment devices. The first product launched by the company was designed to secure movies from Netflix and feature them on TV with the help of the Internet. The streaming players can be connected directly to the user’s TV and grant access to movies, TV shows, games, music, and extra channels.

    Technicolor: Technicolor provides production, post-production, and distribution services to content writers, network service providers, and broadcasters. The company offers film processing, visual effects, and animation services along with the manufacture and distribution of digital video disks, Blu-ray disks, STB, and gateways.

    The emerging markets offer opportunities for growth to vendors as the developed countries have reached saturation, according to Technavio. The availability of affordable STBs fuels growth in the market.

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  • Digital TV, growing telecom major drivers of coaxial cable growth in A-Pac: Study

    Digital TV, growing telecom major drivers of coaxial cable growth in A-Pac: Study

    MUMBAI: The global coaxial cables market is mature owing to the use of coaxial cables in industries for a long time and the slow or stagnant product innovation.

    Coaxial cables are used for supplying television channels and providing Internet access and telephony services to homes and offices. They are also used for connecting equipment in mobile telecommunication stations and antennas.

    Technavio’s latest report on the global coaxial cables market provides an analysis of the most important trends expected to impact the market outlook from 2017-2021.

    Countries like the US, Germany, France, Japan, and China are the biggest existing markets for coaxial cables, with developing countries in APAC and MEA contributing the highest toward market growth. Regions like the US already have a large network of coaxial cables connecting almost all the CATV (community antenna television, commonly known as “cable TV”) subscribers. The driver for these cables in developed regions is the growth of broadband cable Internet users, while the major driver in developing nations (including India) is the adoption of digital television and the rapidly growing telecommunication sector.

    The top three emerging trends driving the global coaxial cables market according to Technavio heavy industry research analysts are: Growing investment in the aerospace sector Expanding infrastructure and construction growth Increase in global defense spending

    Growing investment in the aerospace sector: The aerospace and defense sector is a major user of coaxial and micro-coaxial cables. These are used to provide interconnection between essential electronic components in aircraft. Since aircraft have several radio communication equipment, isolation of the radio signals is critical for the smooth functioning of this equipment, which makes coaxial cables play a major role in electronic communication. These factors are likely to boost the global coaxial cables market in the coming years and drive its demand even higher.

    “Major aircraft manufacturers such as Airbus and Boeing are looking to increase production to meet the delays caused in aircraft deliveries. The commercial aircraft sector is likely to witness robust growth in aircraft demand, especially for smaller and medium-sized aircraft from domestic carriers as industry profits rise,” says Anju Ajay Kumar, a lead analyst at Technavio for research on engineering tools.

    Expanding infrastructure and construction growth: The rising economic activity and rapid urbanization will be driving the growth in new infrastructure and construction. To support the growing demand from various demographics segments, services like telecom and Internet access are necessary. Expansion in these sectors will directly impact the demand for coaxial cables.

    “China, Vietnam, and India will be spending a significant share of their GDP on average in infrastructure development. The fastest growing economy in the region, Vietnam, will need to invest hundreds of billions in infrastructure development to match up with its neighboring countries. The surge in demand for mobile devices equipped with next-generation wireless Internet access is likely to spur the construction and demand of mobile towers, stations, and related equipment, which are large consumers of coaxial cables,” adds Anju.

    Increase in global defense spending: The rising economic activity and rapid urbanization will be driving the growth in new infrastructure and construction. To support the growing demand from various demographics segments, services like telecom and Internet access are necessary.

  • Cable variant with 50x capacity launched, good for BharatNet, says telecom panel secy

    Cable variant with 50x capacity launched, good for BharatNet, says telecom panel secy

    MUMBAI: Sterlite Tech, an end-to-end global technology leader in smarter digital networks, has bolstered its all-new FlashFWD 5G Solution with the launch of 1152F variant cables at India Mobile Congress (#IMC2017).

    As part of its new FlashFWD 5G Series, this new indigenous cable variant comes with over 50 times the capacity of the typical cable deployed in India.

    While launching this solution, Telecom Commission (DoT) secretary (T) and chairman Aruna Sundararajan said, “I am delighted to launch Sterlite Tech’s 5G cable that has been completely made in India. This is really a next-generation product. As the world looks at more fibre deployment, I think this is one of the products that will be a leader. This technology also fulfils the Government of India objectives. As BharatNet and other optical fibre projects roll-out in the country, we will see more such technology deployments.”

    FlashFWD 1152F is NABL certified and complies with the latest global standards of IEC.60794 series, ANSI/ICEA S-87-640, Telcordia GR-20, and ITU-T Recommendations.

    Sterlite Tech CEO Anand Agarwal asserted, “We are proud to have designed and manufactured this dense network solution for mobile backhaul in India. Sterlite Tech manufactures these products across the value chain from core silicon to semiconductor-grade glass to optical fibres and optical fibre cables, making us the most integrated player globally. This solution proposes the usage of one fibre cable and one duct solution instead of putting multiple ducts, which are subsequently unusable.”

    Sterlite CTO Badri Gomatam said, “These cable solutions have 50 times the capacity of the current cables deployed in the country and future-proof for 20 years. With efficient use of limited duct space, the 1152F cable features a rugged design that protects the network in harsh weather and impact situations, increasing life expectancy to at least double the current average lifetime with lowest carbon-footprint.”

  • Govt steps helping APEJ STB market, global sales may expand at 7.5pc CAGR

    Govt steps helping APEJ STB market, global sales may expand at 7.5pc CAGR

    MUMBAI: Owing to increase in penetration of television and TV services within rural areas as well as urban areas, the set-top box market will receive a boost all across the APEJ region. Disposable incomes are on a rise in India and China, and this is helping the set-top box (STB) market turnover to grow, according to Reportlinker study. In China and India respectively, governments have taken initiatives to focus on HD pictures, HD channels and decline in TV prices. This has led to the growth of the set-top box market in the APEJ region.

    The global set-top box market is estimated to be valued at US$ 22,269 million in 2017 and is projected to reach US$ 46,091 Mn by 2027 end. Sales revenue is expected to increase at a CAGR of 7.5 per cent during the forecast period (2017–2027), the Reportlinker report added.

    Increasing demand for TVs from rural areas boosting the set-top box market in the APEJ region: Due to increase in penetration of television and TV services within rural areas as well as urban areas, the set-top box market will receive a boost all across the APEJ region. In the Asia Pacific region, consumers are more aware about the features, quality and pricing of the set-top box, helping the market achieve greater growth and acceptability.

    Increasing demand for IPTV STBs is fuelling the market for set-top boxes in North America: Increasing demand of 4K TVs is expected to provide support to the growth of the set-top box market in North America. It has been observed that the demand for IPTV based services has increased by 12 per cent and operators are viewing IP-based services as an opportunity to differentiate their products. IP transmission recording features and higher storage specifications are anticipated to support steady revenue growth of the North America set-top box market.

    Domestic production and low-cost products hampering the market growth in APEJ: In the Asia Pacific region, domestic production of set-top boxes by local companies is leading to an increase in price competition with global set-top box manufacturers. Emerging companies are acting as competitors to the established players in the market, thus making the smooth operation of this market difficult.

    Focus on HD videos and powerful interfaces with technology a growing trend in the global set-top box market: It has been observed that set-top box vendors are focussed on supporting devices that enable seamless rendering of high-quality video on a powerful user interface and set-top box vendors have started manufacturing operation systems and app based set-top boxes. The global market is moving towards the 4K android customised set-top box and smart set-top boxes. It has been observed that in the past few years, set-top box manufacturers have shipped a large number of 4K set-top boxes in the APEJ region, and consumers are more aware about the technology and features of set-top boxes in this region.

    Flexible policies and government support encouraging the use of set-top boxes in the APEJ regional market: In November 2015, the Chinese government banned 81 third party apps that allow users to turn television sets into internet streaming devices. The Chinese State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television proposed a rule for governing set-top boxes. In China and India respectively, governments have taken initiatives to focus on high definition pictures, towards HD channels and decline in TV prices. This has led to the growth of the set-top box market in the APEJ region. Manufacturers in this region have also utilised e-commerce retailers such as Alibaba, Ali Express, Amazon, Flipkart etc., and this has propelled the growth of this market.In terms of value, the North America set-top box market is projected to be the most attractive regional market in the global set-top box market during the forecast period

    However, the APEJ market is also poised to register high Y-o-Y growth rates throughout the forecast period. In terms of value, APEJ is anticipated to register a CAGR of six per cent during the forecast period. In 2016, the APEJ market was valued at US$ 6,067.4 Mn and is expected to witness sustained growth in terms of revenue throughout the forecast period.

  • Fox-Samsung to licence metadata for HDR to content cos & STB makers

    Fox-Samsung to licence metadata for HDR to content cos & STB makers

    MUMBAI: 20th Century Fox, the parent company of Star India, Panasonic Corporation and Samsung Electronics have announced a new partnership to create an open, royalty-free dynamic metadata platform for High Dynamic Range (HDR) through an associated certification and logo program, tentatively called HDR10+.

    Together, the three companies will form a licensing entity that will begin licensing the HDR10+ platform in January 2018. The entity will license the metadata broadly to content companies, ultra-high definition TVs, Blu-ray disc players/recorders and set-top box manufacturers, as well as SoC vendors, royalty-free with only a nominal administrative fee.

    “As leaders in home entertainment content and hardware, the three companies are ideal partners for bringing HDR10+ into the homes of consumers everywhere,” said Jongsuk Chu, Senior Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “We are committed to making the latest technology available in our TVs and are confident that HDR10+ will deliver premium quality content and enhance the way you experience television programs and movies in the home.”

    HDR10+ is a cutting-edge technology, building upon the benefits of HDR televisions, which offers the best possible viewing experience for next generation displays. HDR10+ provides unprecedented picture quality on all displays with brightness, color, and contrast automatically optimized for each scene. In previous iterations, static tone mapping applied a fixed enhancement across an entire piece of content. With HDR10+ dynamic tone mapping, every scene is individually enhanced to bring to life vibrant visuals and achieve unprecedented picture quality. This new enhanced visual experience will allow consumers to see pictures that match the intention of filmmakers.

    “HDR10+ is a technological step forward that optimizes picture quality for next generation displays,” said Danny Kaye, Executive Vice President at 20th Century Fox and Managing Director of the Fox Innovation Lab. “HDR10+ provides dynamic metadata, which precisely describes every scene to deliver unprecedented picture quality. Working in partnership with Panasonic and Samsung through the Fox Innovation Lab, we are able to bring new platforms like HDR10+ to the market that more accurately realize the vision of our filmmakers beyond the theater.”

    There are several key benefits for partners who wish to adopt the platform for their HDR10+ compliant products. HDR10+ offers system flexibility, allowing a variety of partners, including content creators, content distributors, TV manufacturers and device makers, to incorporate this platform and improve the viewing experience for audiences. The HDR10+ platform was designed to allow for future development and innovation in order to deliver a more powerful technology in the years to come.

    “Panasonic has a long history of working with industry leaders to develop lasting technical formats. We are delighted to work together with 20th Century Fox and Samsung to develop a new HDR format, which will bring consumers so many benefits,” said Yuki Kusumi, Executive Officer at Panasonic. “By offering considerable HDR picture quality improvements across a wider range of TVs while accelerating the amount of premium HDR content available, we expect HDR10+ to quickly become the defacto HDR format.”