Category: Software

MUMBAI: Accentium Web has announced the acquisition of SitaGita.com’s parent company, SitaGita Com.

SitaGita.com is online content and community market for women. Accentium Web is an internet company in India that also runs website like Taaza.com, iShopper.com, SecondShaadi.com and StudyNation.com.

Accentium director Vivek Pahwa said, “There is a strong demand for women audience advertising inventory online in India and this is why we chose to acquire the site. The site currently gets 800,000 unique visitors per month and this will add to the overall user reach for Accentium. We also expect the pageviews of the site to triple post the launch of the new version.”

The deal was completed in April but it has just been announced, along with a site relaunch.

The revamped SitaGita.com has enhanced community features including a completely revamped forum, blogs and user profile section.

Accentium is confident that with current roll out plans for new content verticals and growth in existing verticals, it can easily breach into the top 50 online groups by reach by the end of the calendar year.

NEW DELHI: Discovery Channel Tamil, the dedicated 24-hour Tamil language channel, will now also be available on DTH platform Dish TV.

Already available across all analogue homes, Discovery Channel Tamil is one of the most widely distributed channels in Tamil Nadu reaching over 10 million subscribers. With its availability on Dish TV, the channel expands its penetration in India targeting Tamil speaking viewers around the country.

Dish TV, being one of the major DTH platforms, will drive Discovery Channel Tamil’s reach to viewers throughout India, especially catering to Tamil population in Northern India. It will be available on channel no. 929 on Dish TV.

Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific SVP and GM for South Asia Rahul Johri said, “Discovery Channel Tamil has received tremendous response from the Tamil speaking viewers for its attractive look, engaging and unmatched content. The availability of the channel now on Dish TV demonstrates our commitment to reach viewers around the country and offer them enhancedd viewing experience.”

Nearly one year of its launch, Discovery Channel Tamil, the standalone channel for Tamil Nadu market continues to grow ratings month-on-month. Adorning a unique look, Discovery Channel Tamil is a customized product offering for Tamil viewers. The 24-hour factual entertainment channel has programmes scheduled as per Tamil audience tastes and preferences.

Dish TV COO Salil Kapoor said, “Dish TV being the pioneer and industry leader with many first in the industry, is proud to provide content in regional language. The latest in this is addition of Discovery Channel Tamil on Dish TV platform to our subscribers. The launch of Discovery Channel Tamil will provide us with a perfect offering which will help us serve and feed our Tamil customers in a better way, giving them an insight of the unseen world and discover the creation in the local language. Dish TV has been a trend setter in offering its viewers the best content, service and quality”.

With a dedicated audience for its content, Discovery Channel Tamil attracts strong viewership from across age groups, genders and geographies. The channel feature programmes across various genres – adventure, survival, science, engineering, natural history, investigation, technology – which will be scheduled as per Tamil viewers’ preference. Some of the popular programmes on the channel are: Destroyed in Seconds, Swords and World’s Toughest Trucker.

Beginning July, the channel has also launched a dedicated one hour time band ‘Women’s Hour’ at 7 pm for the women audience.

MUMBAI: Responding to the explosive growth of original TV programming beyond networks and cable, USA Today, the multi-platform news and information media company has launched “TV on the Web,” a daily online and print listing of the best webisodes and video podcasts available online each day.

The video listings, ranging from web-only comedies and dramas to real-time tech reviews, cutting-edge animation and family fare, are selected by USA Today editors and reporters, including a weekly pick by USA Today‘s Pop Candy blogger Whitney Matheson.

“With celebrities such as Tom Hanks and Jerry Seinfeld entering the web-only space, and alternative programming sites such as YouTube, Hulu and Netflix carrying exclusive programming, the time has come to reflect the changing media landscape. This is the natural evolution of where TV programming is headed and USA Today is at the forefront by providing these listings spotlighting the best on the Web for our audience,” said USA Today president and publisher Larry Kramer.

“TV on the Web” can be found in print on the television listings page and online at tvontheweb.usatoday.com. Online, USA Today‘s “TV on the Web” site, will also serve as a video archive where users can eventually track many months of video content on a variety of subject areas.

MUMBAI: Mobile TV service provider ZengaTV will provide exclusive mobile video streaming for the five ODIs and one T20 slated to start on 21 July in Sri Lanka.

Zenga has signed a contract with sports rights management agency Sporty Solutionz which has got the rights from Ten sports.

The rights also provide with the option of showing the highlights and the viewer can either watch the entire match or the summary. This feature of catching up on the match is available to the users for 30 days after the match is played.

ZengaTV CEO Shabir Momin said, “This is a proud moment for us to have got the exclusive rights to stream the live matches for the upcoming series. I am sure that cricket fans across India can now catch the action live and on the move. We will continue bringing more and more of interesting content to our users and keep the service as exciting as it can get.”

Sporty Solutionz CEO Ashish Chadha added, “Zenga is the pioneer in the mobile streaming space and am sure with their unique technology delivery platform LIVE streaming of the matches will be altogether a great experience for the Indian cricket fans.”

ZengaTV provides the flexibility to mobile TV viewers by streaming content to all of the major mobile phones and Web. Users will be able to watch the matches on their mobile devices simply by visiting Zenga’s mobile website m.zengatv.com.

MUMBAI: AVerMedia Technologies, a digital multimedia technology company, has launched AVerTV Box PVR (A229), a standalone TV recording box used with TV set or PC monitor.

The AVerTV Box PVR features direct file recording to USB hard drives, scheduled recording and TimeShift, providing consumers the most convenient way to enjoy TV programs at any time.

Besides TV recording, it can also be used to preserve your favourite video from various external source devices through the Composite interface.

AverMedia claims that its inputs of TV antenna and composite video allow users to capture analog cable TV, as well as TV content from satellite/cable TV set-top-box.

MUMBAI: MP & Silva, a leading international media rights company, has selected Rightster, the video distribution and monetisation specialist, and Rightster Studios to help launch a range of new digital services using its betting and sports media rights, and provide enhanced digital solutions to its sports and broadcast clients.

MP & Silva football rights portfolio – currently providing over 10,000 hours of programming annually to over 500 broadcasters in over 200 countries – which includes Italian Serie A, English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, German Bundesliga, French Ligue 1, The FA Cup, The Football League, Major League Soccer (MLS) and Brazilian national league (Brasileir?o).

Rightster is a leading cloud-based video distribution and monetisation specialist that enables rights holders and producers, to gain full control and visibility over their video distribution, maximising their audience reach and revenues across all platforms and publishers from YouTube to the Mail Online.

The partnership with Rightster will include the creation and management of MP& Silva YouTube channels, integrated betting rights services for bookmakers, online video distribution to newspaper sites, and support to MP& Silva broadcast clients with live and video on demand streaming solutions.

Rightster also will provide bookmakers interested in the MP & Silva sports rights portfolio with a market leading online solution that will suit their evolving needs, especially for mobile and tablet devices.

MP & Silva aims to maintain its leadership position in the sports rights market through ongoing innovation and providing an even better service to its partners and clients. MP & Silva Group CEO Andrea Radrizzani said, “Part of our job is to look for innovative ways to increase the value of the rights we manage on behalf of sports federations and leagues. We believe that online audiences will continue to grow quickly and we need to provide sports fans with the best digital solutions.”

Rightster was selected as an exclusive partner because of its unique position to understand online video programming, distribution, monetisation, and audience development on online platforms, especially YouTube.

Rightster Founder and CEO Charlie Muirhead commented, “We’re very excited to support MP & Silva as it continues to lead the industry in digital sports content. Rightster makes the task of distributing, monetising, and promoting video content through YouTube – and other channels – more efficient. We look forward to working with MP & Silva to deliver enhanced end-to-end visibility and control of its content, enabling the business to attract more viewers and grow its audience online, while using our media sales expertise to improve monetisation and access new revenue streams.”

MUMBAI: US cable major Comcast and Scripps Networks Interactive have reached a long-term agreement to expand their relationship in bringing Scripps‘ television networks and their award-winning shows to Comcast‘s Xfinity TV customers throughout the U.S. on more devices.

The multi-year arrangement covers distribution via Comcast‘s linear and on-demand platforms and makes Scripps‘ content available to Xfinity TV customers through online, mobile, and other devices, as well as via Scripps‘ sites and services.

SNI‘s lifestyle networks include HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network, Cooking Channel, Travel Channel and Great American Country, with highly rated shows such as “House Hunters,” “Chopped,” and “Hotel Impossible.”

Comcast executive VP of content acquisition Gregory Rigdon said, “This agreement with Scripps Networks underscores our commitment to TV Everywhere and our desire to use the latest technologies and rapid pace of innovation to deliver the best content to Xfinity TV customers wherever and whenever they want to watch it”.

With the growing consumer use of time shifted and on-demand viewing, the agreement provides for increased distribution of Scripps‘ content through Comcast‘s video-on-demand services. Additionally, the new contract includes the use of Comcast‘s advanced advertising platforms, such as dynamic ad insertion, to support programmers‘ efforts to monetise their content both during the Nielsen measurement window and thereafter.

SNI executive VP of distribution strategy Henry Ahn said, “This agreement benefits our viewers and Comcast customers, making available on multiple platforms – both in home and out of home – our lifestyle programming that viewers are so passionate about.”

MUMBAI: Ditto TV, the OTT (Over-The-Top TV) distribution platform from the digital arm of Zee New Media, is adding two English TV channels to its basket of offerings – Big CBS Prime and Big CBS Love – from the Big CBS Network.

With the deal in place, Ditto TV has ramped up its offering to 27 channels, with plans to increase this to 50 channels soon.

Ditto TV has already partnered for content with Multi Screen Media (Sony Entertainment Television), TV Today Network (Aaj Tak), BBC, and Zee Entertainment Enterprises (Zeel).

The company said that with the help of the Ditto TV platform, Big CBS Prime and Big CBS Love will now be able to engage viewers on mobile phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, entertainment boxes and connected TVs in addition to traditional television.

While Big CBS Prime has a line up of shows such as Dexter, Survivor (Redemption Island), America‘s Got Talent among others, Big CBS Love boasts of all-time favourites Sex and the City, Everybody Loves Raymond and America‘s Next Top Model.

Zee New Media business head Vishal Malhotra said, “Ditto TV has achieved recognition as a promising distribution platform within a short span. We value the conviction our content partners have in our platform and are committed to delivering promised results.”

Ditto TV, as an application, is available on application stores like Apple App Store, Android Market, and BlackBerry Application World and Intel AppUp. The prepaid cards are retailed at high footfall outlets like Croma and Vijay Sales with whom Ditto TV has entered a distribution alliance.

For Windows and MAC PCs the same can be downloaded from www.dittotv.com.

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), Star India and Zee News Ltd have filed a petition in the Delhi High Court today, challenging the extension of digitisation deadline to 1 November in the four Metros.

The petitioners have contended that the Government did not have mandate to order an extension under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2011.

“We have moved the court against the Government‘s decision to extend digitisation in the four metros, after mandating it. We also want to ensure that there is no further delay,” Star India CEO Uday Shankar told Indiantelevision.com.

After hearing the petition, the Delhi High Court has issued notice to the government of India and the Information & Broadcasting Ministry, seeking responses by 6 August.

Earlier, the Government had decided to defer the date of cable digital addressable systems (DAS) to 1 November in the first phase covering four metros.

The four-month delay from the earlier deadline of 1 July was announced on 20 June, bowing to pressure from the local cable operators, multi-system operators (MSOs) and some state governments.

Under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2011, it had been mandated that the switchover of the existing analogue Cable TV networks to DAS should be by December 2014, in a phased manner. In respect of the four metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, the digital switchover was mandated to come into effect from 1 July 2012.

However, the Government admitted in its order that the orders of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on Tariff & Interconnection, and on the Quality of Service Regulations and the Consumer Complaint Redressal Regulations had not been substantially implemented. This had resulted in the slow pick up of set-top boxes (STBs) and the completion of the process of digitisation could not be completed by 30 June.

MUMBAI: Online video service iStream.com has acquired the exclusive live streaming and video on demand rights for India for the Micromax Cup India-Sri Lanka series starting 21 July.

The Indian team swings back into action after four months and will be pitted against the Lankans in 5 ODIs and 1 T20. Sri Lanka is one of India’s favourite hunting grounds with a record of 67 wins out of the total 76 played.

The deal was signed with Sporty Solutionz, which has got the Internet and mobile rights for this series from Ten Sports. All the 6 day-night matches starting at 2:30 pm will be streamed live on iStream.com, and will also be available on demand for a month after the tournament.

iStream founder, CEO Radhakrishnan Ramachandran said, “After a relatively long lay off, Indian cricket fans will be delighted to see their heroes back in action. We saw tremendous response to Uefa Euro 2012, which we streamed exclusively in India. This series will further strengthen our sports vertical on iStream.com. We plan to bring in more such exclusive partnerships in the online video space”.

Apart from the matches, iStream viewers can catch special programming around the event, including pre and post-match highlights, team statistics, player profiles, trivia and other related clips.
Integrating social features, iStream will allow Facebook users to live-chat on the site while the matches are played and “like” or “tweet” any clip or statistics.

Sporty Solutionz CEO Ashish Chadha said, “iStream is the pioneer in the internet streaming space and I am sure with their unique technology delivery platform live-streaming of the matches will be altogether a great experience for the Indian cricket fans.”

iStream.com adds hundreds of new videos every day to its library of over a 100,000 clips of premium News Bulletins, TV Shows & Movies in five Indian languages from over 50 channels. It also streams 26 news channels – in English, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu and Malayalam – live 24/7.

Last year iStream.com raised $ 5 million from global private equity fund SAIF Partners. It was SAIF’s first investment in the online video space. The $1.25 billion fund counts online travel services from MakeMyTrip and local search company Just Dial among its top portfolio companies.