Category: Technology

MUMBAI: Dish TV‘s mobile train technology is now installed in the luxury train Maharaja Express.

The mobile train technology will enable travellers to experience in-train live entertainment of all genres on the go.

Dish TV is using mobile in venture satellite antennas manufactured by “Gilat” that enables live TV on the move. Every seat has a dedicated STB which enables the passenger to view channel of their own choice.

According to the company, the train moving in any direction, at any speed, will receive seamless digital signal. Dish TV will be installed in all cabins of Maharaja Express.

Salil Kapoor, COO, Dish TV said, “As a pioneer and market leader of the DTH Industry, It is indeed a proud moment for us to take TV entertainment to a completely unprecedented level by bringing Live TV experience to one of the top twenty five luxury trains in the world – ‘Maharaja Express‘. We continue to provide the latest technology through our constant innovation to the consumers. It‘s a proud moment for us to render our services to Maharaja Express, our thrust to provide entertainment through all modes and medium has created a benchmark in mobile train technology”.

In 2010, Dish TV had launched its Mobile Train Technology on Palace on Wheels and Royal Rajasthan on Wheels and two other luxury trains.

MUMBAI: Global watch major Timex Group India Ltd. has undertaken a slew of initiatives on the digital platform to tap into the increasing audience on the medium. These include the launch of a webstore, active Facebook pages for its brands Timex and Helix and a dedicated Youtube brand channel.

The Helix and Timex webstore can be explored with a common login id. The timepieces available on the website feature sports, fashion, casual and formal collection. The customers can make the payment online by using their domestic and international credit cards, Visa debit cards and net banking payments from select banks in India.

Apart from this, shoppers can also keep abreast of the latest from Timex‘s brands through the Facebook fan page which will have content around the latest products, brand, events, generic posts focusing on fashion, sports and fitness and facilitates everyone to interact and give opinion on the products.

The brands‘ You tube brand channel will include all Timex India brands videos, product manuals, informative presentation on product accessories converted in to flash files along with the some promotional content linked with Timex India/ Helix India Facebook page.

Timex Group India Ltd. CEO and MD V D Wadhwa of said, “The number of web-shoppers has increased exponentially in the last few years and it was natural for us to tap this segment as well. Timex web-store is aimed to bring Timex brands in the priority list of their target audience. The variety of content on Facebook fan page, would help us establish connect with the users and make our brand more desirable. Through YouTube brand channel, we aim to build a complete eco-system around all our brands videos and seed them in interesting ways which would help in building great brand resonance.”

MUMBAI: TimesDeal.com will begin offering its deals free of cost. It has traditionally charged users for 20-40 per cent of the deal value upfront.

With this move, the buying portal from Times Internet, is disrupting its business model.

TimesDeal has traditionally operated with a similar revenue model to competitors such as Snapdeal, who charge an upfront amount to purchase a deal. TimesDeal will no longer charge consumers for its deals.

TimesDeal made this decision after some learnings, some purposeful and some accidental. In February, TimesDeal ran a Valentine‘s Day promotion and for the promotion all deals were made free. As a result, there was a 10 times increase in consumption. This drove the internal conviction for a free product, the company said.
 
Times Internet CEO Satyan Gajwani said, “After the Valentine‘s Day‘s free promotion, we knew we had tapped into some significant, latent demand in the market for free deals. We started working on the free product immediately after that. Last week, a promotional code was accidentally released and it spread on the Internet. TimesDeal experienced over 100,000 transactions, a dramatic increase in deal consumption before the code was withdrawn. While TimesDeal lost revenues from the mistake, it helped further validate our belief in a free deals platform just as we were about to launch it.”

TimesDeal aims to focus more intensely on the discovery of deals, which will make the process of consuming a deal “faster” and “simpler” and also allow users to avail more targeted and personalised options of their interest.

MUMBAI: The Broadcast India Show, the event organised by Saicom Trade Fairs & Exhibitions, will be held from 10-12 October at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Goregaon (E) in Mumbai.

More than 550 companies from 36 countries will exhibit their state-of-the-art equipment and technology at this year‘s show.

Broadcast India is a global marketplace for television, film, pro-audio, radio, IPTV and mobile TV to CG, VFX, multimedia, music, lights, cable, satellite, broadband, internet, transmission and related fields.

MUMBAI: Bollywood and South Asian content distributor Hungama.com is one of the ten beneficiaries to receive strategic investment totaling $40 million from Intel Capital, the global investment and M&A organisation of Intel Corporation.

The investment was announced at Intel Capital Global Summit, a three-day conclave that was held in California from 1-3 October.

Intel‘s other investments include Box (secure content sharing platform), FocalTech (North American integrated circuit design house), Jelli (social radio platform), LIFO Interactive (social game developer), NewAer (mobile proximity platform), PagPop (e-payment platform), Tier 3 (cloud services provider), Transmension (3-D game developer) and UUCun (mobile advertising provider).

It needs to be noted here that global marketing communications company JWT had acquired 51 per cent stake in Hungama Digital in June this year.

While Intel Capital did not disclose financial details of each investment, the company said the investment is designed to help these companies grow to the next level.

Intel Capital has been investing in India since 1998. It has invested over $300 million in 80+ companies across 10 cities in India.

“Business deals happen when Intel Capital brings together our vast global network with our portfolio company innovators,” said Intel Capital president of and Intel executive vice president Arvind Sodhani.

“Our annual Global Summit and the ongoing Intel Capital Technology Days provide our portfolio companies with unmatched access to the decision-making executives critical to revenue-generating sales or partnerships. The 10 new investments in innovative companies announced today stand to benefit greatly from these longstanding company-building resources.”

Indian company Hungama.com, which received an undisclosed sum from Intel Capital, is India‘s leading digital entertainment company that launched India‘s first and largest on-demand digital entertainment storefront. The storefront has over 2 and half million pieces of content across genres and languages, in the form of music tracks, movies, music videos & mobile content.

Hungama Movies has over 5000 Bollywood, Hollywood, Regional Indian Movies and Television Series available in both HD and SD quality, powered by Intel Insider.

With over 20 million users, the website is accessible from PCs, mobiles, tablets, connected TVs and other connected devices. Consumers can enjoy all this content via download and streaming.

Intel Capital, APAC and Japan MD Sudheer Kuppam said of the investment, “Hungama.com is another great example of an innovative Indian company. It has become India‘s largest on-demand Digital Entertainment storefront, which serves audio, video and imagery to South Asians across the world.

We‘ve been aware of Hungama.com‘s success for some time, and we‘re excited about working with the company to develop the brand and building upon the success it has found in India by taking the venture global.”

Hungama.com chairman Neeraj Roy said, “We have been working with Intel Corp over the last few years. As a company we are delighted to have Intel Capital partner with us on the Hungama.com opportunity. Hungama.com is the only platform agnostic digital entertainment storefront that caters to over 1.5 billion South Asians worldwide, via mobile, internet, connected devices, DTH and retail.”

As per Hungama.com, it has partnerships with over 400 content creators, record labels, studios, broadcasters, game publishers and has licensed worldwide exclusive digital rights to over half a million music and video titles. It serves content to consumers in 47 countries across mobile, internet, IPTV services and has more than 150 partners across the world.

MUMBAI: The cable TV digitisation will face opposition from West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee who recently walked out of the UPA government alliance over reform policies like FDI hike in retail.

The West Bengal government has requested the centre to extend deadline for cable digitisation following a meeting with local cable operators and multi-system operators.

“The state government has requested the Centre to extend the deadline for digitisation,” Urban Development minister Firhad Hakim told reporters in Kolkata after the meeting.

During the meeting, the LCOs and MSOs had expressed inability to meet the deadline contending that they had received only 40-50 per cent set-top boxes (STBs).

Hakim said the government should manufacture STBs instead of importing them.

The cable operators from Kolkata had recently disputed government figures on digitisation which said that 67 per cent of Kolkata households have been digitised till mid-September.

In a related development, the Cable Operators Association of Kolkata has threatened of a protest the government‘s decision to digitise cable TV network. The COAK has alleged that the government‘s decision is a hurried one and ignores real issues faced by cable operators.

The association has alleged that the government was working for vested interest of the multinational, corporates and not for the small businessman like Cable operators.

The digitisation deadline has already been extended once from 30 June to 1 October to give enough time to operators to seed the STBs, a critical element in the digitisation process.

Also Read:Cable TV digitisation could face political storm in 2 metros, Mamata Banerjee raises voice

MUMBAI: Home shopping channel Star CJ Alive has now tied up with Videocon‘s DTH service and will be available on channel 133.

Star CJ Alive is present on DTH platforms TATA sky, Dish TV and Hathway on channel no‘s 127, 196 and 9, respectively.
 
Star CJ Network India Pvt. Ltd CEO Kenny Shin said, “We are thrilled to announce our association with Videocon DTH services as digitisation will perk up the audio visual quality of STARCJ Alive. Moreover the channel will have a fixed EPG number which will make it easier for us to communicate with our STARCJ consumers across MSOs/Regions. With digitization becoming compulsory, DTH players growing rapidly across India, thus a tie-up with them provides an opportunity for STAR CJ Alive to reach more effectively to our target audience.”

MUMBAI: With the big three TV manufacturers (Sony, Panasonic, and Sharp) reporting billions in losses in FY 2011, TV manufacturers need a lifeline if they‘re going to stay in business. Smart TVs and connected services may provide such a rescue.

The global market of services on connected TVs will reach $3.23 billion in 2016. This market will represent 16.8% of the OTT video market and about one per cent of the global fixed video services market. These figures correspond to overall analysis of the deployment of connected TV services, which concluded that the right conditions for rolling out new services were not yet entirely there in early 2012, so researchers do not expect to see the market really take off until 2015.

New market research by Global Information, Inc, a markets research portal, anticipates that paid services will play a leading role in the development of connected TV services. Worldwide paid services will represent 59% of the market for video services on connected TV.

World Television Market: The television sector is facing a profound restructuring, as players from formerly disparate sectors, such as TV, Internet and equipment vendors converge on the market. We are indeed currently nearing the end of a double phenomenon known as cordcutting (in which consumers will combine free access to linear television via digital terrestrial and satellite with a fee-consumption via OTT services) and cord-shaving (in which consumers will scrap their paid cable and IPTV plans for low cost OTT offers or a limited consumption of VOD services). Given the pioneer position of the US with respect to attractive OTT service offerings, IDate believes that they will remain the largest market for connected TV services, harboring up to 61 per cent of the total market.

The global FPD (Flat Panel Display) TV industry is to concentrate on promotional sales toward year-end 2012. With growth in major regional markets slowing down and 3D TV fad diminishing, branded vendors are eyeing on smart TV products in 2012 to sustain prices of end-market products through software applications and services amid the fixed hardware costs. This report provides an insight into the global and Taiwanese smart TV market and product developments in 2012 and beyond and examines product strategies of major smart TV branded vendors.

MUMBAI: NDS, now part of Cisco, is providing a suite of video technologies to enable multi system operator (MSO) Atria Convergence Technologies (ACT) to digitise and expand its cable TV service in Southern and Western India.

ACT currently has over one million analogue cable TV, digital TV, IPTV and broadband subscribers. With the launch of improved digital cable packages, the company aims to expand its digital customer base across its operations.

To enable the launch, NDS is providing ACT with industry-leading solutions that will help secure revenues and provide enhanced functionality for subscribers, including VideoGuard conditional access (CA), MediaHighway set-top box software, and a bespoke branded electronic programme guide (EPG); the new digital service will also support interactive features such as games and TV apps.

¨ NDS‘ technologies will enable ACT to rapidly scale its offering to meet demand and deploy innovative new services including High Definition channels.

¨ In addition to attracting new customers with more compelling TV packages, supporting more channels with higher quality, ACT will also be able to take advantage of new monetisation opportunities within the new EPG. The NDS Dynamic Advanced Advertising solution will allow ACT to integrate localised advertising inventory into the EPG home page and incorporate banner advertising.

Atria Convergence Technologies MD Sunder Raju said, “This is a fantastic opportunity for us to broaden our subscriber base in our core market and extend into new territories. NDS was clearly the right technology partner for us, offering proven technology and an understanding of our market with a particularly strong delivery and support team.”

NDS India country head, GM Jayant Changrani said, “Competition is increasing in India as cable TV operators work aggressively to acquire more and more subscribers before the switchover from analogue. Cost, innovation and time to market are all prime considerations and our work with ACT demonstrates once again how we can give customers the edge they need to stand out.”

MUMBAI: Reliance Broadcast Network‘s (RBNL) hybrid channel, specifically created for the international market, is ready to tap the big American market where several Indian broadcasters have already made their entry.

After testing the global waters in Canada this June, Big Magic International has launched in the United States hoping to find appeal from its mix of entertainment, infotainment and business Indian fare.

RBNL has signed with Dish Network and will be available both on DTH and IPTV. For Dish Network‘s direct-to-home (DTH) subscribers, it will be part of the Hindi Mega Pack. It has also worked out a deal to reach out to Dish Network‘s IPTV offerings.

“We will be available on Dish‘s base pack for South Asian audiences. We have a revenue share arrangement with them. They are also working out IPTV offerings,” said a RBNL spokesperson.

Big Magic International will also be available as an a la carte channel by optimising Reliance Group synergies with Big Flix Video on Demand – which has a library of more than 2000 movies, including a regional movie catalogue, catering to the South Asian language groups, offering a combo service.

“The combo pack on Big Flix is priced at $5,” the spokesperson added.

Big Magic International takes content from Reliance ADAG‘s television channel, its international properties and business news channel Bloomberg TV for the Indian market.

RBNL is looking at getting both subscription and advertisement sales in the US market. Big Magic International has appointed Mediamorphosis LLC as its “exclusive” advertising agency in the US.

RBNL CEO Tarun Katial said, “Backed by the success that Big Magic International has seen in Canada, we are excited to be entering the key market of United States. We have strategically activated all levers ranging the product content, distribution partners and ad sales agency, after mapping the market to understand what it can deliver for us. We are confident of the channel resonating well with audiences, while offering an effective platform to marketers. We are progressing as planned, with our international expansion and growth strategy and look forward to continuing to deliver value to all our stakeholders.”

The programming on Big Magic International will be a mix of daily sitcoms, socio-mytho programs, crime shows, dramas, and religious shows hand-picked from Big Magic India. It will also showcase televised award shows created by the RBNL‘s intellectual property vertical.