ITV

Category: Technology

  • DTT households to double by 2018 according to Digital TV Research

    MUMBAI: The number of homes receiving DTT signals is forecast to more than double in the next five years, reaching 553 million, according to Digital TV Research.


    According to the Digital Terrestrial TV Forecasts report, the number of primary DTT homes – those not subscribing to cable, IPTV or satellite TV and using DTT on their main set – will also double between 2013 and 2018, reaching 280 million.


    This would mean that 173 million homes – which is 31 per cent of the DTT total – will only watch DTT signals on secondary sets by 2018. This is up from the 64 million at the end of 2012.







    By 2018, more than one-third of the world‘s TV households will receive DTT signals; this figure was only 15 per cent at the end of 2012. Of this total, nearly one-quarter will be primary DTT homes by 2018, up from the one-tenth in 2012.


    Western Europe accounted for more than 40 per cent of the global total at the end of last year. The region, however, is poised to lose market share, contributing 19 per cent of the total by 2018. This is despite its total DTT household figure increasing by 20 per cent, to 105 million. Western Europe will be primarily losing its market share to the Asia Pacific, which is set to increase from 28 per cent of the global total in 2012 to 43 per cent by 2018.


    Even though the US has low DTT penetration, it still claimed the top spot in 2012 as the largest country by DTT households. These rankings are set to shift quite a bit over the next five years, though. China is expected to add 132 million DTT homes by 2018, becoming the largest DTT country by a wide margin. Brazil will add 30 million, taking second place, with number three Russia adding 19 million. India will have 15 million DTT homes by 2018, and it had none at end-2012.

  • TRAI releases consultation paper on “Valuation and Reserve Price of Spectrum”

    NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on 23 July released a consultation paper on “Valuation and Reserve Price of Spectrum”.


    On 10 July 2013 the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) sought the TRAI‘s recommendations on the applicable reserve price for the auction of spectrum in 800 MHz, 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands. In this context, TRAI has issued this consultation paper raising specific issues for consideration of stakeholders. The key issues raised in the consultation paper are quantum of spectrum to be auctioned, eligibility for participation, roll-out obligations, methods to be used for valuation and estimation of reserve price of spectrum, review of spectrum usage charges and spectrum trading.


    Written comments on the issues raised in the consultation paper are invited from the stakeholders by 14 August 2013 and counter-comments by 21 August 2013 by the regulator. Stakeholders have been requested to send their comments by the due dates as there is an urgency to complete the consultation process. In its reference, the DoT has stated that, in light of the Honourable Supreme Courts‘s directive, TRAI may consider an expedited process; hence there will be no further extension of timelines.


    This is also an advance notice that open house discussion on the consultation paper will be held on 26 August 2013 in New Delhi.

  • Hathway Broadband launches High speed Wi‐Fi Broadband Homes

    Hathway Broadband launches High speed Wi‐Fi Broadband Homes

    MUMBAI: Hathway Broadband Internet, one of the largest cable broadband companies in India, has announced a tie up with D‐Link to offer High speed Wi‐Fi routers bundled in the market under the “Wi‐Fi Broadband Homes” initiative.

    All existing and new customers of Hathway Broadband across the country can avail this offer and convert their wired homes into “Wi‐Fi Broadband homes” with speed of upto 15Mbps. Hathway has achieved a significant penetration into the consumer home segment since the implementation of DAS through its Digital Cable Business . The company intends to leverage on its robust Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) network to deliver a superior Broadband Experience to the Home Internet users.

    “Consumer Broadband usage has shifted to concurrent multiple wireless device consumption at home” said Hathway Cable & Datacom MD and CEO Jagdish Kumar. “Hathway Wi‐Fi Broadband Home Solution, combines a high speed broadband delivered on our superior HFC network combined with the best in class D‐Link Wi‐Fi router. It is the most efficient and economical way to harness the power of all your Wi‐Fi enabled devices like tablets, smartphones and laptops at home.”

    Expressing his views on this association with Hathway, D‐Link CEO Tushar Sighat said, “Hathway is leading broadband service provider in the country, while D‐Link is an undisputed leader offering internet connecting devices for over two decades. Thus this unison will definitely result in an uninterrupted, reliable & revolutionary wireless internet service for home users. With   the unique mydlink cloud router on the offering we are confident to bring alive a never before secured Wi‐Fi broadband experience.”

    “A typical modern family by using the Wi‐Fi Broadband Home solution at home can save upto Rs 500 per month” said Hathway Broadband business head Kunal Ramteke. “All modern Wi‐Fi devices like tabs and smartphones seamlessly switch their data usage from a cellular Edge/3G network to the Wi‐Fi Broadband home network where‐ever available. Therefore customers will now enjoy a significantly superior internet experience at a lower cost with D‐Link Wi‐fi Broadband homes.”

    Hathway will not charge any one time fee or monthly rentals for the Wi‐Fi device. D‐Link Wi‐Fi router will be given to the customers for free at zero cost.  However customers would be charged a nominal fully refundable security deposit. 

    All D‐Link Wi‐Fi routers provided by Hathway will also enjoy a hassle free replacement advantage at no cost and will be supported by D‐Link Direct Service (DDS)

  • Set Max goes big on marketing for Aashiqui 2

    Set Max goes big on marketing for Aashiqui 2

    MUMBAI: It is the world television premier of one of the biggest blockbusters and Set Max is doing it in style. Sony Entertainment Television network that had recently added a horde of movies to its library has been going gung-ho with its marketing for the world television premier of Aashiqui 2. The musical blockbuster premieres for the first time on the movie channel on 28 July.
    Aashiqui 2‘s lead actors have been roped in to promote the premiere on various platforms including a few channels and the digital space

    “We have retained the essence of the movie, which is romance and music, while marketing it to our audiences. Through the marketing initiatives undertaken, we are trying to recreate and refresh the blockbuster movie amongst the viewers,” informs Multi Screen Media head of marketing Vaishali Sharma.

    The marketing plan which spans over 15 days prior to the telecast and covers Mumbai and Delhi captures the mood of the movie, using different mediums. The lead actors of the movie Aditya Roy Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor have been roped in to shoot promos for on-air contests, digital contests, YouTube promos, on-air-main-day date-time-and-coming-soon promos as well as three contest questions and winner announcement bytes that will play during the movie. The actors have also posed for Facebook love top stills.

    “The actors are personally inviting people to see the movie on Max and also to take part in the digital contests. We have also used them to motivate people to send their Aashiqui photos and moments,” adds Sharma. The best photo amongst the lot will feature on the channel on the movie‘s telecast date.

    The musical blockbuster raked in the moolah (Rs 78.3 crore) at the box office in the domestic market. The channel has built its marketing campaign around the hype and response the movie had received during its release. Set Max has created one promo each for broadcast channels, YouTube channel, Facebook and the on-air contest. Special promos of the movie were also shot and screened during the screening of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Ramaiya Vastavaiya in both multiplexes and single screen theatres across Mumbai.
    To engage its 1.2 mn fanbase on Facebook, the channel has launched an Aashiqui 2LoveMeter application

    “It is a youth centric movie. Though strategically we are reaching out to the larger audience base, we have innovatively also reached out to the youth through our innovative marketing strategy,” she adds.

    Set Max has also taken television slots in various youth centric music channels. “To attract the young audiences, we will also have a contest which will run during the movie, the winner of the contest will get a chance to go on a dinner date with the lead actors,” informs Sharma.

    On the OOH platform, executed by Storyboard Brandcom , the channel has built its marketing strategy on the theme ‘romance’. “We realised that the music of the film was a big hit. With this in mind, around ten bus shelters across Mumbai are planned to be converted to musical bus stands, playing Aashiqui 2 music to attract audiences. The activity will be done three to four days prior to the telecast date,” she says.

    For on-ground promotions, the team will hold activities like ‘Give a rose to person you love’ outside National College in Bandra, Mumbai. While the dry run of the activity was held on 22 July, the final activity will be organised a day before the telecast of the movie. “A big poster of the movie, all covered with roses will be set up outside the college. Youngsters will be asked to stand next to the poster and pluck a rose from the poster and give it to their loved ones. There will be few secret roses which will have dinner vouchers for those participating in the activity,” reveals Sharma.
    In an effort to promote the premiere, a 360 degree campaign is being carried out in Mumbai and Delhi

    The channel wants to re-create the buzz around the movie and with this in mind it will also have models posing as mannequins on Saturday at Bandstand, in Mumbai. “Models will hold placards about the movie and depict the signature pose of the lead pair from Aashiqui 2. This is being done a day prior to the telecast to attract more people to Set Max on Sunday,” she adds.

    The Facebook page of Set Max which has 1.2 million followers started daily love tip for its followers, through which fans will be advised on their love life. Also a special ‘Aashiqui 2Lovemeter’ has been created that calculates the love quotient between partners.

    The lead actors of Lootera– Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha were also roped in to promoteAashiqui 2. “The theme for the movies aired this month was Ishq wala July. And Lootera, a romantic movie was also released this month.”

    The channel has a host of advertisers lined up for the telecast of the movie. Line (Android, iOS App) is the presenting sponsor for the movie, while Oral B is the powered by sponsor. The associate sponsors are Aquaguard, Cucumber, Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk, Godrej No.1, Videocon, Red Chief Shoes and Relispray Nitron.

    Ask why after so many world television premiers aired earlier on the channel, Set Max is going gung-ho on the promotional activity: answers Sharma, “We saw a great potential in this film. It was a blockbuster and hence, gave us the opportunity to scale up marketing.”

    The movie will be aired twice on 28 July: first at 1 pm and then at 8 pm. The channel is looking at getting audiences in both the slots, even repeat audiences. The on-air contest will be aired in the 1pm slot, while the winners will be revealed in the 8pm slot.

    The channel has carved a new space for itself in movie marketing. It definitely has started a trend, but will this effort add on to the GRPs of the channel?The coming Sunday will reveal.

  • Google to invest in Himax

    Google to invest in Himax

    MUMBAI: Taiwan based Himax Technologies announced that Google will acquire 6.3 per cent interest in the company‘s subsidiary, Himax Display (HD).

    The purpose of the investment is to fund production upgrades, expand capacity and further enhance production capabilities at HD‘s facilities that produce liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) chips and modules used in applications including head?mounted display (HMD) such as Google Glass, head?up display (HUD) and pico?projector products.

    Under the Agreement, Himax will also invest additional amount in HDI to fund its ongoing capacity expansion. HDI will also use a portion of the proceeds to substantially reduce its loan from Himax. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2013 subject to regulatory approvals and other closing conditions.

    Google also has an option to make additional investment of preferred shares at the same price within one year from closing. If the option is exercised in full, Google will own a total of up to 14.8 per cent in HDI. Himax Technologies holds 81.5 per cent of HDI at present and will remain the major shareholder of HDI after the transaction. Google will join the core group of HDI share holders including KPCB Holdings, Khosla Ventures I, L.P. and Intel Capital Corporation.

    Google‘s investment in HDI will not have a dilutive effect on Himax‘s Nasdaq?traded shares, HIMX.

    Founded in 2004, Himax Display has focused on developing commercial applications for LCOS technologies, in?house manufacturing expertise and production lines with proven, high?volume shipment track records. Over the last few years, HDI has devoted its research and development of its LCOS technology for new applications of head? mounted display and other wearable computing applications.

  • TO THE NEW acquires Singapore-based Techsailor

    TO THE NEW acquires Singapore-based Techsailor

    MUMBAI: TO THE NEW, a digital service network, has acquired Techsailor, a Singapore-based company offering social, location and mobile media services. The acquisition is a part of an aggressive expansion strategy by TO THE NEW to build an integrated digital services ecosystem across southeast Asia. In addition to this, TO THE NEW is looking to invest $10 million in the next two years to aid future growth in the region.

    Commenting on the acquisition, TO THE NEW, managing director, Puneet Johar said, "Some of the key markets in southeast Asian market are similar to India, where consumption of digital media by young consumers is ahead of businesses embracing it fully as the primary media for communication and commerce. We see this as a huge growth opportunity and with the addition of Techsailor to our network; we hope to capitalise on this growth".

    TO THE NEW will leverage on Techsailor‘s network and operational expertise to strengthen its presence in the region. TO THE NEW plans to augment Techsailor‘s offerings, by adding capabilities in digital content, media planning and buying, analytics and technology. TO THE NEW will also look to expand its network geographically and build further presence in Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and China.

    Earlier this year, TO THE NEW had announced the intent to invest $13 million in its Indian operations over the next three years.

    "By joining TO THE NEW, Techsailor will be able to boost our service offerings to our clients, as we are supported by a larger team and able to manage projects that span across Asia Pacific. We are also delighted that Techsailor will be the primary vehicle for TO THE NEW to expand into the region," said Techsailor‘s co-founder and managing director Rex Huang.

    Through its business units – Ignitee Digital Services, Intelligrape Software and Tangerine Digital, TO THE NEW offers expertise indigital and social media marketing, content creation for web and mobile, development of apps and solutions for web and mobile. The TO THE NEW network collectively manages the mandate for around 100 clients across Asia, in diverse sectors like BFSI, Automobiles, e-commerce, FMCG, Retail, Sports, Hospitality and Media & Entertainment.

  • TRAI gets tough on deadline for CAFs

    TRAI gets tough on deadline for CAFs

    MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) means business and how. The regulator had called for a meeting on 19 July with the leading Multi System Operators (MSOs) that provide cable TV services in Mumbai, Kolkata and 38 cities, covered under phase-II of Digital Addressable Cable TV Systems (DAS) implementation, to review the progress.

    TRAI has set the following deadlines for collection of the consumer application forms (CAFs) from the subscribers, complete in all respects, including choice of channels/services and entry of complete details in the subscriber management system (SMS), by the MSOs in these cities:-

    Sl. No.
    Cities
    Deadline
    1 Municipal Council of Greater Mumbai area 2 August 2013
    2 Kolkata Metropolitan area 23 August 2013
    3 38 Cities covered under phase-II of DAS implementation* 20 September 2013

     

    *Hyderabad, Visakhapatanam, Patna, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara, Faridabad, Srinagar, Ranchi, Bengaluru, Mysore, Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Auragabad, Kalyan-Dombivili, Nagpur, Nashik, Navi-Mumbai, Pimri-Chinchwad, Pune, Sholapur, Thane, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Coimbatore, Agra, Allahabad, Ghaziabad, Kanpur, Luknow, Meerut, Varanasi, Chandigarh, Howrah.

    TRAI has already collected 97 per cent of CAF forms from Delhi and 80 per cent from Mumbai.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, TRAI principal advisor Parameswaran N said, “The deadline to submit the customer application forms in Kolkata is 23 August and there will be no extension. TRAI will take an action against LCOs and MSOs who will not submit the CAFs on time.”

    TRAI has requested cable TV subscribers of the above mentioned areas to cooperate and submit the CAFs, complete in all respects to the respective cable operators/MSOs at the earliest, to enjoy the full benefits of digitisation. In event of failure to do so, MSOs will have no option but to switch off the signal to those consumers who have not submitted the forms, otherwise such MSOs would be in breach of the law.

    Incable MD Ravi Mansukhani said, “80 per cent forms have been submitted and by the end of this month it should be 100 per cent in Mumbai.”

    A leading Cable operator‘s spokesperson said, “CAF forms cannot be filled in a month or two. It is a long process which will take time; LCOs have to understand that this process will increase their ARPU‘s (Average revenue per user) and at the same time the subscribers too are not educated about this issue and they would only be aware of the gravity of the situation once their connections will be downgraded.”

  • NASA to host Google+ Hangout

    NASA to host Google+ Hangout

    MUMBAI: NASA will host a Google+ Hangout from several NASA centers at 2 p.m. EDT (Eastern Daylight Time) on 23 July as the agency prepares to fly two unmanned aircraft over Atlantic Ocean hurricanes this summer.

    NASA‘s Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel or HS3‘s mission is a five-year project that first took to the field in 2012 from NASA‘s Wallops flight facility at Wallops Island. HS3 is investigating the roles of the large-scale environment and storm-scale internal processes in hurricane formation and intensity change in the Atlantic basin. HS3 scientists will use two NASA Global Hawk aircraft during the campaign, one with instruments measuring the environment around a tropical cyclone and the other with instruments looking into the storms.

    Participants in the Hangout will hear about the 2012 mission and preparations underway at Wallops for the upcoming flights. The HS3 lead scientist will explain how NASA will peer into hurricanes and a Global Hawk pilot will discuss remote flying over tropical cyclones.

    Panelists for the Google+ Hangout are NASA‘s Goddard Space Flight Center HS3 principal investigator Scott Braun, NASA‘s Dryden Flight Research Center Global Hawk pilot Tom Miller, NASA‘s Ames Research Center HS3 project manager Marilyn Vasques and rosenstiel school of marine and atmospheric science senior research associate Brian McNoldy .

    Google+ Hangouts allow as many as 10 people or group chat, while thousands more can watch the conversation live on Google+ or YouTube. The Hangout will also be carried live on NASA Television and the agency‘s website.

    NASA‘s social media followers can submit questions on Google+ or Twitter in advance and during the event using #askNASAHS3. Before the Hangout begins, NASA will open a thread on its Facebook page where questions may be posted.

  • Mahindra Comviva bets big on digital music growth around the globe

    Mahindra Comviva bets big on digital music growth around the globe

    MUMBAI: Mahindra Comviva, a mobile solutions provider is emerging its reach on digital music portfolio across video, voice and text. The company is aggregating its content across Asia and Africa‘s continent.

    Mahindra Comviva owns music rights for over 260,000 music assets, in addition to 300,000 other content assets (video, images, voice & text). It has more than 200 categories in SMS/USSD-based services with a very strong WAP catalogue, spanning multiple genres including movie classics, lifestyle tips, hip hop, inspirational, spiritual, rumba, hip life, sports, devotional, jazz, rock, reggae and retro in more than 90 languages such as English, Mandarin, Indonesian, Malay, etc.

    Mahindra Comviva digital services head Atul Madan said, “Over the last few years service providers in the Asia Pacific region have witnessed huge demand for digital music, especially in ASEAN countries. By offering content personalization options for end-users and multiple revenue models for mobile operators, Mahindra Comviva‘s range of digital services, spanning music, voice, video and text, drives service usage and ensures superior end-user experience whilst maximizing operators‘ revenue window.”

    Mahindra Comviva has also pioneered and launched “Infotainment Portal”, a mobile data-based app that allows subscribers to watch and download videos and even share, integrate content with social network websites. The mobile app allows the subscribers to access infotainment through a single app irrespective of the choice of bearer channel between mobile client, text or voice. “Infotainment Portal” is powered by its “Recommendation and Analytics Engine”, which recommends content based on the user‘s profile and his personal preferences rather than content preferred by the crowd as done in most conventional VAS services.

  • TRAI’s second activation ruling to hit providers by 40 per cent

    TRAI’s second activation ruling to hit providers by 40 per cent

    MUMBAI: Like a callertune you heard recently? But wait now you will have to be doubly sure if you want it. Yes, you heard it correct. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has said that any value added service (VAS) will be activated only after receiving a second confirmation from the customer.
    Techzone managing director Naveen Bhandari says VAS revenues will take a beating

    Speaking on the order, Huawei Telecommunications (India) PR and brand – head Suresh Vaidyanathan matter-of-factly says, “One needs to understand why this ruling was done. Of course, nobody wants unwanted calls or smses. Therefore, I think, it is a welcome move.”

    TRAI made the ruling after it observed that there are various complaints regarding value added services offered by telecom service providers. According to it, the first offer of a service was on the service providers‘ platform and a second confirmation from the customer was through a dedicated consent gateway owned by a third party and not by the service provider.

    Vaidyanathan feels that the Indian telecom industry is grown-up enough to understand it. He adds, “I‘m sure, it is only going to have a short term impact, if there would be any. On the contrary, it will only help structure the VAS economy.”

    SpiceDigital director & head of 
    business development and 
    alliances Shehzad Azad     feels the
    ruling may create problems 
    for users in understanding the 
    usage of VAS services

    Similarly, OnMobile Global, chief commercial officer, Sanjay Bhambri feels that double consent with clear communication of price points us in the larger interest of consumers and industry and gives the industry a clearer picture on the way forward. “We feel that the revised directive (which mandates second confirmation from customers through a consent gateway managed by the operator) is a positive step from TRAI compared to the earlier one which mandated activation of services post confirmation from customers through SMS, fax or email.”

    But he is quick to point out that the ruling does have its downfall. “There could be transitional technology issues in connectivity of two consent systems resulting in poor consumer experience and drop outs, in the interim. Thus, the interconnecting multiple systems and changed user experience may result in consumers taking time to adapt to the new experience,” adds Bhambri.

    One of the biggest players of the Rs 26,000 crore industry feels that there will be an almost 50 per cent an erosion in revenues and that it it expected a ruling of this sort.

    Shotformats Digital Productions, managing director and CEO, Niyati Shah points out, “It is likely to affect each and every company by as much as 30 to 40 per cent. And to control the damage, the telecom providers are very actively working towards new methods of consumer acquisition, engagement and also ensuring the best quality product to retain consumers.”
    Shotformats Digital Productions, managing director and CEO, Niyati Shah
    says the ruling will hit the market 
    by close to 30-40 per cent

    Suburban and rural India contributes to more than 65 per cent of Mobile VAS revenues. Industry professionals say that it is not surprising that more than 30 per cent of people are unable to correctly follow even the simple one step keyword instructions for Person to Application (P2A) based media services like polls and contests. Now that there‘s an additional gateway being introduced, it would take at least one to two quarters for the platforms to stabilise which would result in further dip in revenue.

    SpiceDigital director & head of business development and alliances Shehzad Azad adds, “Not many have the knowledge or the skill about VAS services. Therefore, there are chances of people not sending second conformations within the given timeline.”

    He states an example of the service SpiceDigital offers for railway enquiries and believes that there are many who don‘t know how to send SMSes. “Customers will face problems even if they need any information with this ruling coming into place,” he opines.

    Talking about the future of the industry after the ruling Techzone managing director Naveen Bhandari says, “A large portion of the core VAS revenues are generated from subscription based services which already has an existing subscriber base.”

    For example caller ring back tones (CRBT) which is a subscription based product contributes to approximately a fourth (varies from 20 per cent to 25 per cent depending on the operator) of the total core VAS revenue and is the largest contributor to the revenue.

    “A product like that is typically composed of almost 70 per cent renewal revenue and 30 per cent new acquisition. Hence, in a window of two to three months, it‘s the new acquisition revenue that would get hit. But without proper steps the effect would be stable over the total kitty in four to six months period, considering average customer lifetime for VAS products is not more than three months.”

    So what is it that will lower the impact of TRAI‘s new ruling and provide some succor to the industry? Most telecom providers say that there is a need to have mobile handsets which can support local languages so that it becomes easy to educate the consumer. And from the telecom operator‘s side, there is a need for a more focused marketing approach which will result in a better understanding of the customer‘s need and help create and supply the right content to the right target audience in a form that is easier to use and consume.