ITV

Category: Technology

  • Times of India releases major upgrades to its Android and iOS apps

    Times of India releases major upgrades to its Android and iOS apps

    MUMBAI: Timesofindia.com, India’s go-to destination for news across web, mobile and social platforms, releases version 3.0 of their iPhone and Android app.

     
    The latest apps boast of a sleeker design, enhanced user experience and a host of new features. While the iOS app for iPhone & iPod touch gets an entirely new user friendly design, day/night themes, adjustable font size and the ability to zoom in to photos, the new Android app has a contemporary card layout, an expandable widget with choice of section and refresh rate, an additional color theme and the ability to effortlessly switch between Portrait and Landscape modes.

     
    Speaking on the occasion, Puneet Gupt, Business Head, Times of India digital, says – “We have evolved the apps into an entirely new experience based on feedback from millions of our users. Along with the depth and breadth of Times of India’s news coverage, these apps now come packed with a stronger feature set to ensure that staying up-to-date is now an even more pleasant and enriching experience.Version 3.0 apps are our best apps for iOS and Android till date.”
     

    Other improvements to the apps include visibly faster response, an entire new line of push notifications, complete Election coverage and better handling of memory and space used by the applications.

     

    Version 3.0 apps can be used on iOS 6 and above for Apple users and Android 2.3 and above for the Android platform.

     

    To Download the new TOI V 3.0 app for  iPhone / iPad touch & Android : visit http://toi.in/mapps

  • BroadcastAsia 2014 to focus on 4K technology and monetisation of second screen

    BroadcastAsia 2014 to focus on 4K technology and monetisation of second screen

    MUMBAI: One of Asia’s largest information and communications technology events, BroadcastAsia, returns this year between 17-20 June at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. BroadcastAsia 2014 will focus on 4k technology and monetisation of second screens by broadcasters. Showcasing the ‘pay TV boom’ will be various technological displays at the exhibition as well as keynotes, case studies and conference topics.

     

    Summing up the event, BroadcastAsia assistant project director Calvin Koh said, “As India moves into its final stages of digitisation, the demand for higher quality digital content looks set to escalate. The industry has never been more ready to embrace the latest and most advanced technologies, and BroadcastAsia provides the ideal platform for Indian industry professionals to get acquainted with the world’s best.”

     

    Spread over an area of 57,000 sq m across five levels will be key Indian companies including Essel Shyam Communication, Indiasign, Interra, Monarch Innovative Technologies, Prime Focus, RGB Broadcasting Equipments, Studio Systems, Wasp 3D and Cable Quest Satcom. The event will also see participation by new exhibitors such as Akamai, Mstar Conductor, Anevia, NEC, DJI, DYVI, Rosco, Brightcove and Arris. “Nearly 90 per cent of the exhibitors are direct manufacturers,” informed Koh.

     

    Also present will be Blackmagic Design, which will unveil in Asia many of its recent launches including the 4K studio camera and the Cintel film scanner. Blackmagic Design Asia country manager India Vishal Alex Chacko said, “Our products with UltraHD and 6G SDI technology lead the industry in production, broadcasting and post-production workflows.”

     

    On the content value chain side, focus will be on sportscasting, professional audio technology and cinematography/film/production zones. While on the technology front, the spotlight will be on 4K/UHD, DVB-T2, NextGen broadcasting-OTT/Hybrid/LTE/Broadband/Cloud, video content delivery network and multi-screen streaming.

     

    Tracks to look out for at the conference are: Second Screen- the TV viewing transformation, second screen and social TV- redefining user experiences and DVB in Asia and advanced broadcast solutions with key speakers such as BBC Global News CEO Jim Egan, YouTube APAC head and marketing partner Benjamin Grubbs, and Twitter media director of Australia Danny Keens.

     

    CommunicAsia 2014 and EnterpriseIT 2014

     

    This year, CommunicAsia will focus on technologies including 4g/LTE, mobile marketing/payment/security, OTT, sustainable ICT and smartphones and devices. EnterpriseIT 2014 will highlight cloud computing and services, enterprise applications, enterprise networks and technologies and IP technology.

     

    The summit will see topics such as consumerisation of the enterprise-BYOD vs CYOD, monetizing fibre broadband for your business and digital and social disruptions being discussed. A visionary keynote will be given by Twitter APAC, America and emerging markets vice president, Shailesh Rao.

     

    Over 715 exhibitors from 12 international groups including China, France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Singapore, Spain, US/Canada and UK will participate in BroadcastAsia this year

     

    Indiantelevision.com had a little chat with Koh along the sidelines of the event. Excerpts…

     

    Do you see the role of BroadcastAsia changing over the years?

     

    Koh: Yes. Now, we have a lot of new non-traditional exhibitors with us unlike the past when we had a lot of camera exhibitors. Now we have companies such as Akamai and Arris who are participating for the first time this year. We are witnessing a new dynamic which is good for the show and the businesses that come to see not just camera exhibition but also management and delivery. BroadcastAsia and CommunicAsia allow businesses to see everything from acquisition to delivery.

     

    What are the key trends for this year?

     

    Koh: 4K is surely one of it. The other is that though second screen technologies took off about two years ago, it is important for broadcasters to know how to monetise them. Some of the conferences and case studies will discuss and show how successful businesses have monetised the second screen.

     

    Is adoption of technology on a rise because of reduction in rates of equipments?

     

    Koh: Adoption is certainly increasing but at the end of the day, broadcasters have to see what technology will give them the best ROI. For some broadcasters, second screen is an early adoption while for others, it has already been implemented. So, the need is not just to go for technology that costs less but to know where to invest and how to get good ROI. We do see companies getting efficient and providing things at a lesser price but efficiency matters.

     

    Where are the new entrants coming from to BroadcastAsia 2014?

     

    Koh: We are seeing an increase in participation from China, Singapore, UK and parts of Europe and some growth in the US.

     

    How does Asia stand?

     

    Koh: Asia is surely a place to reckon with. India, Indonesia and Malaysia are big markets for media consumption which is why a lot of exhibitors want to be present at BroadcastAsia.

     

    What are the key changes at this year’s BroadcastAsia?

     

    Koh: We have improved the physical experience. We have streamlined level four exhibition by anchoring key exhibitors to get people to come to level four. We are moving from a vendor speaking to user speaking format, where we are engaging people to talk about their experiences.

  • Indigenous STBs, courtesy ABS Productions

    Indigenous STBs, courtesy ABS Productions

    MUMBAI: Efforts have been on to spur Indian companies to manufacture cable TV set top boxes (STB) domestically – the government has been encouraging and nudging the private sector to do so.  The Mumbai-based ABS Seven Star group – which runs a health channel and a cable TV network in Mumbai – seems to have taken the bait. It has set up a new company called ABS Productions Pvt Ltd which has designed standard definition (SD), high definition (HD) and hybrid STBS – both MPEG2 and MPEG4 – and contracted Videocon group company Trend Electronics to manufacture them at its Aurangabad plant.

     

    “Trend Electronics also makes STBs for Videocond2h and it has very good experience doing so. Hence we have struck up a manufacturing alliance with it,” says ABS Seven Star CMD Atul Saraf.

     

    Saraf has hired a 20 member team for the STB manufacturing initiative – 14 of these are working on the software while the rest will be looking after the hardware. While the manufacturing unit has a 30,000 STBs per day capacity,  its first order will roll out of the assembly lines by 15 May.  “The first order is for our cable TV network ABS Seven Star, which is close to 50,000 boxes,” he says.

     

    Saraf points out that close to $1 million has been pumped into R&D while designing the STBs locally.

     

    Saraf is a firm believer of indigenous manufacturing of STBs. “When the government mandated implementation of digitisation, it was since then, that I was against importing boxes from abroad. These plain vanilla Chinese boxes are of poor quality and need to be replaced every couple of years. Also, a big disadvantage is that there are no service centers,” he says.

     

    He reveals that local manufacturing will ensure better service standards apart from generating employment.  “Phase III and IV markets will need approximately 100 million STBs.I hope to capture about 5 per cent of this by next year” he says.

     

    Based on the Broadcom chipset – ensuring better video quality – the higher end boxes will have a recording facility as well, apart from being able to deliver internet.  The Hybrid STB will also deliver a video on demand service. “We are not tying up with any OTT platform for this, but will create our own platform to facilitate the VOD service,” says he.

     

    In order to ensure better service, 200 Videocon d2h service centers, across India, have been roped in to bandage and spruce up the STBs should they face any problems in close proximity to their installation.

     

    ABS Productions has priced the  MPEG2 SD box at  Rs 1200-1300, the MPEG4 SD box at Rs 1400-1600, the MPEG4 HD box at  Rs 2,300-2,400 while Hybrid Box is priced at  Rs 3,500-3,800. 

  • The national capital gets its first Dolby Atmos screen

    The national capital gets its first Dolby Atmos screen

    MUMBAI: Dolby Laboratories announced the arrival of its latest audio technology, Dolby Atmos, in the capital city of India. Delite Cinemas, situated in Daryaganj, will be the first cinema in the city to offer the new technology to cinema lovers, which started on 1 May.

     

    Delite Cinemas owner Shashank Raizada said, “I believe Dolby Atmos will prove to be a major differentiator for the movie-watching audiences in New Delhi. It provides greater definition and dimension to movies with its unique approach to sound. With this achievement, we reinforce our mission to be the best in entertaining people by offering state-of-the-art technology and exceptional facilities, as well as providing our audiences with new and innovative concepts for an enhanced and powerful movie going experience.”

     

    Dolby Atmos has quickly become the preferred choice for next-generation sound in the cinema, with major studios, award-winning filmmakers, and exhibitors from around the world embracing its approach. Unlike traditional channel-based sound systems like 5.1, 7.1, and 11.1, which require filmmakers to think about the number and location of speakers, Dolby Atmos allows them to designate where in the cinema space each sound should be placed or moved to make audiences experience the film as if they were within its world.

     

    “We look forward to working with Delite Cinemas to bring the ultimate cinematic entertainment experience to moviegoers in New Delhi. With Dolby Atmos, you feel as if you are in the movie, not merely watching it. We are confident that moviegoers will be captivated by the remarkable clarity and dimension of the sound and will keep coming back to Delite Cinemas to get this amazing experience that Dolby Atmos provides,” said Dolby Laboratories India marketing head Ashim Mathur.

  • Digitisation at one-third of the investments by MSOs, claims JAINHITS

    Digitisation at one-third of the investments by MSOs, claims JAINHITS

    NEW DELHI: A campaign “Cable ka Shahenshah, DTH ka Baap” has been launched by JAINHITS, India’s only HITS based Direct to Network (DTN) service, relating to quality of services and its ability to deliver digitised content across terrains, anywhere in India.

     

    JAINHITS technology in partnership with Motorola (now ARRIS) and IntelSat offers a unique proposition to the LCOs (local cable operators) of an overnight plug and play digitisation solution that comes for an investment as low as Rs 4.99 lakh only. This makes them fulfill Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) guideline requirements of All India digitisation by 31 December 2014.

     

    The HITS platform claims that if the 6,000 odd MSOs were to digitise their networks, they would require an investment of up to Rs 3 crores per MSO, thereby costing approximately Rs 18,000 crores as mere investments. JAINHITS on the other hand can provide direct services to over 60,000 LCOs spread across India with average investment of only Rs. 10 lakh per operator, thereby digitising the country for just Rs 6,000 crore, which is one-third of the investment required by MSOs. Thus, the massive saving of Rs. 12,000 crore is being passed on to the customers by providing cheaper services with enhanced quality viewing.

     

    Moreover, JAINHITS “Go Digital” entry scheme strategy will help LCOs to increase their subscriber base manifold in a short span of time. Not only this, through this partnership model LCO will witness significant increase in their customers ARPUs which are likely to double in 2014-15 with broadband and other VAS product/service roll outs. All this put together will help JAINHITS LCO partners enhance their business and earnings.

     

    With a mere investment of Rs 4.99 Lakh, an LCO will get all the necessary help in terms of technology, content and Set Top Boxes that will enable them to operate independently. JAINHITS offers LCO’s new product/ service roadmaps to address the ever- evolving market and customer needs along with the full technology solution roadmap for cable TV network upgradation. In addition, LCO’s also receive all necessary training on technical, legal, product, consumer satisfaction, compliance aspects etc. which facilitates them to offer standardised services.

     

    JAINHITS is the only platform in the country, offering complete empowerment and ownership to even the smallest LCO by making him a Leader and Cable Owner and an ISO (Independent Service Operator).

     

    JAINHITS national sales head Jeet Narayan Singh said, “In our endeavor to enable 60,000 small and medium operators to become MSOs and go digital independently, we are offering end to end single window solutions. JAINHITS offerings are fully DAS compliant with wider choice of channels that are cost effective and fastest way to offer Digital Cable services in any part of India. Our Broadband offering gives additional edge to ISOs and helps them to increase their revenues.”

     

    Through this engagement, JAINHITS provides subscriber management system (SMS), which empowers LCOs to manage his own customer base and offer, customized packs to its subscribers. In addition to this, JAINHITS LCO will be able to manage billing and create his own subscriber records as required by regulators. The SMS also provides an inventory management system and MIS system which enables the LCO to operate his business, generate reports and manage taxation etc.

  • Times Now launches Election Mobile App

    Times Now launches Election Mobile App

    MUMBAI: In order to enhance viewers’ access of the ongoing general election, Times Now has come up with its election mobile application. In partnership with Nokia, the app has been developed to provide real time information through video, image and text feeds on the general election.

     

    Users can download it on Android, iOS, Nokia X and Windows phone. People can watch feeds in the form of YouTube videos and it also provides options to like, reply or share feeds and plug in Times Now’s social feeds from Twitter and Facebook.

     

    Users can chat with each other while shows are on air. Apart from this, they can also watch live telecast of the channel from the Indiatimes website link that is given in the app.

     

    Speaking on the launch of the app Times TV Network MD and CEO MK Anand said, “We have launched an exclusive app for all the people on the move so that we can keep them informed regarding all news, updates and the entire coverage on election news. We have created this app to empower them to make the right decision as to who they want to see as their next leader.”

  • Cisco’s technology in six million digital homes of Den Networks

    Cisco’s technology in six million digital homes of Den Networks

    MUMBAI: As India slowly inches towards 100 per cent digitisation, it is the various cable and multi system operators who are to be applauded for the increase of digitisation in the country. One of the well known technology companies, Cisco has announced that its services have reached to six million pay-TV homes on Den Networks.

     

    Cisco’s conditional access and middleware has been used by Den Networks since 2008 in its set top boxes. A range of Videoscape technologies from Cisco are used to cater to its subscribers. Den’s digital head-ends, networking routers, switches and set top boxes have been procured from Cisco.

     

    Earlier this year, Cisco expanded its Videoscape TV services delivery platform to include new cloud video capabilities. This would help media companies increase revenue, reduce operating expenses and enhance agility.

     

    Den currently has about 30 million viewers across the country and is looking at increasing that number through phase III and IV of digitisation. Commenting on the partnership Den Networks CEO SN Sharma said, “It gives me immense pleasure, in this highly competitive market, to reach out to more than 30 million viewers through our digital cable TV services. We expect this number to increase significantly with the completion of the remaining phases of digitisation. Cisco’s global expertise in managing the end-to-end delivery of digital pay-TV solutions gives us a strong competitive edge and empowers us to enable new services and advanced features, resulting in satisfied subscribers and encouraging growth.”

     

    Cisco Service Provider Video Software Solutions Vice President Sales Asia Pacific Sue Taylor said, “Cisco is excited by the success of its customers and would like to congratulate Den for reaching such a major milestone. We anticipate that the current digitisation drive will spur us on to achieve many greater milestones, both in roll-out volume and technology deployment, with the introduction of many new features using the latest designs and technologies. This will lead to overall customer enjoyment in terms of the TV viewing experience.”

     

    Den’s footprint now stretches over 200 cities in India covering markets such as Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Kerala, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar.

  • Tyrone Systems: Forging ahead with high performance computing

    Tyrone Systems: Forging ahead with high performance computing

    MUMBAI: Technology can be a boon if used wisely and a bane if misused. In today’s fast paced world one can’t do without it and serving this very purpose is the Singapore based technology solution provider Tyrone Systems.

     

    For over a decade now, Tyrone has been instrumental in helping companies across the globe run highly complex businesses efficiently, securely, and reliably. One of the leading providers of servers, storage, back-up, and high performance computing (HPC) solutions, it targets to provide technology blocks customised to achieve business goals.

     

    The company recently launched Tyrone EDRA, a cloud based HPC-on-demand solution made available to customers on demand and on a pay as you use basis with immediate effect. By moving HPC applications to the cloud, the users seek to do away with risks associated with under-provisioning, under-utilisation of HPC resources while benefiting immensely from built in virtualisation support available in cloud based HPC environments.

     

    Speaking to indiantelevision.com Tyrone Systems co-founder & director Sandeep Lodha says: “We provide storage devices and solutions for TV channels. The news channels use a lot of IT applications; and with cameras on the ground and a number of OB vans, videos have become a important asset which needs to be saved and tracked consistently, since information is stored only in digital format these days. So storage becomes a very important factor.”

     

    Tyrone has an old association with the media and entertainment sector and it has created a niche for itself in the sector in India, Srilanka and Malaysia among others. It has a number of broadcast channels and post production names under its customer base including, Gulmarg TV (Malaysia), Maharaja TV (Srilanka) and TV9 (India).

     

    “70 per cent of the media and entertainment sector have implemented the solutions from Tyrone Systems and we are in talks with a lot more to get on board,” Lodha expounds.

     

    Similarly, in terms of post production Tyrone is well equipped with digital formatting. It helps in analogue to digital and vice versa; colour enhancement is a very important factor in post production as well and the company is doing its best to cater to the needs of the stakeholders.

     

    “We believe India is poised to play a big role in global opportunity for HPC applications and related services,” Lodha exults. “With the launch of Tyrone EDRA on-demand and pay-as-you-use HPC solutions, we believe we are bringing HPC within reach of those academic and commercial users, who hitherto could not afford to invest in this high capex and opex intensive application environment.”

  • TCS ties up with Twitter India for election app

    TCS ties up with Twitter India for election app

    MUMBAI: Arguably the country’s largest software services firm Tata Consultancy Services has tied up with social media giant Twitter to launch an app, iElect, to help users gain social insights into the ongoing Lok Sabha polls.

    “The TCS iElect app is a completely new way to observe, analyse and participate in the social conversations around the world’s largest general elections,” TCS said in a statement.

    The app harnesses the power of social media, big data, analytics and mobility to make sense of what seems to be a complex web of conversations, it added.

    “TCS iElect will be new and engaging for them to participate through the entire process with its gamified and interactive features,” TCS VP and head corporate communication Pradipta Bagchi said.

    Users of iElect app will have access to insights and trends on a real-time basis. Plans are afoot to launch an iOS version as well.

    “iElect makes real time Twitter data and analytics around key political events and content accessible to every Indian. The app has opened up a unique engagement opportunity with Twitter content for our users,” Twitter India market director Rishi Jaitly added.

    More that 814 million voters, including over 23 million in the age group of 18-19 years, are exercising their franchise in the world’s largest democracy where polls are being held in nine phases up to 12 May.

    India has the third-largest number of internet users at more than 238 million, with a majority of them youth. This includes over a 100 million people active on social media platforms including Facebook and Twitter.

    According to a study by IRIS Knowledge Foundation and the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), there are 160 high-impact constituencies in India out of the total 543, which are likely to be influenced by social media during the general elections.

  • NDTV India Migrates to MPEG-4 Uplink Chain

    NDTV India Migrates to MPEG-4 Uplink Chain

    MUMBAI: New Delhi Television (NDTV), one of India’s most-watched TV news networks, has migrated its satellite uplink infrastructure from MPEG-2 to a complete MPEG-4 multiple-channel-per-carrier (MCPC) chain based on Thomson Video Networks’ advanced encoding, MPEG processing, and transport stream (TS) monitoring equipment. Driven by the award-winning ViBE™ EM4000 premium HD/SD encoder, NetProcessor 9030 MPEG processor, XMS network management system, and Granite Sentinel DTV monitor, the new MCPC chain replaces aging SD MPEG-2 equipment and provides an HD-ready platform to support NDTV’s future technology requirements.

     

    “When we evaluated technology partners for our MPEG-4 migration, Thomson Video Networks was the obvious choice,” said Dinesh Singh, chief technology officer, NDTV Ltd. “As a high-density encoder, the ViBE EM4000 offers eight SD/HD channels in a single rack unit to save space in our existing infrastructure. With our new, state-of-the-art uplink chain, both our customers and operators have seen marked improvement in both performance and picture quality, and we really appreciate Thomson Video Networks’ technology and service support.”

     

    “As one of India’s leading news broadcasters, NDTV is making a big technology leap forward with its MPEG-4 migration,” said Eric Louvet, vice president worldwide sales, Thomson Video Networks. “With our latest-generation, EM4000 octo-channel platform, MPEG-4 encoding will enable NDTV to save significant satellite bandwidth that can be used later for HD programming. Since the EM4000 is HD-ready, migration to HD services is smooth and easy within the existing uplink chain.”

     

    Further information about the ViBE EM4000 and other Thomson Video Networks products is available at www.thomson-networks.com.