Category: Technology

MUMBAI: Over one-quarter of TVs shipped during Q1‘12 were equipped with internet connectivity, as reported in the new NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Smart TV Shipment and Forecast Report, which tracks connected and smart TV shipments by brand, region, display technology and screen size.

Approximately 27 per cent of TV sets shipped worldwide had internet connectivity, led by Japan, where 46 per cent of sets had networking capability, and Western Europe with 36 per cent. In a good example of how internet entertainment is developing rapidly in emerging markets, China followed closely behind Western Europe with 32 per cent of sets that shipped having internet functionality.

In the report, NPD DisplaySearch further analysed TV sets by service type. Basic connected TVs can access structured services from broadcasters such as Hbb.TV in Europe, BBC‘s iPlayer in the UK, Hulu in the US and AcTVila in Japan. Netflix and YouTube also offer such services.

According to NPD DisplaySearch, a smart TV can access a branded portal and service, not just publicly available platforms such as YouTube, or broadcaster services. Within this definition of smart TV, there are sub-categories that differ in the nature of the control of the service offering:

– ‘Set maker controlled‘ sets can have unique services from a portal. No two brands are alike, and the services may be configurable as apps.

– ‘Consumer controlled‘ sets can escape the constraints of a portal and allow the consumer to access the whole internet. These sets typically have a browser inside.

The report indicates that nearly 20 per cent of all TVs shipped worldwide were smart TVs, the highest being in Japan with 36 per cent, with China a close runner-up with 30 per cent. The feature was also strong in Western Europe, over 29 per cent of the first quarter shipments were of smart TVs. All regions were over one-in-ten, with North America at 18 per cent.

NPD DisplaySearch director of TV Electronics Research Paul Gray said, “Connected TV is largely driven by content. Where there are compelling things to watch, the internet becomes a major source of entertainment. We are now seeing a second stage of evolution as internet video relocates from a PC screen onto the TV screen. In particular, Chinese consumers have found plenty to watch on the internet, so internet connectivity follows.”

One of the more surprising findings from the report indicates that no region is being left behind. Developed regions can be expected to have high shipments, and areas with low broadband uptake such as the Middle East and Africa also show a strong interest in internet connectivity.

“It is an interesting trend. There are countries in emerging regions where mobile broadband far outnumbers fixed lines, so consumers are looking to share mobile content on a big screen” added Gray.

By region, the largest shipments were in China with almost three million smart TVs shipped. Western Europe was second, with 2.1 million units shipped, while North America was third with almost 1.4 million units shipped. Strong seasonality linked to the Lunar New Year holiday helped increase shipments in China. Western Europe showed weaker demand as consumers there tend to exhibit more caution toward smart TVs.

By region, the report finds that open internet access is dominant in China, as consumers have a shortage of structured services and want to look elsewhere for content to view. However, 2012 models from all major brands incorporate browsers, and this feature trend is likely to proliferate outside of China.

MUMBAI: The Federal Communications Commission has allowed to let lapse the ‘viewability rule‘ that requires cable operators to carry a local television station on both its digital and analog platforms.

With the sunsetting of this rule, viewers with analogue TV sets will require a set-top box to continue receiving local feeds as operators will no longer have to carry stations on analog platform.

The move would impact 12 million cable subscribers across the country who would lose access to some of their local TV stations.

Justifying its decision, the FCC said many cable operators are providing equipments at little or no cost to subscribers which would allow them to switch over to digital cable without much financial burden.

However, the FCC‘s “viewability requirement‘ is likely to have an adverse impact on smaller stations many of whom cater to small ethnic and religious groups, according to National Association of Broadcasters, the trade association of broadcasters in US.

The FCC had in 2007 set the expiration of transition to high-definition for cable operators at December 2012.

The cable industry has welcomed the move saying operators will take steps to ensure a smooth migration.

“With the majority of all households now enjoying digital services, the cable industry will maximise its bandwidth to provide innovative services that connect consumers to things they care about most. ,” said Michael Powell, CEO of the National Cable and Telecommunications Association. “And while some customers have yet to make the transition to digital, cable providers will continue to work hard to make that conversion as smooth as possible.”

Mumbai: Jump Games, having the IP rights for many Hollywood and Bollywood hits, has entered into the Bhojpuri film market.

The Reliance Entertainment Digital‘s mobile and web games developer and publisher company has ecreated a mobile game for the Bhojpuri film, ‘Dil Le Gayi Odhaniyawali’.

The game has gone online and can be downloaded across all mobile operators. It will be available on all leading operators like Vodafone, BSNL, Idea, Docomo. It has been made for Java, Blackberry and Android technologies

Jump Games business head India Chaitanya Prabhu said, “Backed with the huge expertise and hit deliveries with movie based IP’s for Hollywood films like Real Steal ,Mirror Mirror and Bollywood blockbusters like 3 Idiots, Bodyguard, Singham, this film marks our entry into the burgeoning Bhojpuri market. With a very loyal audience base who are passionate and ardent lovers of their films and actors, Jump Games is very excited to create this offering and is confident of it being received excellently. We look forward to creating more clutter breaking and unique mobile engagement games for brands.”

The mobile game created on the peg of action, has all the “masala” of a Bhojpuri film where the protagonists are in love and the female protagonist’s father opposes the relationship and wants to kill the male protagonist.

The user can take on the avatar of the hero (Khesari) and beat up the bad guys to take home his lover, killing a specific number of men in each level will let you complete the target and push to the next level.

Additional features created by Jump Games include an action packed game with Vivid graphics, simple controls for pick-up and play and innovative hurdles to make the chase more exciting.

For Balaji Cinevision, the production house, this allows for an extension to the film, creating a critical and increasing touch point amongst its consumers.

MUMBAI: The over-the-top television market might still be in its infancy in India but still holds a lot of promise in future, a fact that is borne out by PricewaterhouseCoopers which forecasts 176 million OTT viewers by 2015 generating revenues of $552 million.

Mobile Internet TV is one of the biggest growth areas in India with a third of Indian smartphone users watching TV on their smartphones, according to the PwC research. Content streaming solutions firm Vidiator commissioned PwC for the research.

With television household penetration hitting 65 per cent, there exists tremendous opportunities for live OTT and mobile Internet TV for those households that currently have no existing terrestrial infrastructure, cable or satellite services.

Currently, the Indian market has just one over-the-top (OTT) television distribution platform in the form of Ditto TV launched by Zee New Media, the digital arm of Zee Entertainment, in March this year. There are numerous on-demand online content providers like NyooTV, BigFlix and Eros Now, among others.

The huge opportunity notwithstanding, Vidiator CEO Tae Sung Park warns that despite consumers’ huge appetite for mobile streaming services, Indian mobile operators are being overly cautious towards this potentially lucrative opportunity.

The reluctance of telcos stems from an understandable concern about major investments into hardware and infrastructure and fears about the length of time it will take to recoup the money they think is needed to launch an OTT service, says the report.

On top of this, many operators are busy rolling out 3G and LTE infrastructure and are worried about finding the resources to also deploy a video streaming service. They also question their ability to recoup the incremental costs of offering OTT at good enough quality to paid service in a pre-pay market.

An independent survey of Indian consumers was conducted to find out what people want from mobile video and if they’d ever pay for it. Of those surveyed, 88 per cent said they would consider paying for mobile video now or in the future, with as many 54 per cent saying they had already paid to access content.

However there is a caveat attached: People will only pay for video that is good quality and that is delivered quickly, particularly since the biggest problem faced by consumers while accessing content online is that of buffering and poor quality images. The biggest issue, however, is that 68 per cent of the people surveyed expressed dissatisfaction with the time it takes video to load.

MUMBAI: Reliance Home Video & Games will launch the Madagascar 3 game, titled Madagascar 3 – Europe’s Most Wanted, on PS3 and Xbox in India on 13 June.

This will be the first movie based game title launched by Reliance Home Video and Games with Japanese game developer Namco Bandai.

Last week, Indiantelevision.com had reported that Reliance Home Video and Games has tied up with Namco Bandai, to distribute and promote movie based games in India.

Madagascar 3 – Europe’s Most Wanted is priced at Rs 2,799 for PS3 and Xbox and will be available at all leading bookstores like Landmark, Crossword, etc. and also on e-commerce portals like Flipkart.

Speaking on the latest game title, Reliance Home Video and Games COO Sweta Agnihotri said, “We are excited to bring our first movie based game title in India through our partnership with Namco Bandai. The latest installment of Madagascar is a welcome addition to our fast expanding portfolio of game titles on multiple platforms. The initial feedback on the game has been encouraging and I am sure that kids in India will enjoy the interactivity that the game offers in enhancing their experience of the movie. We are committed to bringing the best entertainment for both home video and games to our consumers and will continue to bring several more such titles to our Indian consumers.”

Madagascar 3 (the game) combines the fun of circus and carnival games with madcap, Madagascar-style adventure. The characters travel across Europe in an adventure that goes beyond the film. Kids get a chance to play as their favourite Madagascar characters in a unique combination of action, adventure, and circus party games that bring the movie franchise to life.

Some of the key features of the game include the official Madagascar 3 video game, drop-in co-op multiplayer for family gaming, play as favourite Madagascar characters across multiple European locations and a unique mix of action gaming and circus-themed party games. The game is split between action gaming following the general storyline and circus-themed party games available via the game menu.

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Reliance Home Video, Namco Bandai to release movie based games

MUMBAI: Spark Punjabi, the first regional channel from Big CBS, the joint venture company between Reliance Broadcast Network (RBNL) and CBS Studios International, will be available on Reliance Digital TV starting 15 June.

Spark Punjabi will be available on channel No. 952 on the direct-to-home (DTH) platform.

Spark Punjabi offers CBS content dubbed in Punjabi and is available across Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh (PHCHP) regions. The channel was launched on 14 January this year.

Spark Punjabi claims a market share of approximately 30 per cent and is hoping to grow its reach with 4.5 million Reliance Digital TV subscribers.

RBNL EVP marketing Anand Chakravarthy said, “As we equip and prepare for the impending digitisation, we want to ensure the best reach and viewing experience for Spark Punjabi. We are happy to be available on our group company Reliance Digital TV, which will fortify the position of the channel amongst the people of and from the region. We will through the product continue to offer value to both consumers and marketers alike.”

Reliance Digital TV business head Ashutosh Srivastava added, “By adding Spark Punjabi to our bouquet of channels, we now offer the dedicated international content dubbed in Punjabi along with reality shows in the same language for our subscribers from the Punjabi speaking regions of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh thus, providing superior quality entertainment directly in the comfort of their homes.”

Spark Punjabi is currently being distributed across PHCHP region on digital and analog platforms, and claims an extensive reach of over 6 million cable and satellite households in the region.

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: With barely a month remaining for the first phase of digitisation in the four metros, a big multi-system operator (MSO) has surprised everybody. Hinduja-controlled IndusInd Media and Communications Ltd (IMCL) has moved the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (Tdsat) challenging Trai’s tariff order for digital addressable systems.

IMCL, the the media subsidiary company of Hinduja Ventures Ltd, has approached the sector tribunal with mainly three complaints. The MSO’s first grudge is that the tariff order does not have a common rate for content from broadcasters, leaving space for negotiations that will weigh against smaller cable networks. By keeping the rate open with a ceiling at 42 per cent of analogue cable, it will also favour vertical media companies that have a presence in both distribution and content.

The implication on this is that pure play cable companies and small-sized networks will have a higher price to pay for the content from broadcasters compared to MSOs who have a wider reach and are aligned with broadcasters.

The second grouse is that the provision of a la carte channels to consumers in Basic Service Tier (BST) is operationally cumbersome and can be a logistic nightmare.

The third contention is that creating a 500-channel capacity is not required across India. What we make out from this is that Chennai, for instance, would not need 500 channels as there is no appetite for Hindi content.

The matter was listed before the Tdsat on 11 June. Senior advocate S Ganesh appeared and stated that the government is considering extension of the deadline for digitisation. He requested for a hearing on 25 June. After some deliberation, the Tdsat agreed to list the matter on the same day (25 June).

Incidentally, the deadline for the first phase of digitisation in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai is 30 June.

In a separate but related development, United Cable Operator’s Welfare Association, New Delhi, has moved Tdsat seeking better revenue share from the MSOs and an extension in date for digitisation. Trai has fixed revenue share of 45 per cent for free-to-air channels (FTA) and 35 per cent in case of pay channels. The Tdsat has also kept 25 June as the date for hearing.

Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court will hear on 15 June and the Delhi High Court on 20 June petitions by independent operators and local cable operators challenging the sunset dates set by the Government for switching off analogue cable in the metros.

The Information and Broadcasting minister Ambika Soni will meet the stakeholders to consider all points of view before any final decision and this would be conveyed to them after the Task Force meeting on 15 June.

MUMBAI: comScore, which measures the digital world, released new insights on the tablet market from comScore TabLens, its forthcoming monthly syndicated service providing insights into tablet ownership and usage.

The report found that tablets have quickly reached a critical mass in the US with one in every four smartphone owners using tablets during the three-month average period ending April 2012. The study also found that tablet users were nearly three times more likely to watch video on their device compared to smartphone users, with 1 in every 10 tablet users viewing video content almost daily on their device.

comScore SVP of Mobile Mark Donovan said, “Tablets are one of the most rapidly adopted consumer technologies in history and are poised to fundamentally disrupt the way people engage with the digital world both on-the-go and perhaps most notably, in the home. It‘s not surprising to see that once consumers get their hands on their first tablet, they are using them for any number of media habits including TV viewing.”

Tablets used by 1 in every 4 Smartphone owners as connected consumer becomes a reality: In two years since the launch of the iPad, the first tablet to reach a meaningful market penetration, tablet adoption has exploded fueled by the introduction of new devices that appeal to various price and feature preferences. In April 2012, 16.5 per cent of mobile phone subscribers used a tablet, representing an increase of 11.8 per cent in the past year. Growth in market penetration was even more apparent among the smartphone population with nearly 1 in 4 using a tablet device in April, an increase of 13.9 per cent in the past year. A lower 10.4 per cent of feature phone owners use a tablet, suggesting that smartphone ownership is highly predictive of tablet adoption in the current market.

A demographic analysis of mobile device audiences indicated that tablet and smartphone audiences closely resemble one another in terms of gender composition, with tablet users just slightly more likely to be female than smartphone users. However, the age composition of audiences showed that tablet users skewed noticeably older than smartphone users. For both devices, the heaviest overall audience concentration was between the ages of 25-44. Compared to smartphone owners, tablet users were 28 per cent more likely to be in the 65 and older age segment, and 27 per cent less likely to be age 18-24.

Tablet users also skewed towards upper income households, likely a function of the high price point of these devices still considered a luxury good to many consumers. Nearly 3 in 5 tablet users resided in households with income of $75,000 or greater, compared to 1 in every 2 smartphone users.

Tablet audience nearly 3 times as likely to watch video as smartphone users: A closer look at content consumption on tablets found that more than half of tablet users watched video and/or TV content on their device in April 2012, compared to just 20 per cent of the smartphone audience, with larger screen sizes making tablets more conducive to video consumption than their smaller-screen cousins. Not only were tablet users more likely to watch video, but they were more likely to view video habitually with 18.9 per cent of tablet users watching video content at least once a week, and 9.5 per cent watching video nearly every day on their device. Of those viewing video at least once during the month, 1 in 4 (26.7 per cent) paid to watch content, highlighting the tremendous monetization potential this platform represents for content providers.

MUMBAI: US broadcaster NBC Entertainment has named Robert Hayes to the newly created position of executive VP, digital media. He will report to NBC Entertainment Marketing and Digital president Len Fogge.

While making the announcement jointly, NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt and NBC Broadcasting chairman Ted Harbert emphasised the strategic role of digital media in a highly competitive television landscape.

Greenblatt said, “It‘s critical that we do everything possible to light up digital media in order to help rebuild the primetime schedule. And there‘s no one better to lead this effort than Rob Hayes. I saw the effect he had at Showtime firsthand, and it‘s no accident that the pay network‘s explosion coincided with its digital innovations.”

Harbert said, “As NBC expands its digital media reach. We want to take full advantage of the synergy between programming, marketing and digital media which the interface between Rob, Len and Bob represents.”

Hayes will oversee the network‘s day-to-day digital strategy and operations, encompassing NBC‘s various digital platforms and initiatives which include NBC.com, social media, online, mobile/apps, connected devices, multi-platform programming, product development, digital media business development and digital marketing.

Fogge said, “Digital media is an essential component of NBC‘s programming, marketing and monetization strategies. Rob‘s demonstrated success as a creative digital media executive who understands the intersection between consumer behavior and emerging technologies makes him ideal to lead our initiatives in this area.”

Hayes‘ hire signals the network‘s move to more closely align its digital and programming strategies by engaging fans, growing revenue, and enhancing digital marketing opportunities for NBC shows such as ‘Smash‘, ‘The Voice‘and ‘30 Rock‘.

Hayes comes to NBC from Iconic Entertainment where he served as COO, creating premium VOD channels for YouTube and other premium over-the-top distributors.

Prior to that, Hayes made his biggest impact at Showtime Networks where he oversaw all things digital for the premium network, developing identities for shows like ‘Dexter‘, ‘Weeds‘, ‘Nurse Jackie‘, ‘Californication‘ and ‘The Tudors‘.” Under Hayes‘ leadership, Showtime broke new ground in developing a digital business strategy that included the first deals for premium television with iTunes, Amazon and Netflix, among others. During his tenure, the network enjoyed its greatest growth spurt from 12 million to more than 18 million subscribers.

Earlier in his career, Hayes served as VP of Business Development and VP, International Business Development, assessing opportunities for Showtime and other Viacom brands, focussing on Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, and at Home Box Office in the International Business Development and Operations group, launching HBO‘s first networks overseas.

MUMBAI: This month will see more than 100 satellite-based communications companies – an increase of seven per cent compared to 2011 – assemble at CommunicAsia2012 and BroadcastAsia2012, Asia‘s global ICT, digital multimedia and entertainment event.

Satellite exhibitors include Addvalue, Alitronika, Asiasat, Asia Broadcast Satellite, APT Satellite, Beijing Compunicate, China Satcom, China Suncom, Cobham, iDirect, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Iridium, Measat, Newtec, Siemens, SkyPerfect JSAT, Speedcast, Thaicom, Thomson Video Networks and first time exhibitor Novelsat.

As the Asian satellite market continues to grow, these industry players are using the event – to be held from 19 to 22 June 2012 at the Marina Bay Sands and Suntec Singapore respectively – as a strategic platform to address the critical issues surrounding Asia‘s marketplace, while accentuating their presence in the region.

According to many Asian satellite providers, the Asian satellite industry will continue to have future growth opportunities. With almost 3.8 billion people, Asia accounts for over 60 per cent of the world‘s population. This combined with strong growth in subscription numbers for Direct-To-Home/Direct Broadcast Satellite (DTH/DBS) services and advanced services, such as HDTV and 3D-TV, are fuelling the demand for satellite services in the region.

Satellite communications specialist Newtec has been involved with CommunicAsia for many years.

Newtec CEO Serge Van Herck said, “CommunicAsia represents a good investment for us each year. All of the key industry players attend the conference and each year the ROI proves it to be an extremely worthwhile venture, both for making deals with new and existing customers, and raising the company profile.

“This year we will be launching a series of products into the Asian market including the World‘s fastest transmission technology. What started out as a simple test of a number of Newtec‘s recently released and upcoming technologies ended in a quite exceptional report.

“During the actual test an Intelsat 72 MHz Ku band transponder was saturated using Newtec‘s latest modem technology and a mere 4.5 meter antenna. The result was a staggering 372 Mbps. Amazingly that did not include the use of the upcoming modulation and coding DVB-S2 extensions that Newtec‘s 200-head engineering team is working on. We are looking forward to showing these at CommunicAsia2012.”

Television as an economical form of entertainment has helped Pay TV operators maintain revenue streams and offers promising prospects for satellite players. In fact, with 10,000 channels and 365 million subscribers, Asia‘s Pay TV industry is booming and looks positive for the future – according to Media Partners Asia, a Hong Kong-based research consultancy, Asian Pay TV subscriptions will rise to 570 million by 2012, which will still only be 62 per cent of homes with TVs.

Inmarsat Global VP, Industry Drew Brandy said, “Asia-Pacific is a very important market for us, particularly as it looks set to experience further growth in satellite. As such, CommunicAsia2012 and BroadcastAsia2012 is a key event in our calendar. It explores the future of satellite while providing fantastic networking opportunities and enabling us to showcase our latest innovations.”

Essel Shyam executive director MN Vyas added, “The Asian satellite market is earmarked for high growth and we are extremely keen to tap into this potential. BroadcastAsia2012 is an important networking event to us as it offers an excellent platform to gain industry knowledge on the Asian market, and grow our business contacts.”

CommunicAsia2012 Summit will be featuring a session dedicated to satellite communications. NewSat founder, CEO Adrian Ballintine will open with a keynote presentation on Ka-band and Australasian satellite growth. The session will also unveil many prominent industry experts from across the globe, such as Altobridge, Gilat Satellite Networks, International Telecommunication (ITU), SES, and SingTel, converging at one place to debate about the growth potential of satellite broadband in Asia, the impact of industry consolidation through M&A and private equity in the satellite industry, mobile broadband for rural communities, amongst other critical topics.

Event organiser Singapore Exhibition Services project director for communications events Victor Wong said, “By bridging the wide spectrum of satellite technologies and applications to present operators with new and innovative ways to deliver data, video and voice content, CommunicAsia2012, together with BroadcastAsia2012, is well placed to play a pivotal role in accelerating the growth of Asia‘s satellite industry. Moreover, the 2012 events already have the support and endorsement from over 20 leading trade associations, including Asia-Pacific Satellite Communications Council (APSCC), Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) and the Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC) and World Teleport Association (WTA). “