ITV

Category: Technology

  • Comedy Central expands presence in Asia

    Comedy Central expands presence in Asia

    MUMBAI: Comedy Central Asia, Asia‘s only all-comedy channel, will be available to Thailand‘s Me Television (MeTV) subscribers from 16 January.

    The launch marks the latest expansion of Comedy Central across Asia, following launches in seven territories like Singapore and Myanmar last year.

    MeTV subscribers will enjoy the exclusive free preview of Comedy Central Asia, available on MeTV‘s Total Choice Extra Group in high-definition (HD) Channel 318.

    The channel will feature a programming schedule designed specifically for Asian viewers overflowing with original programming, stand-up and sketch comedy plus offbeat comedy TV series like Emmy and Peabody award-winning content, such as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

    Viacom International Media Networks MTV & Comedy Central Brands VP Tan Sian Ju said, "We are pleased to launch Comedy Central Asia in Thailand and complete MeTV‘s consumer offering with a 24/7 all-comedy channel. Everyone needs a good laugh now and then, and we are delighted that all MeTV subscribers will be able to enjoy Comedy Central‘s programming and see that it is truly the funniest channel around."nvenience remain our primary market."

  • LiveAsia launches WatchIndia.TV app for Samsung users

    LiveAsia launches WatchIndia.TV app for Samsung users

    MUMBAI: LiveAsia, the leading developer and operator of a proprietary Over the Top Video solution for streaming live/linear and On-demand video content, has launched their latest App WatchIndia.TV, that will enable Samsung Smart TV viewers to access over 70 HD quality Indian channels.

    Samsung users who will join the WatchIndia.TV and WatchPhilippines.TV services will be able to enjoy their Indian and Filipino content on their 2012 Samsung Smart TVs, Tablets and Smartphones. All that the users have to do is follow a quick two step pairing process.

    Commenting on the launch of the latest App, Samsung Electronics America VP of Content and Product Solutions Eric Anderson said, "Samsung Smart TV is at the front line of changing the way we consume TV. Our vision is to bring a complete and unique high quality TV directly to our viewers. LiveAsia.TV corresponds to this strategy with 70 Indian channels and total of over 100 live and on demand Asian channels you can enjoy on our TV‘s and on the go."

    WatchIndia.TV VP Commercial Yaron Shilat said, "Samsung is known for its superb services and market leading in every electronics goods market and especially for the TV market. We believe the market is shifting from traditional TV to new experience of pay TV. Customers who value high quality content at maximum convenience remain our primary market."

  • DAS: Televisions to go blank in north-east & east Delhi on 20 Jan

    DAS: Televisions to go blank in north-east & east Delhi on 20 Jan

    NEW DELHI: Around one million households in north-east and east Delhi will go without their favourite television programmes as cable operators are observing a blackout on 20 January to protest against the "unfair and unworkable" revenue-sharing formula under the digital addressable system (DAS).

    About 200 cable operators from the two areas of the capital will join in the blackout, which will be for 24 hours to begin with.

    Ashok Pandit, representing the cable operators from the trans-Yamuna east Delhi areas, told indiantelevision.com the cable operators fully supported the decision to go digital, but the revenue sharing where the cable operator who did the entire ground work got only Rs 45 out of every basic service tier of free to air 100 channels costing Rs 100.

    The balance is shared with the multi-system operator (MSO).

    Pandit said residents who were paying just Rs 100 to Rs 150 under the analogue system would now have to pay two or three times more than that, and will also have to purchase a digital set-top box (STB).

    The cable TV operators have already submitted memorandums to the Delhi government and the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry in this connection but failed to get satisfactory replies.

    Pandit said if the blackout proves successful, cable operators from other areas of the capital may also join the protest demanding a higher revenue share and lower tariffs for consumers.

    The Cable Operators Federation of India President Roop Sharma, who is also a member of the I&B Ministry‘s Task Force on Digitisation, said the blackout will be in phases and will be held in other parts of the capital as well, and may later be taken to other metros.

  • Govt may mandate local sourcing of a percentage of STBs: I&B secretary

    Govt may mandate local sourcing of a percentage of STBs: I&B secretary

    NEW DELHI: The government could consider making it mandatory for procurement of certain percentage of locally-made set-top boxes (STBs) if domestic manufacturers priced them competitively.

    Information and Broadcasting (I&B) secretary Uday Kumar Varma said most of the STBs at present are being imported and the share of the domestic manufacturers is negligible, mainly on account of cost disadvantage.

    He said with the government embarking upon a massive drive to switch over to digital delivery of television channels to households, there is a huge demand for STBs.

    If domestic manufacturers are able to price their products competitively, I&B Ministry may even mandate a certain percentage of STBs to be procured domestically, he added.

    Varma also said the I&B Ministry has written to the finance ministry over the issue of locally manufactured STBs attracting higher rate of value-added tax (VAT), while imported STBs are subjected to a lower rate of service tax as it is considered a service offered by cable operators.

    The I&B Ministry has asked the finance ministry to remove the tax anomaly and create a level playing field for domestic STB manufacturers.

    He said the government is confident of meeting the 31 March deadline for digitisation in 38 cities (with one million plus population) across the country in the second phase of digitisation.

    Varma said, �It is estimated that 16 million STBs would be required to digitise the 38 cities, excluding the four metros. But a study conducted by the ministry has revealed that already six million TV sets in these cities are already digitised."

    Cities like Ludhiana and Amritsar are already 90 per cent digital, according to Varma. The level of digitisation is high even in Bangalore and Hyderabad.

    The four metros – Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai — were part of the first phase of digitisation effective 1 November.

    Varma expressed satisfaction over the implementation of the first phase of digitisation. He said the exercise was "more or less completely successful" in Mumbai and Delhi. He added that even Kolkata, which initially had reservations about digital conversion, has come on board with a conversion rate nearing 90 per cent.

    It is held up in Chennai because of a petition by cable operators in the Madras High Court challenging the digitisation notification itself.

    Varma said the I&B Ministry has been reviewing the progress on a continuous basis and nodal officers have been appointed in every state to oversee the conversion process.

    He said the first phase of digitisation was a learning and the government was working to refine the process in the second phase. The feedback from the newly-converted digital homes has been mostly favourable and added that the move is bringing in a more transparent cable TV regime in the country.

  • Ofcom rejects Greystone Media’s appeal in TV-on-demand case

    Ofcom rejects Greystone Media’s appeal in TV-on-demand case

    MUMBAI: UK media regulatory watchdog Ofcom has rejected an appeal by Greystone Media in relation to a decision by the Authority for Television On Demand (ATVOD) – which is responsible for regulating the editorial content of certain on-demand programmes services.

    On 26 April 2011, ATVOD determined that Greystone Media’s business channel was an On-Demand Programme Service and therefore subject to regulation under Part 4A of the Communications Act 2003.

    Greystone Media appealed this decision on 6 February 2012. As the appeal body for ATVOD decisions, Ofcom assessed the case and has found in ATVOD’s favour, deciding that the service did fall within the scope of ATVOD regulation. This decision relates to the content on the business channel at the time of ATVOD’s original determinations.

  • Room for smartphone growth in emerging countries: Nielsen

    Room for smartphone growth in emerging countries: Nielsen

    MUMBAI: While smartphones have gone mainstream in many regions around the globe, adoption among emerging countries is still developing. According to new research from Nielsen, China is the only country among the high-growth Bric (Brazil, Russia, India, China) markets where smartphones are predominant, owned by two-thirds of Chinese mobile subscribers as of the first half of 2012.

    In contrast, feature phones—devices with no touchscreen, QWERTY keypad or operating system—are still dominant in India and Russia, owned by 80 per cent and 51 per cent of mobile subscribers, respectively.

    There’s no clear favourite type of mobile device in Brazil, with mobile ownership split between 44 percent feature phones, 36 per cent smartphones and 21 per cent multimedia phones (touchscreen and/or QWERTY keypad, but no operating system).

    Much the same manner as social media, smartphones–with their advanced functionality and access to a multitude of apps–influence everything from consumers’ interaction with both brands and each other, to and shopping and purchase decisions.

  • SVG Media introduces Velocity

    SVG Media introduces Velocity

    MUMBAI: SVG Media has announced the launch of its data backed display ad network, Velocity, in India and APAC.

    The company claims that Velocity will offer targeted reach and relevant audience. It is being pegged as ‘The Largest Targeted Reach Network’.

    Velocity’s product portfolio includes offerings such as: audience display, video, mobile, rich media, social, data targeting and specialty display. It offers its clients customised audience segments (those who are in market for their products and those who are displaying some interest), special interest segments across verticals, rich media solutions served on Comscore listed publishers, social media engagement, mobile targeting and mobile data aggregation.

    SVG Media founder and CEO Manish Vij said, “The online display advertising ecosystem is evolving and changing rapidly; we at SVG Media believe in responding to changing market needs. Velocity has been created to bridge the gaps that exist in the online display advertising ecosystem.”

    “Data targeting is the only way forward for display advertising and we are thrilled to be the pioneers of targeted display advertising. Velocity has over 33mn unique users across multiple audience segments and capable of offering the right audience on digital display, including videos, irrespective of the placement and format through the use of audience data. All major display exchanges are integrated with Velocity on display and mobile ad ecosystem, offering the opportunity to reach almost all internet users in India,” Velocity national sales director Piyush Rathi added.

    SVG Media’s leading display ad network business, Tyroo Audience has been dissolved to make way for the data targeted display ad network, Velocity.

    For the record, SVG Media, a Smile Vun Group company, is an Indian digital media Network. Media, formerly known as Tyroo Media, started its India operations in 2006. Currently, SVG Media has presence in India, South East Asia and the Middle East. SVG Media’s operations are divided into four businesses: Tyroo, Velocity, PrecisionMatch and DGM.

  • Revised reserve price for spectrum auction cut to half

    Revised reserve price for spectrum auction cut to half

    NEW DELHI: Following the failure of the November 2012 auction for 2G spectrum, the government has decided that the reserve price for 800 MHz band in all service areas will be reduced by 50 per cent from the previous reserve price.

    The previous reserve price was approved by the Cabinet in its meeting held on 3 August 2012, following directions of the Supreme Court for fresh auction.

    The revision had to be done as no bids were received during auctions held for 800 MHz band (CDMA) for all service areas in November 2012.

    The cabinet decided that pricing of spectrum for current spectrum holding in the 800 MHz band (CDMA) by existing operators in the 800 MHz band at the reserve price will hold till auction discovered price is available.

    This follows the recommendations of the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM).

    The above decisions are expected to result in further efficient utilisation of the scarce natural resource of spectrum facilitating proliferation of telecom services in the country.

  • I&B sees need to regulate local cable TV channels, seeks Trai’s views

    I&B sees need to regulate local cable TV channels, seeks Trai’s views

    MUMBAI: Alarmed by the mushrooming of cable channels, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) has sought the recommendations of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) regarding issues relating to transmission of local channels or ground based channels operated at the level of cable TV operator/MSOs.

    In its reference to Trai, the MIB has sought to know whether there was a need to put in place a comprehensive set of provisions for local channels which would cover issues related to registration mechanism, including eligibility requirements, fee, terms and conditions to be provided for such channels, including the definition of local or ground based channels and their area of operation.

    In the reference to Trai, MIB has also sought its views with regard to the issue of transmission of local channels at local cable operator level in Digital Addressable System (DAS) regime.

    Trai in its recommendations dated 25 July, 2008 had recommended that Local Channel Operators (LCOs) shall be permitted to transmit their ground based channels.

    However, in the current DAS regime only digital addressable signals can be carried out on the cable network which is generated at the MSO head end.

    The Ministry in its reference has also requested Trai to state whether there was a case for putting a cap on the total number of ground based channels operated by a single MSO/cable operator.

    Trai has also been requested to examine whether there was a need to prescribe separate eligibility criteria for cable operators transmitting local news and current affairs channels at their level.

    Specific recommendations have been sought with regard to eligibility criteria, terms and conditions including foreign investment levels, net worth criteria and requirement of security clearance etc. for such channels.
     
    The need for putting in place a regulatory framework for local channels being operated at the level of cable TV operators has been engaging attention of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for quite some time.

    This has assumed a greater significance in view of the digitisation of cable TV sector being implemented in the entire country in a phased time bound manner. Presently, Cable TV operators/MSOs are transmitting local news, videos and other locally developed content as separate televisions channels in addition to satellite TV channels obtained from broadcasters.

    These channels, popularly known as local channels, are presently not subject to a regulatory framework unlike private satellite TV channels permitted under the uplinking/downlinking guidelines of the Ministry. As a result, local channels continue to mushroom all over the country without having registration /license.

    Since the area/jurisdiction within which the programme generated at the level of cable operators can be transmitted has not been defined in the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, it is possible for Local Cable Operators (LCOs)/Multi System Operators (MSOs) operating at the local levels to broadcast local channels over a larger geographical area i.e at Regional/State/National level by transmitting the same content over their entire network.

    Instances have been brought to the notice of the Ministry that some cable operators are also venturing into transmission of local channels over wider geographical area which includes inter-state and intra state transmission by sharing the same content with others on their network. In such a scenario, local channels are basically operating as State/Regional/National channels like permitted private satellite TV channels without getting any permission.

    The intent of allowing cable operators to generate and transmit local programme is to keep the local people informed of relevant local issues. However this intent is not fulfilled when LCOs and MSOs start networking of the content to cover a larger geographical area. Given the present state of technological advancement, the tendency to network content at a larger geographical area has gained strength, the MIB said in a statement.

  • Eros Now launches Tamil movie section

    Eros Now launches Tamil movie section

    MUMBAI: Online movie platform Eros Now has launched a selection of Tamil movies on the festive occasion of Pongal. It is also offering a seven day free trial for new subscribers to the service to celebrate this festive season.

    With access to a vast library of Tamil movies from the Ayngaran Studio, Eros Now will be adding many more titles in the coming months in its aim to expand its reach to a larger South Asian audience.

    The first set of Tamil movies has already been uploaded on the website. The portal has also updated its library with Tamil versions of some super-hit Hindi films like RA.One and English Vinglish.

    Eros Now offers over 250 films now in two different languages along with a vast library of music videos and short form content.