Category: Technology

MUMBAI: Ben Silverman‘s multimedia entertainment studio Electus, an operating business of IAC, has announced a show ‘K-Town‘ — the first show from its new pop-culture channel, Loud, slated to launch on YouTube on 2 July .

Created and executive produced by Tyrese Gibson‘s HQ Productions, ‘K-Town‘ is a reality show that explores Asian Americans who reside in the heart of Koreatown, Los Angeles – the Korean culture center that is sandwiched between downtown Los Angeles and the business district of the Miracle Mile. From karaoke bars to night clubs, the series follows the cast as they discover themselves and what it means to be Asian American growing up in the 21st century.

HQ Productions founder Tyrese Gibson said, “We are excited to partner with such visionaries as Ben Silverman, Tony DiSanto and Liz Gateley to launch K-Town into the pop-culture stratosphere. Loud is the perfect platform for chronicling the social rituals of this unique Asian American subculture. While nothing about this series is commonplace, the show is highly-relatable as the cast‘s personal stories, struggles and triumphs are universal.”

Executive Producer Mike Le added, “Asians have always been viewed through the media as either exaggerated stereotypes or the one-dimensional model minority. ‘K-Town‘ is a celebration of what it‘s like to be a young Asian in America today. It‘s not just about playing the piano and being great at math. We‘re also sexy, stylish, have swagger, and can party with the best of them.”

Conceptualised by Electus founder Ben Silverman with consultation from DiGa, co-founded by Tony DiSanto and Liz Gateley – the former MTV executives responsible for the creation and development of shows like ‘Jersey Shore‘, ‘Teen Mom‘, ‘Laguna Beach‘ the Loud channel will have series featuring celebrities as well as YouTube talent, creating the perfect blend of unique characters and buzz-worthy content that will launch into the collective cultural consciousness.

Diga co-founder Liz Gateley said, “When Tony and I first met with Tyrese and his producing partners, we quickly realized that the concept behind K-Town was a very unique, untapped subculture in American media. We instantly saw it as a fertile ground for a highly entertaining, unscripted show that would play incredibly well to the Loud audience. In the same way the culture of Jersey Shore has their own lingo and philosophies, the K-Town cast has theirs and audiences will become enthralled with the individual personalities and fascinating lifestyles depicted in the show.”

Electus COO, head of digital Drew Buckley said, “We are proud to make true on the promise of programming a YouTube™ channel where we can find a home for a show like K-Town that challenges what is traditionally shown on television in so many ways. We‘re looking forward to creating even more TV-quality programming by and for the YouTube audience.”

Launching on 2 July Electus will announce The Loud Channel‘s full talent and programming slate in the coming weeks. Viewers can subscribe to The Loud Channel for trailers and show updates.

MUMBAI: Sun18 North, the distribution alliance between Network18 and Sun TV Network, has appointed Amit Arora as national head – affiliate sales.

Prior to Sun18, Arora was with Media Pro Enterprises as Sr VP – Business Development & Strategy.

In his new role, he will be heading the affiliate sales business (driving subscription revenues) across DTH, Cable (analogue and digital) and IPTV for India (domestic) market. He will be reporting into Sun18 North COO Gaurav Gandhi.

Sun18 COO and Viacom18 head – international business Gaurav Gandhi said, “We are delighted to have Amit on board. Given his extensive experience and understanding of the domestic distribution market, both across DTH and Cable, we are confident that Amit will drive our affiliate sales business to the next level.”

Arora comes with 14 years of experience in the distribution, sales, strategy and business development.

Prior to Media Pro, he has also served at Star DEN, MSM Discovery, and ESPN Star Sports.

MUMBAI: Spuul, an ad supported subscription service that legally provides Indian content online, has launched a new application for Apple devices that will enable users to stream Bollywood movies wherever and whenever they want them.

Spuul is the premium video streaming service for Indian content, providing instant access to Indian movies and TV shows to users worldwide.

With this new app, iPad and iPhone users can now instantly watch Bollywood blockbusters such as Rockstar, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Sholay on spuul.com.

Spuul co-founder S Mohan said, “Smartphones and tablets are revolutionising video consumption habits today. We believe that the Spuul app addresses a critical need for easy access to Indian content.

“The initial response has been tremendous. Since the App‘s launch a few days ago, 70 per cent of our current users are now watching Spuul on mobile and the number of movies watched has gone up by 500 per cent.”

The Spuul app features some unique functionality, including the ability to save and recall users‘ playback position between different devices. The easy-to-use search function simplifies the discovery of content and helps deliver a premium entertainment experience for movie watchers. The app supports any iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch device running iOS version 4.3 or later.

In addition to access to over 100 free movies, Spuul offers: specials, which are pay-per-view movies available at $0.99 per movie for 72-hours of unlimited viewing and premium subscription which gives access to the very best of Bollywood movies online at an introductory price of just $4.99 month.

Upcoming titles on Spuul include movies like Vicky Donor, and Devdas to name a few.

New titles are being added every week.

MUMBAI: The paint brand Dulux has announced a mobile application -Dulux Colour Schemer.

The app is an attempt to provide innovative colour solutions to the consumers.

Available on all smartphones, this colour application offers the user with the ease of choosing from a wide range colours and products offered by Dulux. It gives the consumers the option of creating their choice of combinations that can be used for home decor and wall paints, within one‘s budget – anytime and from anywhere. The application is available for free download on both iOS and Android Smartphone.

Dulux is produced by AkzoNobel (formerly Imperial Chemical Industries). The brand name Dulux has been used by both ICI and DuPont since 1931 and was one of the first alkyd-based paints.

The company said that unlike most technical mobile apps, Dulux Colour Schemer is a rather simple and user-friendly app that allows consumers to browse through a wide variety of 2016 colours available from a selection of warm, vibrant, fresh or calm, or simply click on a photograph and pick colour(s) that appeal them the most. The application further assists the consumers in searching for the right Dulux products, product information, application method, and the store from where the paint can be bought.

Akzo Nobel India marketing manager Pushkar Jain said, “We, at Akzo Nobel India have always endeavoured to provide innovative colour solutions to our customers. The way of the future is to use the power of digitization. Mobile phones are no longer just means to make calls and send messages but are also used to follow news, watch TV, listen to music, check e-mail and access internet. With the launch of Dulux‘s first ever mobile app, we have tried to provide an open access to innumerable colour shades available under the Dulux banner, so that customers can start a paint project from anywhere and at anytime. Dulux Colour Schemer is a valuable mobile app for selecting the ideal colours for any home decoration project.”

MUMBAI: Telecom major Bharti Airtel has agreed to acquire 49 per cent stake in Qualcomm Asia Pacific‘s interest in Indian BWA entities for $165 million, giving it a pan-India presence for rolling out 4G services.

Bharti will buyout 26 per cent of Qualcomm‘s India interest held equally by Global Holding Corporation and Tulip Telecom Limited. The balance 23 per cent will come by way of subscription of fresh equity in Qualcomm‘s India entities.

Qualcomm AP‘s India entities hold BWA licenses in Delhi, Mumbai, Haryana and Kerala. Bharti already has BWA licenses in four circles – Kolkata, Karnataka, Punjab and Maharashtra – and 3G licenses in 13 circles in India.

The agreement contemplates that once commercial operations are launched, subject to certain terms and conditions, Bharti would assume complete ownership and financial responsibility for the BWA entities by the end of 2014.

Bharti has, thus, secured a nationwide broadband leadership through a combination of 4G and 3G, with its own networks in 18 circles. Bharti has already taken the lead in LTE TDD space by launching 4G services in Kolkata and Karnataka Circles.

Commenting on the partnership, Bharti Airtel chairman and MD Sunil Bharti Mittal said, “This partnership will combine the strength of Bharti‘s national telecom footprint and Qualcomm‘s technological leadership in the LTE TDD space. With a broadband ready network across India, Bharti is well positioned to lead the next phase of Indian‘s telecom revolution.”

Qualcomm expects to provide technical assistance to Bharti in connection with network architecture and optimisation, infrastructure and device testing, as well as continuing to develop and support the underlying technology and the LTE TDD ecosystem.

“One of our key objectives has been to include a strong partner in the Indian venture with the scale, experience and resources to deploy LTE TDD networks. We are pleased to have Bharti‘s participation and support in this effort,” said Qualcomm chairman and CEO Dr Paul E Jacobs. “GHC and Tulip have been great partners in facilitating this transaction. Qualcomm remains dedicated to the continued progress and success of the BWA venture and to fulfilling our commitment as a key equity stakeholder.”

MUMBAI: With the association of Bharti Airtel and Hungama Mobile, the music of Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur became the first soundtrack in India to premiere on the mobile platform prior to the album’s physical music release.

With this, music from the film is now exclusively available for Airtel mobile customers till 26 May via Hello Tunes and Airtel Radio.

The crime film, presented by Tipping Points Films, a division of Viacom18 Motion Pictures, releases across theatres on 22 June.

Bharti Airtel CMO-consumer business N. Rajaram said, “The music premiere of Gangs of Wasseypur first on the mobile platform speaks volumes of the changing consumption pattern among customers today. Be it music, movies, gaming, social networking or emailing – the discerning Indian customer is increasingly relying on the mobile phone for accessing content.

As more and more customers prefer listening to music on their mobile phones, we expect to see mobile music launches as a fast emerging trend towards catering to the preferences of India’s expanding base of mobile music listeners. We are delighted to join hands with Hungama to announce this industry first and exclusive for Airtel mobile customers”.

On this Bollywood music premiere on mobile, Hungama Mobile COO Albert Almeida said, “The mobile ecosystem is evolving and with a staggering number of consumers wanting to consume music and movies directly on their phones, we are happy to satiate their appetite. Airtel has been at the forefront of marketing and distributing entertainment and music content via mobile devices and through this initiative together we will make a compelling offer to music lovers yet again.”

What makes this tie-up special is that the film has been selected for the prestigious Directors’ Fortnight at the 65th Festival De Cannes, having already garnered unprecedented buzz from international media and critics.

MUMBAI: Digital media company, ValueFirst, has acquired Hyderabad-based IT company that runs person to person (P2P) messaging portal Way2Online Interactive.

The acquisition is made in an all-cash deal reportedly worth Rs 2 billion.

Way2Online owns and operates two websites- Way2sms.com and 160by2.com. Both Way2sms and 160by2 will continue to function as independent properties as products, although the infrastructure will be consolidated.

Post -acquisition, ValueFirst has become the only digital media company that can operate across multiple platforms – Internet, voice, sms and email.

With this acquisition, ValueFirst claims to cross 50 million profiled registered users and add 40,000 fresh registrations daily.

With this acquisition, ValueFirst will cross 50 million profiled registered users, add 40,000 fresh registrations daily and get to Rs 2.50 billion in revenues this financial year, ValueFirst said in a statement.

ValueFirst CEO Kumar Apoorv said, “The potential to build further onway2sms.com and 160by2.com is immense as ValueFirst can now leverage the huge inventories that these sites have through their large sales infra and 4,000-strong client base.”

NEW DELHI: The government has made no signals of deferring the deadline for digitisation in the four metros, but a Parliamentary Committee has indicated that it wants an extension of time.

The government has set 30 June as the date for digitisation in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.

Worried that adequate number of set-top boxes may not become available in time, the Committee has said the Department of Electronics and Information Technology should coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on the issue of extension of the proposed deadline for switchover to digital addressable systems in the first phase.

The Standing Committee for Information Technology while examining the demands for grants of the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (Communication & Information Technology Ministry) said the manufacturing of STB should lead from the assembling to finding out the solution for the required core technology through Indian R&D initiatives.

It says the proposed extension should be considered after having detailed strategy with regard to manufacturing of the required number of STBs through indigenous production and also finalising the policy issue with regard to providing competitive edge to Indian manufactured STBs.

Need for indigenous STBs

During the deliberations certain crucial Research and Development issues relating to the technology also emerged and the Committee were apprised that it would take some time for the country to become fully self reliant with regard to indigenous production of STBs.

The Committee also observed that even if the Indian industry was able to produce the desired number of STBs by the stipulated timeline for switching over to digitisation, the Government intervention would be required to ensure 100 per cent indigenisation of STBs. In this direction, the Government may consider hiking of the import duty from 5 to 10 per cent.

The Committee noted that STBs are being assembled in India at present and the real challenge is of the card that is going into the system which is a technology mastered by only four or five different manufacturers worldwide. But similar technology has been developed in India as well.

Indian STB cards to be ready in 6 months

The representative of the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) told the Committee that India would be ready in about six months for the first prototype of the card which can be manufactured in the country.

The Committee while taking note of the status of R&D in the basic electronic component of the STBs strongly recommended that all the financial support and other support should be provided to C-DAC so that Indian STBs are made available.

The Committee was also apprised that 25 per cent subsidy is proposed to be provided under the modified SIP scheme. The Committee was of the strong opinion that promoting indigenous STBs would definitely provide employment opportunities to our people.

No review of STBs before announcing DAS deadlines

The Committee in a separate report relating to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry also reviewed the implementation of Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2011.

It found that the Ministry had not done any survey on the availability of STBs to ascertain the domestic preparedness and self sufficiency in the manufacturing of STBs.

The Committee noted that the Bill for introduction of Digital Addressable system (DAS) had been enacted recently notifying the dates for switching over to DAS from analogue cable services by December 2014.

It said it had been given to understand that following the passing of the above legislation making digitisation mandatory, there is an ongoing demand for STBs in future and there will be large scale demand for STBs to meet the requirement.

Concern over cross-media holdings

Apart from referring to some recommendations of the Administrative Staff College of India in Hyderabad, the Committee noted that some of the stakeholders who deposed before the Committee in the context of examination of The Cable TV (Regulation) Network Second Amendment Bill 2011 brought before the Committee the emergence and growing trend of cross media holdings in the country.

The Committee, therefore, emphasized that the issue merits urgent attention and need to be addressed before it emerges as ‘a threat to our democratic structure.’

It asked the Ministry to formulate the stand on the issue of cross media ownership in coordination with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India after taking into account all related aspects and the prevalent international practice followed by the suitable legislation/guidelines in this regard.

MUMBAI: US media conglomerate Viacom has unveiled the results of its new ‘Social TV: Viewers C‘s The Moment‘ study exploring the social TV phenomenon through the lens of the viewer.

As per the study, while fairly nascent, social TV and co-viewing trends are growing rapidly, representing a shift in TV viewing from a lean-back to a lean-forward experience. Viewers engage in an average of seven different types of social TV activities – online or offline – on at least a weekly basis. The most common activities include watching TV with others (85 per cent), searching for supplemental content (61 per cent) and viewing TV show clips on social networks (58 per cent).

The new research reveals that consumers engaging in social TV activities “C‘s the moment” primarily by communicating, consuming content and checking comments.

The two-phase study involved 24 ethnographies in Boston and San Diego with VMN viewers aged 13-52 that engage in social TV activities on at least a weekly basis. National online surveys were conducted with over 1,500 VMN viewers aged 13-54. When asked what social TV means to them, the most commonly reported words were “interactive,” “friends” and “Facebook “or “Twitter.” The leading source of discovery of social TV services is through search (38 per cent), followed by social networks (26 per cent) and ads run on shows (22 per cent).

Viacom Media Networks executive VP, chief research officer Colleen Fahey Rush said, “One of the main goals of this research was to understand how to inspire social TV activity among our audiences. At VMN, we‘re focused on leveraging our fans‘ attachment to their favourite shows by developing compelling social TV services and apps that deepen those connections and unlock the value of social chatter.”

Communication: Communicating is a top priority for social TV users. Many respondents described cobbling together unique communication systems to interact with different social circles while watching a show. “When I‘m watching Jersey Shore, I have Facebook chats with 10 friends and I‘m texting a dozen people, and I can be on the phone to my best friend,” said one participant.

There is no one-size-fits-all in terms of chat options. Of those interested in chat features, 56 per cent prefer communicating through the social TV app/service, 53 per cent through Facebook, 50 per cent through individual or group texts and 38 per cent through Skype or Apple FaceTime. For those that use check-in services, 71 per cent check in to a show to let their friends know and 64 per cent check in to let other fans of the show know. Check-in services are a unique way of communicating viewing activities while simultaneously encouraging others to tune-in and join a shared experience.

Smartphones dominate the use of social TV apps at 82%, trailed by tablets at 18 per cent. For services that are delivered via HTML websites and associated apps, 52 per cent of usage occurs on smartphones or tablets, followed closely by desktop or laptops at 48 per cent.

Content: Content is king for social TV users. Viewers want something special from their social TV services rather than commoditized content that can be found through online searches. The number one request for content is full-length episodes (88 per cent), followed by sneak peeks of new episodes (75 per cent), and behind-the-scenes extras (71 per cent) and highlight clips (71 per cent).

The majority of TV socialisers are interested in rewards with real value, like free merchandise or signed cast photos. When putting aside the material aspect, virtual rewards offer an emotional pay-off, described as being similar to the feeling when ‘liked‘ on Facebook. Trivia and casual games related to a show are of greater interest if they offer some kind of reward. Real fans want to have their knowledge and skills tested, and expect the game to be challenging.

Comments: Social TV users check comments about their favorite shows for a variety of reasons. Comments provide a different point of view, can pick up on something a viewer may have missed on their own and most importantly, create a direct connection between fan and show. “I love reading Daniel Tosh‘s tweets while watching Tosh. It gives the show a whole other dimension,” said one survey respondent.

Not all sources of comments are equally valued. The number one source viewers want to hear from is a show‘s cast and crew, followed by the people they know. Audiences are sensitive to the quality of comments from a show‘s cast and crew – they look for authenticity and prefer the star(s) to be in character.

Social TV Users “C‘s the Moment” During Live Viewing: “Viewers C‘s the Moment” reveals that live TV show viewing unlocks the real value of social TV services and co-viewing activities. Features relating to communication, content and comments are twice as likely to be used during live than time-shifted viewing. Social TV enthusiasts reported feeling “left out” of the conversation if they missed a live airing.

One respondent said, “I‘m most likely to engage with Social TV networking when it‘s live. So when a new show comes on, I‘m very likely to check-in just before the show, see comments from other people, [and] make my own comments during the show as well.”

Social TV activities also increase directly after a live show, when viewers can access exclusive content like sneak peeks without interrupting the live viewing experience. “I go to the website and watch the director‘s cut…after it airs as I like the extra scenes. I like to feel that I am getting something extra and it extends the
show,” said a participant.

Social TV can also help foster show discovery. Features like check-ins, viewer comments and shared video clips help viewers discover shows; incentivise them to watch and encourage them to join the live conversations.

MUMBAI: Visual Computing Labs (VCL), a division of Tata Elxsi and a leading player in the animation and visual effects space, has associated with Walt Disney Pictures and UTV Motion Pictures’ animation film Arjun – The Warrior Prince, scheduled to release on 25 May.

VCL created all visual aspects of the film and provided all facets of animation production. It leveraged cutting-edge technologies to enhance the complete look and feel of the animated film. The project was completed in the time frame of 14 months with 70-80 artistes working on the creative as well as technical aspects.

VCL COO S Nagarajan said, “We are proud to be associated with UTV Motion Pictures for this very special and interesting project. This project has given us another opportunity to showcase our expertise in the VFX and animation space to a much wider range of audiences in India and globally. We are confident that we have been able to produce content that will provide viewers a world-class experience that matches international standards.”

The animated mythological action film is the untold story of Arjun, hero of the Mahabharata. A precocious talent plunged from boyhood and innocence into a murky world of deceit and betrayal, coming of age to become the most powerful warrior of his time. Spanning the dusty plains of Hastinapur to the icy peaks of the Himalayas, Arjun – The Warrior Prince is the story of a man discovering what it takes to be a hero.

Talking about the release of Arjun-The Warrior Prince, VCL, creative director Pankaj Khandpur said, “As the movie is about Arjun coming of age as the warrior prince, a lot of our effort went into conceptualising and planning around each frame and character. I am sure this movie would appeal to a wider audience, who would be able to relate to the story and characters.”

The film required the use of large-scale sets, massive backdrops and close to 20 primary and around 100 secondary characters keeping in mind its ambitious nature and look. VCL used software such as Maya, Renderman, Massive (for crowd multiplication) and fume effects (for fire sequences) to achieve the desired result.

Shots of real actors engaged in a sequence depicting war, fighting and racing were taken as referrals and replicated in animated versions to get a real-life look and feel to the scenes. In addition, each frame was also executed with attention to detail, to showcase the location and surrounding.