Category: Technology

MUMBAI: DOR, the critically acclaimed movie by Nagesh Kukunoor was launched on DVD.

The DVD was launched by Shreyas Talpade and Nagesh Kukunoor at Movies and More, Mumbai.

The movie has been winning awards at many of the award functions.

At the launch of the DOR DVD Shreyas Talpade said, “Iqbal got me a foothold into the industry, but all the offers that came in later were that of handicapped characters. DOR was a fresh breathe of life”.

The story revolves around two women Zeenat and Mira.Their husbands go out to work in the Gulf to make things better at their respective places. The story takes a turn when Mira‘s husband gets killed and Zeenat‘s husband is held responsible for it. Zeenat needs Mira‘s letter stating forgiveness for her husband and she sets out in search for Mira.On the way she meets up with a “Behrupiya”, played by Shreyas Talpade.The revelation and the final confrontation form the climax.

MUMBAI: The latest worldwide IPTV research from research firm Canalys shows how the number of commercial IPTV launches escalated in 2006, and suggests that IPTV services are now moving into the mainstream.

Worldwide subscribers have reached 3.6 million Western Europe leads, with growth expected in emerging markets this year.

Most major incumbent telecoms providers have launched commercial services and the market is becoming increasingly competitive with the entry of alternative operators, such as ISPs and energy companies.

Canalys senior analyst Nadia Griffiths says, “2007 will see the competitive landscape become even fiercer as IPTV services from established service providers will be challenged by aggressively priced alternatives from Web TV, cable, satellite and content companies. These are all contenders for a share of the limited wallet of most consumers”.

Western Europe has 2.4 million IPTV subscribers. The sheer number of operators in the region provides its IPTV scale, and major investments in backbone infrastructure are being made as providers rush to build substantial subscriber bases. The IPTV market is highly fragmented. The top five providers account for over 60 per cent of all subscribers, but the rush of service launches by new entrants in 2006 means that there are numerous companies with only a few thousand subscribers each.

The top three providers globally according to Canalys are PCCW on 18.2 per cent share, France Telecom with 16.8 per cent and Free Telecom on 14 per cent. These are joined in the top five by Telefonica and Fastweb.

Threats One of the major threats for many IPTV service providers is the quality of networking once IPTV services become fully fledged. Canalys VP Alessandra Fitzpatrick says, “IPTV networks will quickly become the most complex and bandwidth intensive that have ever existed. Many service providers have invested millions of euros on network upgrades, but it remains unproven whether IPTV networks can scale into the millions without performance degrading and response times slowing, or even collapsing altogether.

“Another infrastructure challenge is that service providers will quickly have to learn how to manage multiple billing systems and content across large server farms and SANs, while maintaining the highest quality of service.”

The future, however, looks promising. In 2007, Canalys predicts significant uptake of IPTV in the Asia Pacific region. Hong Kong is already a mature IPTV market, and growth will come from emerging markets such as India and China, following large investments into IPTV deployments there. Australia is also finally moving into the commercial phase of its IPTV offerings, which will lead to fast roll-outs of services in 2007. North America will be another major growth area, with AT&T and Verizon already pushing nationwide roll-outs of IPTV services. Western Europe though will continue to lead and set the pace globally for the IPTV industry in the year ahead.

MUMBAI: Ericsson and Turner Broadcasting System International have formed a collaboration under which the users of mobile services and mobile operators will benefit from the companies’ leading positions in mobility and global multimedia content.

The two parties are collaborating to develop Turner’s internet, broadcast news and entertainment content – including CNN International, Cartoon Network and Adult Swim material – for mobile multimedia environments. The offering combines the delivery of Turner news and entertainment content with hosting and content management technology, developed by Ericsson.

The first of these jointly developed services will launch in Europe on 12 February 2007 at the 3GSM World Congress trade fair in Barcelona, bringing a new CNN Mobile service to the users initially in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The initial product launch – CNN Mobile – and subsequent launches in this collaboration will make technologically advanced multimedia content available to users in two ways. Firstly, mobile operators will be able to deliver simple access to Turner content through their own branded portals; additionally, end users will have access to content such as the CNN Mobile site directly on their mobile devices.

Turner Broadcasting senior VP, digital media Casey Harwood says, “With this deal, we will have for the first time a full portfolio of solutions – from SMS through to mobile television – that will scale and easily move across the world. This partnership is a logical fit where the customer and mobile operators benefit through Turner focussing on providing innovative news and entertainment content to its global audience and Ericsson providing the technology behind it.”

Ericsson senior VP, head of multimedia Jan Wäreby says, “Our service-provider customers throughout the world will greatly benefit from our partnership with Turner Broadcasting, as they will be able to provide popular mobile multimedia content from Turner’s vast catalogue and greatly enhance the multimedia experience for the consumer.

The CNN Mobile product will be the first example of a true ’off-deck’ portal for mobile users, providing a state-of-the-art news service. A searchable archive of 14 days and over 2000 stories will sit with breaking news alerts and video news updates through the hourly updated ’World News Now’. Available to CNN users in EMEA and Latin America subscription free, the service will be accessible through CNNmobile.com in all mobile browsers or through operator portals where deals are in place.

The mobile services being developed include intelligent software that enables devices to show only the actual content that is appropriate to the particular handset, resulting in a richer user experience. The services will be rolled out to further territories and both Turner and Ericsson have committed to further product launches throughout 2007.

The partnership also extends beyond content development, and will have on screen elements on CNN International in a campaign that positions Ericsson as the global leading communications technology company.

MUMBAI: More than half of communications industry executives believe that Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) can generate significant revenue within the first three years of service, according to findings of a survey released by Accenture and the Economist Intelligence Unit.

The survey of nearly 350 executives from telecom, broadcasting and media companies across 46 countries in the US, Europe and Asia revealed industry-wide confidence in the longer-term outlook for IPTV, with 60 percent believing that IPTV will generate significant revenues within three years.

However, confidence in the short-term outlook remains mixed, with slightly more than half (52 per cent) of respondents saying they are not confident in the ability of IPTV to generate significant revenues within the next 12 months. On the other hand, one-fifth (20 per cent) of respondents said they are confident or very confident, and more than one-quarter (28 per cent) said they are somewhat to fairly confident, that IPTV will generate significant revenues within a year.

The report notes that the business case for IPTV, its value-added benefits and its potential remain strong. In the long-term, the key to achieving high performance through IPTV is to be visionary, ambitious and open to innovation from many sources. For the shorter term, the key is to quickly adapt to consumer feedback and jump over technology hurdles.

When asked what they believed would be the principal revenue source for IPTV, about half (46 per cent) of the industry executives surveyed selected advertising. However, network operators, as a subset of all respondents — which included equipment vendors, consumer electronic companies, content providers and broadcasters/studios — disagreed, with three-quarters (74 per cent) of network operators saying they believe that subscription fees for premium content will provide the largest recurring revenue stream, followed by basic content subscription fees and then ad fees.

This difference in opinions reflects the broad uncertainty around how media will be delivered and what customers will be willing to pay for. Carriers are used to subscription revenues and believe that the IPTV experience will soon be comparable to or even better than current video offerings, whereas media executives are more cautious and skeptical of a scenario where a new revenue stream is created so rapidly. The reality is that both revenue streams will be important, but the challenge will be to harness the power of this new technology to create a new video experience that makes consumers and advertisers willing to pay more than they do today.

When asked to identify reasons for pursuing the IPTV market, the greatest number of respondents (42 per cent) cited new revenue streams, followed by acquiring new customers (28 per cent) and increasing sale of broadband access connections (21 per cent).

Overwhelmingly, executives believe that discounted pricing through service bundling will be the primary motivation behind consumer spending. Nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of all respondents — and three-quarters (74 per cent) of network operators surveyed — said they believe that discounted service bundles provide the greatest enticement to buy IPTV. The ability to move content between devices was also cited as an important enticement, selected by 38 percent of respondents, as was the convenience of a single bill for multiple services, selected by 31 per cent of respondents.

Yet there are obstacles to IPTV adoption. One-quarter (25 per cent) of respondents said that the primary short-term obstacle to IPTV adoption is a quality-of-service issue relating to unproven architectures, low bandwidth and other technology issues. The same number (25 percent) said they believe that quality-of-service issues will be resolved over the next three years, leaving stiffer competition from alternative TV providers as the toughest challenge to the adoption of IPTV. Another challenge to IPTV adoption, cited by 19 percent of respondents, is high subscription fees due to the high cost of network access and equipment.

When asked which types of companies are most likely to generate revenue from IPTV, the vast majority (87 per cent) of respondents selected content providers, followed by telecommunications providers (72 per cent). Not surprising, more than two-thirds (69 per cent) of respondents said that traditional broadcasters have the least to gain from IPTV, a view held strongly by respondents across all company types, including broadcasters themselves.

This was more than TV commercials (11 per cent) and magazine advertisements (6 per cent), showing the growing impact of online sources on purchasing decisions, as revealed in Netpop Shop, a recent study by Media-Screen, a market research firm that focuses on online consumer trends.

Media-Screen director of research Cate Riegner says, “Online sources are eclipsing traditional media and advertising channels, like radio and television. Retailers need to recognize this trend and adjust their marketing and advertising strategies accordingly. Netpop explores how the new media landscape is shifting shopping habits in order to provide marketers with the data they need to reach modern consumers effectively.”

Netpop | Shop, a report designed for retailers, advertisers and marketers that looks at the shopping habits of broadband users, also examines five distinct product categories: Pricey Tech-Electronics; No Touch Services; Media Mesh; High Touch Retail; and Household Staples.

Findings reveal the Internet’s significant role in the purchase of many types of items, beyond established e-commerce categories like technology, travel and financial services. In fact, 58 per cent of clothing items and 59 per cent of home and garden items were influenced by an online source.

MUMBAI:Retail behemoth Wal-Mart Stores Inc today begins selling films online as the leading seller of DVDs stakes a claim in the emerging market of movie downloading.

The beta service, powered by new technology from HP Video Merchant Services, includes more than 3,000 movie and TV titles from major Hollywood studios and television networks. Wal-Mart is the first major retailer to offer a video downloads service with the support of all major Hollywood studios.

New movie releases are available for video download on the day of the DVD release and range from $12.88-19.88 and TV shows at $1.96 per episode.

“This marks a significant step for Wal-Mart in home video, and enables us to better serve our customers as they begin to complement their DVD purchases with downloading of digital video content,” said Kevin Swint, Wal-Mart‘s divisional merchandise manager for digital media. “With thousands of movie and TV titles now available for download, coupled with the strength of our successful physical DVD business, this is an unprecedented offering of video content, features and capabilities currently unmatched in the market. Also, we‘re excited to launch a service that has the support of all the major Hollywood studios.”

“Working with HP in digital video combines Wal-Mart‘s ability to bring exciting content offerings to our customers with the substantial technical capabilities of HP. We anticipate further expanding this service to offer a comprehensive online home video shopping experience that meets our customers‘ growing needs and allows them to shop a deep selection of movie/TV content in a variety of formats, including video downloads,” Swint added.

MUMBAI: Foloowing the rollout of conditional access system (Cas) in parts of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, broadcast regulator Trai has conducted a round table meeting on digitalization of television transmission and voluntary implementation of Cas.

In order to take the process of digitalization forward and also to explore the possibility of voluntary implementation of CAS in other parts of the country, Trai conducted a round table meeting on 1 February in Delhi with various stake holders.

Experts as well as representatives of consumer organizations, multi system operators (MSOs), cable operators, DTH operators, broadcasters and equipment manufacturers participated in the round table. In the meeting there was a broad consensus about the need for digitalization and addressability. The participants raised certain issues in order to arrive at a feasible road map. The major issues that were raised by the stakeholders relates to fiscal rationalization, encouragement of domestic manufacturing, changes in the regulatory regime (especially the need for price control), ensuring affordability and choice and exploring alternative models for voluntary Cas.

A small sub group has been constituted in order to discuss issues relating to digitalization and voluntary introduction of Cas. The discussions with the stake holders would continue in future also.s

MUMBAI: Vh1 and Nokia will partner to launch ‘Shot by You‘ an initiative which will see the creation of a music video with ‘User-Generated-Content‘.

The music video for Indian contemporary rock band Pentagram‘s single ‘Voice‘ will be created using video clips sent in by Nokia consumers. This is bound to push ‘user interactivity‘ into the mainstream media. The music video would be made for Pentagram‘s latest album, ‘It‘s OK. It‘s All Good‘.

Commenting on the partnership, MTVN India managing director Amit Jain said, “This partnership with Nokia best exemplifies ‘Viacom Brand Solutions‘, our approach that goes beyond traditional advertising or sponsorship and focuses on providing innovative marketing solutions to our key clients and brands.”

He further added, “We‘re happy that in Nokia we‘ve found a partner who is willing to take the leap of faith and associate itself with a ground breaking concept that takes their approach of ‘connecting people‘ even further.”

Nokia consumers are invited to listen to the latest track by Pentagram – ‘Voice‘ posted online on www.nokia.co.in, and use their camera phones or video recording devices to shoot video footage that they believe is most appropriate for the sound track and send them to Vh1. The most relevant of the video clips would be selected and integrated by Vh1 to create the music video, which will be launched exclusively on Vh1 in March 2007.

Starting February, Vh1 and Nokia will launch a nation-wide campaign to promote the concept across multiple platforms. The promos of the concept will be seen on Vh1, followed by multi-city ground activation.

Talking about the Nokia initiative Nokia India director marketing Devinder Kishore said “Nokia‘s association with VH1 is an extension of our ‘Music Connects‘ theme, aimed at giving young talent an opportunity to express their creativity with the fusion of music and technology “.

Kishore further added, “With the power of mobility, music enthusiasts will surely have an interesting experience by capturing, sharing and editing their interpretations and creating a video of Pentagram‘s chart topping soundtrack.”

Lead singer of Pentagram Vishal Dadlani says, “It‘s a great way to get our people directly involved with the music, and also, hopefully, to include a wider-than-usual audience. So many thanks to both Nokia and Vh1.”

MUMBAI: Dopod Communication (India) Private Limited, PDA phone and Smartphone provider, has launched a new Windows mobile PDA model called the D600 in the Indian market.

The D600 is powered with the Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 and is bundled with applications which includes DirectPush Mail*, Internet Explorer Mobile, Office Mobile, Windows Media Player 10 Mobile, Pictures and Videos, Pocket MSN.

Additionally, the D600 combines a full featured quad-band mobile phone, with an inbuilt 2 Mega pixel CMOS Camera, a speakerphone with push-based wireless email, SMS, web browser and personal organizer applications – all on a large and high-resolution colour 71.1mm screen.

The launch follows from a favorable response to the previous three models – the 818Pro, the C800 and the C720W introduced in December 2006 by the company.

The D600 also offers users the option of a Voice Commander, allowing users to dial and control their music easily with their voice. All in all, the D600 model has been specially developed for active mobile professionals who want to manage their work wherever they are and also keep in touch with family, friends and access the latest news, informs an official release.

Dopod Communication (India), regional sales manager Ajay Sharma said, “The D600 has a highly advanced interface and offers Personal Information Management (PIM) which allows users to easily sync the phone with their computer. It also features a sleek and stylish design, resulting in an innovative yet powerful device that is ideal for mobile phone users looking to upgrade from their existing handsets.”

The D600 will be available at all leading counters from 10 February at a maximum retail price of Rs. 22,893 (inclusive of all taxes).

MUMBAI: Dopod Communication (India) Private Limited, PDA phone and Smartphone provider, has launched a new Windows mobile PDA model called the D600 in the Indian market.

The D600 is powered with the Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 and is bundled with applications which includes DirectPush Mail*, Internet Explorer Mobile, Office Mobile, Windows Media Player 10 Mobile, Pictures and Videos, Pocket MSN.

Additionally, the D600 combines a full featured quad-band mobile phone, with an inbuilt 2 Mega pixel CMOS Camera, a speakerphone with push-based wireless email, SMS, web browser and personal organizer applications – all on a large and high-resolution colour 71.1mm screen.

The launch follows from a favorable response to the previous three models – the 818Pro, the C800 and the C720W introduced in December 2006 by the company.

The D600 also offers users the option of a Voice Commander, allowing users to dial and control their music easily with their voice. All in all, the D600 model has been specially developed for active mobile professionals who want to manage their work wherever they are and also keep in touch with family, friends and access the latest news, informs an official release.

Dopod Communication (India), regional sales manager Ajay Sharma said, “The D600 has a highly advanced interface and offers Personal Information Management (PIM) which allows users to easily sync the phone with their computer. It also features a sleek and stylish design, resulting in an innovative yet powerful device that is ideal for mobile phone users looking to upgrade from their existing handsets.”

The D600 will be available at all leading counters from 10 February at a maximum retail price of Rs. 22,893 (inclusive of all taxes).