Category: Technology

MUMBAI: BBC Sport has launched a Facebook application offering audiences live streams of major sports events, including Wimbledon and up to 24 streams of Olympics coverage.

This is the first time the BBC has live streamed events on Facebook.

The app will deliver a social viewing experience, plugging online audiences into the communal excitement of big sports moments. You can watch events with friends who are also online and chat together about the action as it happens, while comment threads under each stream enable you to take the pulse of reaction from the Facebook community in real time.

The in-app Activity Stream updates in real time to show you what your friends are watching, allowing you to discover events beyond your favourites.

A beta version of the app is launched for Wimbledon, offering BBC’s network TV coverage plus up to six extra match streams from across the courts, as well as comment threads and sharing features. Live chat functionality will be added in time for the Olympics.

BBC News and Knowledge GM Phil Fearnley said, “With our Facebook app we aim to bring even greater value to our online audiences, enabling them to watch together and share their excitement. We hope to use it to test the benefits of social viewing, as part of our ambition to deliver more innovative and transformative experiences to sports fans.”

Alongside the new Facebook app, audiences can watch BBC Summer of Sport coverage online at bbc.co.uk/sport, on mobile and tablet, on connected TVs, and via the Red Button. By bringing audiences the action whenever they want, wherever they are, the BBC is making sure they never miss a moment of an epic year of sport from the BBC.

MUMBAI: The Enforcement Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted a consent decree resolving its investigation of Comcast Corporation’s compliance with certain broadband-related merger conditions imposed by the US media watchdog’s order approving the Comcast-NBCU transaction.

The Bureau specifically negotiated an unprecedented year-long extension of the merger condition requiring Comcast to offer a reasonably priced broadband option to consumers who do not receive their cable service from the company. In addition, Comcast will pay an $800,000 voluntary contribution to the U.S. Treasury as part of the settlement.

FCC chairman Julius Genachowski said, “Today’s action demonstrates that compliance with Commission orders is not optional. The remedies announced today will benefit consumers and foster competition, including from online video and satellite providers, by ensuring that standalone broadband is truly available in Comcast’s service areas. I am pleased we were able to resolve this issue.”

Among other conditions in the Comcast-NBCU Order, the Commission required Comcast to continue to offer standalone broadband Internet access services at reasonable prices and with sufficient bandwidth to customers who do not subscribe to Comcast’s video cable services.

Specifically, the Commission required Comcast to offer standalone broadband services on terms equivalent to packages that bundle broadband and video cable service.

Comcast was ordered to offer a broadband service with a download speed of at least 6 mbps at a price no greater than $49.95 for three years. The Commission also prohibited Comcast from raising prices on the required broadband service for two years. Finally, Comcast had to “visibly offer and actively market” standalone broadband Internet access service to highlight the availability of this special service and other standalone broadband services.

After receiving information suggesting that Comcast was not adequately marketing its standalone broadband services, the Bureau thoroughly investigated Comcast’s compliance with the merger condition. Comcast responded fully to the Bureau’s investigation. Ultimately, the Bureau and Comcast reached agreement to address the Bureau’s concerns, resulting in today’s consent decree.

Under the terms of the consent decree, Comcast must continue to offer its “Performance Starter” service until at least 21 February 2015, representing a one-year extension beyond the requirement in the Comcast-NBCU Order. This is the first consent decree in FCC history extending a merger condition.

Consumers will directly benefit from the greater availability of this reasonably priced broadband option, potentially worth many millions of dollars in savings to consumers. Comcast also must pay $800,000 to the U.S Treasury.

In addition, the consent decree imposes a detailed compliance plan requiring Comcast to undertake numerous actions, including the following:

• training its customer service representatives and retail sales personnel to reinforce their awareness and familiarity with the Performance Starter service;


• ensuring that new and existing Comcast customers have equal access to a web page devoted exclusively to describing and permitting online purchase of all retail standalone broadband Internet service options;


• listing the Performance Starter service tier on product lists issued to Comcast customers;


• conducting a major advertising promotion of Comcast’s standalone retail broadband Internet access service offerings in 2013; and


• continuing to offer the Performance Starter service at its owned and operated retail locations and offering its third-party retail agents and independent dealers the opportunity to sell the Performance Starter broadband service.

MUMBAI: US media conglomerate NBCUniversal has announced that the US‘ more than 100 million cable, satellite and telco customers can access 3,500 hours of Olympic live stream content at no additional charge by verifying their video subscriptions at NBC Olympics Live Extra, the home of Olympic live stream content at NBCOlympics.com.

By verifying now, multi-channel customers can also access 14.5 hours of coverage of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials online. Cable, satellite and telco customers can verify their mobile and tablet devices when the NBC Olympics Live Extra App launches in mid-July.

NBC Olympics president Gary Zenkel said, “NBC Olympics Live Extra will provide cable, satellite and telco customers with access to unprecedented Olympic content via digital, mobile and tablet devices. We have been working closely with our multi-channel partners since the Vancouver Games to develop and deploy the most seamless verification process for their subscribers. The Olympics truly represents the ultimate opportunity for the cable/satellite/telco industry to demonstrate the value of TV Everywhere.”

NBCUniversal and the cable/satellite/telco industry are partnering on a marketing campaign to educate customers about the verification process.

Since the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, NBC Olympics has worked with the cable/satellite/telco industry to improve the verification process with innovative technology.

NBCOlympics.com will live stream every Olympic competition event and sport for the first time ever. In all, the site will live stream more than 3,500 total programming hours, including the awarding of all 302 medals. By comparison, NBCOlympics.com live streamed 25 sports and 2,200 hours for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

The vast majority of live streaming will only be available to authenticated cable, satellite or telco customers. The site will also feature rewinds of all event coverage, a steady stream of athlete profiles, event highlights and a tour of London as the host city.

MUMBAI: Online travel company Yatra.com is set to make its fourth major acquisition in 18 months as it intends to buy 100 per cent stake in Travelguru, the Indian arm of US travel services provider Travelocity.

Yatra has investors like Network18, Norwest Venture Partners, Reliance Capital and Intel Capital.

The acquired entity will continue to operate as a separate unit under its existing brand name.

Yatra.com earlier bought out Travel Services International (TSI) in October 2010, MagicRooms in June 2011 and Buzzintown in January, 2012.

In October 2011, when Yatra.com acquired ticket consolidator Travel Services International (TSI), it strengthened its foray into the B2B consolidation space. Later, in July 2011 the portal acquired hotel aggregation company, MagicRooms, gaining access to a live inventory of over 3,000 hotels across India. Earlier this year in January, it took over event and entertainment promotion portal Buzzintown to expand its portfolio and give consumers the access to service beyond travel.

Through its latest acquisition, Yatra.com hopes to further fortify its position as the leading company in the Indian online travel space and will substantially extend its position as the premiere aggregator and seller of domestic hotels and holidays in India, adding to its already strong offerings for flights and outbound holidays.

Travelguru’s hotel distribution network in India offers access to more than 6,500 hotels in the country and close to 72,000 hotels worldwide. Travelguru facilitates a broad range of travel options and recommendations for domestic as well as international travelers.

Yatra.com co-founder and CEO Dhruv Shringis said, “Not only will this consolidation increase our customer base, but it also widens our product portfolio and leverages our ability to bundle solutions, offering better deals and value propositions to our customers. The acquisition will also provide Travelguru’s hotel partners with a much wider distribution network through Yatra.com and its B2B network of 10,000+ agents.”

Travelocity North America president Roshan Mendis said, “The two brands have obvious synergy and are an excellent fit. Moving forward, we will work closely with the Yatra.com team on a transition plan and an arrangement to source India hotel content for Travelocity Global so that our customers continue to have the best access to accommodation options in India.”

MUMBAI: After IndusInd Media and Communications Ltd, Digicable is the second big multi-system operator (MSO) to move the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (Tdsat) against Trai’s tariff order for digital addressable systems.

Digicable has approached the broadcast tribunal opposing the sector regulator’s new revenue sharing mechanism.

Digicable has, in its petition, said that Trai’s (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) tariff order is “unjust, unfair, unreasonable, arbitrary, irrational, and discriminatory” and is tilted towards the broadcasters.

As per Trai’s tariff order, charges collected from the subscription of paid channels or bouquet of paid channels shall be shared in the ratio of 65:35 between MSO and the local cable operator respectively.

Digicable has requested Tdsat to strike down the revenue model.

Tdsat has already heard IMCL’s petition and has put off the case for next hearing. It has also allowed news channels and their association NBA and India Broadcast Foundation (IBF) to be a party supporting Trai in the matter.

The local cable operators (LCOs) are also opposing the Trai tariff order. United Cable Operator’s Welfare Association, New Delhi, has approached the Tdsat seeking better revenue share from the MSOs and an extension in date for digitisation.

Meanwhile, the deadline for the first phase of digitisation in the four metros has already been postponed for four months to 1 November.

Also Read:

Tdsat puts off IMCL’s plea against Trai’s tariff order to 25 August, makes b’casters party

IndusInd Media moves Tdsat against Trai’s tariff order

MUMBAI: The AT&T U-verse TV contract with AMC Networks for channels, including AMC, IFC and WE tv, in the US expires on 30 June.

AT&T issued a statement saying that AMC Networks is looking for an excessive rate increase.

“We are making every effort to reach a fair agreement and continue providing these channels to our customers. Frankly, we‘re disappointed AMC Networks has decided to take its negotiations public, instead of working with us in good faith, especially since we‘re still actively in negotiations,” At&T said.

AT&T has been in ongoing negotiations to renew this agreement, but AMC Networks is seeking an excessive rate increase in its overall fees for the right to deliver these channels. AMC Networks is asking that AT&T pay nearly double what AT&T believes other competitors are paying — including a smaller-sized competitor.

“We believe the rates they are seeking are disproportionate compared to the viewership we see across their channels,” AT&T said.

AT&T adds that it does not think that‘s reasonable, especially in these economic times, and the aim is to continue to work toward a fair deal.

The company says that there is an ongoing industry trend in which an increasing number of content providers seek unreasonable price increases from their service providers as those contracts expire.

“If we accept this cost increase from AMC Networks, it could result in higher prices for customers, and would only encourage other content providers to make similar demands. We don‘t want customers to lose these channels, but we need to take a stand now to keep costs down while continuing to provide the quality programming customers want and deserve,” the company said.

Mumbai: Colors has launched a mobile application for its celebrity dancing reality show, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa.

The application will be available on all three – Blackberry, Android and iOS – platforms.

The application aims to “step out” and reach the technology savvy population of the country.

Colors has worked with InTime Media, in association with BBC Worldwide, to develop this application which will translate the on screen episodes alive on mobile screens.

Colors digital head Vivek Shrivastav said, “With this season of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, we wanted to step out and do something that we have never done before. By creating this application, we are reaching out to the thousands of technology enthusiast who are on the go and want the world at their finger tips.”

The app will have interactive features that will appeal to the visual, intellectual and socially active person. Users can explore videos, revisit popular episodes, performances along with some behind the scene trivia, and follow all tweets of Jhalak through the social media tracker besides vote.

“We wanted to introduce an off air engaging application that is accessible on mobile. The show has been very active on social media and with the launch of the application we are hoping to get viewers to enjoy their favourite show and be part the extravaganza anytime,” Shrivastav added.

MUMBAI: DTH operator Sun Direct has launched ‘World Pack’ which has nine top English entertainment channels in addition to all the channels available on the regular South Value pack and Cinema Plus at Rs 199 per month.

The nine new channels included in this new ‘World Pack’ are Star Movies, HBO, Zee Studio, Sony Pix, AXN, Discovery, Animal Planet, NGC and BBC World.

The new packages have been introduced as part of its new theme to ‘Think regional: Go metro’, thereby redefining the entertainment quotient of urban customers while retaining the core values of regional entertainment basket.

In the past, the regional operator has been harping on ‘Think regional: Go national’ theme.

Sun Direct CEO Mahesh Kumar said, “We have always been quick to spot a gap in the existing entertainment offerings and the new ‘World Pack’ is tailor made to address the city customers who are looking for world-class English channels which retaining the core regional/language channels. The icing on the cake is the additions of two new HD channels which will increase the quality of entertainment value to the customer.”

The operator is also wooing sports fanatics by launching “World Pack + Sports” which is being offered as an acquisition pack to the new customers at the rate of 1590 for one month and 2250 for four months subscription and existing customers can buy in the offer at 249 for one month.

Customers can choose any two sports channels under the plan – Star Cricket + Star Sports or Star Cricket + ESPN channels. Sun Direct also increased its HD channel offerings with the addition of Star Movies HD and Zee Studio HD at no extra cost.

The World pack is currently offered as an upgrade pack to existing customers.

MUMBAI: Consumer value added services (Vas) are set to triple from $125 billion worldwide in 2011 to $420 billion in 2020.

This was the predication made at the recently concluded trade event CommunicAsia 2012 in Singapore by Point Topic CEO Oliver Johnson. Point Topic is an industry analyst firm for global broadband statistics, information and reports.

As competition reduces margins in the basic broadband business, and with increasing penetration of broadband value-added services, their contribution to revenues is becoming increasingly more important.

VoIP is currently the top revenue earner. However, Point Topic predicts that this will be trumped by IPTV by 2020.

Johnson also pointed out that growth may not be easy for some services, particularly when faced with competition from online and traditional offline services.

Johnson said, “Development may be harder for some markets than other. For example, security already has a penetration rate of over 85%, so being able to grow this further will depend on developing other security related services, or on the advent of a virulent and destructive online threat.”

Access revenues, subscriptions charged for a broadband service, are similarly a tough area to grow revenue, especially as saturation permeates through more and more markets.

Offering the right bundles for their consumers in a particular market, signing the right deals and maintaining a customer base in the face of global competition will be the mark of a successful ISP in the next few years. Get it wrong and they won’t see growth – get it right and their prize will be an income base worth several multiples of its yearly value.

“Challenges lie ahead for all and the internet can be fickle, but the right player with the right service, or more likely set of services, has the chance to sweep all before them,” concluded Johnson.

MUMBAI: YOU Scod18 has installed Thomson Video Networks‘ ViBE VS7000 convergent video platform to launch HD channels and OTT services to customers in the Mumbai area.

The MSO, which is a joint venture between You Broadband and Cable India, plans to launch HD, OTT channels, and many value-added services including audience metering/ TV viewership, Catch Up TV and Video-on-Demand (VoD) in the near future.

The company said it chose Thomson‘s ViBE VS7000 fully integrated IP video system for its superior image quality and the combination of encoding and multi-format capabilities it offers in a convenient package.

“The ViBE VS7000 provides a very strong combination of high-quality encoding with robustness and versatility in a unit that makes it easy to launch and develop both cable and Internet-based media services,” said You Scod18‘s director N K Rouse.