Category: Software

MUMBAI: Sony India has launched its biggest screen size 65 (165cms) HX925 LED TV in the current lineup of Bravia.

The model is priced at Rs 359,900 and comes bundled with a skype camera and two pairs of 3D glasses. It is available at all Sony Center and other major electronic outlets across India.

The newly launched LED TV is powered by X-Reality PRO Engine, Intelligent Peak LED and Motionflow technology.

X-Reality PRO is the new picture engine from Sony, which analyses each scene pixel-by-pixel and uses sophisticated pattern to optimise the picture. It offers the best picture quality with the finest details and better colour resulting in life-like clarity.

The LED Backlight technology with local dimming function offers better contrast, thinner panel and lesser power consumption. Sony’s Motionflow technology increases the frame rate by up to four times, which allows clearer and smoother images.

MUMBAI: Digital media agency Webchutney and Delhi-based media school, 9.9 School of Convergence (SoC), have entered into an academy-industry partnership designed to develop and promote the institute‘s Post Graduate Diploma in Digital Media Communication (DMC).

Webchutney and 9.9 SoC have signed a Memorandum of Understanding under which the two companies will collaborate to develop the DMC curriculum according to industry needs and standards and provide faculty, internships and placements for 9.9 SoC students.

As per the partnership, the agency will provide a number of four-month internships for 9.9 SoC students during the final term of the academic year and will have the right of first offer to students during the recruitment period.

Digital marketing strategists and experts from Webchutney are invited to participate in interviews in the admissions process for the DMC programme.

Webchutney chief operating officer Rahul Nanda said, “In the new digitally networked social economy, we understand that 360 degree connectedness is imperative to thrive in a dynamic, competitive landscape. The decision to partner with an innovative academic institution like 9.9 SoC was driven by our objective to enrich the existing value chain and brace for the massive wave of opportunity sweeping the Indian digital industry today.”

The agency will draw from industry experience and expertise to contribute towards building a robust curriculum which will encourage and foster entrepreneurship as a key learning aspect with a practical, hands-on learning style with live case studies and strategies.

In addition, 9.9 SoC and Webchutney will work together to develop research capabilities in the digital media space for 9.9 SoC‘s research centre.

9.9 SoC dean of academics Eric Saranovitz said, “Partnerships like this really help to close the gap between studies and practice—giving students both the perspective and the skills they need not only to replicate what is happening in the field, but to become innovators and leaders in it. Webchutney‘s industry knowledge will help 9.9 SoC prepare the future generation of media professionals to exploit the fast-changing world of online and digital media. Students will learn what it takes to manage online communities, undertake a digital marketing campaign, and maximise audience engagement in the digital media space.”

9.9 SoC dean, Pramath Raj Sinha said, “The partnership would address the need to develop key competences in DMC, rather than simply narrow skills.Education-business partnerships also address the transition from education to work, a true Achilles heel in countries such as ours, where education and the labour market are often poorly matched.”

The 9.9 SoC Post Graduate Diploma in Digital Media Communication is a one-year, full-time programme which combines courses in content creation, strategic communication and digital communication to provide students with the broad set of skills and perspectives they need to embark on careers in digital media.

MUMBAI: Singaporean pay TV platform StarHub is expanding its line-p of Hindi content to include Channel [V] India and Eros Bollywood On Demand.

Both channels will be launched on 31 January 2012, giving StarHub viewers a total of eight Hindi entertainment channels to choose from.

Channel [V] India will be packed together with Star Gold to form a new pack called the Star Hindi Movies and Music Pack. The pack will be available to StarHub TV subscribers at a monthly subscription of $8.56 (w/GST); existing Star Gold subscribers will enjoy Channel [V] India at no additional charge.

To give customers a chance to sample the new pack, StarHub is offering all its TV customers a two-week free preview of Star Gold and Channel [V] India from 31 January to 14 February 2012.

StarHub VP home solutions, content Iris Wee said, “Hindi content has become increasingly popular among our viewers as seen by the massive reception at last year’s Zee Cine Awards in Singapore. With that in mind, Channel [V] India and Eros Bollywood On Demand will provide endless hours of entertainment for fans of all ages. Following the addition of the two channels to our burgeoning stable of content, we can truly say that we have the best and latest that Hindi entertainment has to offer.”

Channel [V] India features chart-topping music videos, reality shows, blockbuster movie previews and reviews, celebrity interviews, concert specials and lifestyle programmes.

The Eros Bollywood On Demand channel boasts the latest standout movies such as 2011’s big-budget science fiction flick Ra.One starring Shah Rukh Khan, as well as the sleeper hit comedy drama Yamla Pagla Deewana which grossed
over Rs 865 million despite costing only Rs. 200 million to produce.

Eros Bollywood On Demand also includes timeless classics like the love story Saajan which stars Sanjay Dutt, Madhuri Dixit and Salman Khan. Released in 1991, the movie was a box office hit and went on to win multiple Filmfare Awards.

Eros Bollywood On Demand will be offered to StarHub TV subscribers at a monthly subscription of $8.56 (w/GST). A HubStation, HubStation HD or HD Interactive set-top box is required to access the On Demand Channel.

MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia has inked a distribution deal with FetchTV, an Australian wholesale subscription TV provider and has launched One in Australia.

Under the agreement, the Asian general entertainment network becomes the first wholly-owned Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia channel to secure carriage in Australia.

As the destination of programmes produced by Seoul-based content supplier and broadcaster SBS through an output deal, One offers prime South Korean entertainment. The channel airs the latest Korean drama series, with selected titles premiering three to five weeks after debut in Korea. In addition, the hippest K-pop variety and music programmes complement One’s drama lineup.

One is available via FetchTV ISP partnersiiNet, Internode, Westnet, Netspace, MyTelecom and Adam Internet.

Broadcasting in standard definition, One will be included in FetchTV’s Korean Pack, and will also be part of the Singapore/Taiwan Pack, airing with Chinese subtitling and selected titles with Mandarin dubbing.

One is the latest addition to the broad range of English and local language content that FetchTV offers through its service. Launched in 2010, FetchTV is available to a rapidly growing customer base, with almost 90 per cent of the population in Australian metropolitan areas able to access the service, of which half have broadband connections with FetchTV partners.

FetchTV. CEO Scott Lorson said, “Multicultural programming is an important part of the FetchTV strategy catering to Australia’s diverse range of cultural backgrounds. We hope the addition of ONE to our language packages, alongside international news channels, will continue to strengthen the appeal of FetchTV to Australia’s Korean and Chinese populations.”

Next month One subscribers can look forward to Yes, Captain, a drama following the lives of aircrew starring Goo Hye Sun ‘Boys Over Flowers‘; along with romance dramas While You Were Sleeping featuring Lee Chang Hoon ‘Daring Women‘ and Oh Yoon Ah ‘Athena: Goddess of War‘ as well as ‘Stay With Me, My Love‘ starring Lee So Yun ‘Temptation of An Angel‘ and Lee Jae Yoon ‘Just Like Today‘.

Sony Pictures Television Networks Asia senior VP, GM Ricky Ow said, “There is great demand for fresh Korean content of high quality – especially amongst Asians – including many Koreans who call Australia home. Complete with new drama, variety and music shows, and some titles debuting just weeks after Korean premieres, ONE will offer the best and latest of Korean entertainment Down Under. We look forward to working with FetchTV to make One a success”.

One was first launched in October 2010 in Malaysia and is also seen in Singapore,Cambodia and Indonesia.

MUMBAI: NDTV has expanded its reach in the international market with the launch of its news channel NDTV 24×7 and lifestyle channel NDTV Good Times on Dish Network in the US.

The channels will now be offered in the bouquet of Dish Network‘s South Asian Mega pack along with other channels from India.

Additionally, NDTV 24×7 has become the first Indian channel to also be available in their international base pack as well, the company said.

NDTV executive director and group CEO Vikram Chandra said, “NDTV is delighted to be partnering with Dish Network to bring its content to an even wider audience in the US. We recognise that Dish dominates the South Asian market in the US, but we are also delighted that NDTV 24×7 will also be available to a wider audience through their International base pack. We hope our association helps both companies reach new heights.”

NDTV 24×7‘s launch on Dish Network‘s international base pack comes close on the heels of the launch on Virgin in the UK, where it also became the only Indian channel to be launched in their basic pack.

NDTV‘s channels are now available across the US, UK, Canada, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, Australia-New Zealand and the Indian sub-continent.

NDTV Good Times is available in key international markets, including the US and Canada, with a launch in the UK in the pipeline.

MUMBAI: Online recharge website Freecharge.in, which has launched a new business model for online lead generation and couponing, has received Series A funding of Rs 200 million from Sequoia Capital.

The funds will be used to add new products, add merchants who can use Freecharge to target consumers, and to advertise the service to consumers.

The company had earlier received the seed funding from Sequoia Capital in 2011.

Accelyst Solutions Pvt Ltd (the parent company to Freecharge.in) co-founder and CEO Kunal Shah said, “There are over 600 million prepaid mobile phone users in India, and we‘re offering them a convenient and easy way to recharge their phones or pay their DTH bills online, and we offer them discounts of equal value at a merchant of their choice. At our end, we are excited about the intelligence we are building around the consumer‘s preferences and the ability to target better offers to them, and driving hundreds of thousands of transactions to our merchant partners every month.”

Sequoia Capital managing director Shailendra Singh said, “Freecharge has created a new online model, enabled by couponing. We were attracted to Freecharge because it isn‘t another daily deals site, but one that leverages a very localised phenomenon of pre-paid mobile and DTH services, to generate demand for large merchants. Freecharge allows merchants to publicise offers, that consumers pay a small fee for, thereby establishing very strong intent. Some of the e-commerce merchants that offer coupons on Freecharge have seen their sales grow 50-100 per cent due to Freecharge alone.”

Freecharge has developed a business model by introducing the concept of ‘free recharge‘. Freecharge offers savings to the consumer in the form of coupons from 50+ merchants, equal to the value of recharge. Since its launch less than 18 months ago, Freecharge.in‘s customer base has grown to 1.5 million.

Freecharge has currently partnered with over 50 retailers including McDonald‘s, Barista, Café Coffee Day, Fastrack, Puma, Domino‘s, Crossword, Croma, Shoppers Stop, Pizza Hut and a host of e-commerce websites.

MUMBAI: Ahmedabad-based Gujarat Telelinks Private Ltd (GTPL), a joint venture where Hathway Cable & Datacom has 50 per cent stake, has acquired a majority stake in an Assam-based cable TV network.

GTPL has taken a 51 per cent stake in V&S, a Dibrugarh-based multi-system operator (MSO) that has presence in the neighbouring towns of Tinsukia, Digboi, Sivasagar, Demow, Moran, Margherita and Ledo in Upper Assam.

“We intend to expand through this MSO in Assam, including Guwahati, and the north eastern region. We have done a valuation based on a profit ratio over 2-3 years,” said GTPL CMD Anirudh Sinh Jadeja, while declining to disclose the acquisition price.

Industry sources, however, said GTPL will be paying around Rs 12 million for the stake purchase.

GTPL had earlier bought 51 per cent in Kolkata Cable and Broadband Pariseva to set foot in West Bengal. A dominant player in Gujarat, GTPL has also spread across Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Bihar.

GTPL, which has expanded fast, will not pursue more acquisitions. “We will conserve capital for digitisation. We are not looking at more acquisitions unless there is a very lucrative opportunity,” said Jadeja.

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GTPL plans Rs 3.5 bn investment, Cisco Capital may fund digitisation in Kolkata

MUMBAI: Streamed TV is becoming more mainstream in the UK with the use of online streaming services such as BBC iplayer, ITV iplayer or 4oD on the rise, particularly among younger people, according to the latest KPMG media and entertainment Barometer.

Among streaming services offered in the UK, BBC iPlayer currently has the highest level of awareness with nine in ten people having heard of the online streaming service, followed by ITV player and LoveFilm.

The survey also reveals that consumers are increasingly willing to pay for services. 64 per cent of respondents said they would pay for films online (60 percent in March 2011). Appetite to pay for TV has also been creeping up, from 27 per cent in September 2010, to 28 per cent in March 2011 to 30 per cent by October 2011.

Among those who are or would consider becoming a paid subscriber, film, music and TV is the preferred type of content that consumers are or would be willing to pay for.

KPMG head of media David Elms said, “Judging by our survey it seems that new entrants into the UK market have got their timing right. The foundations for online streaming services to be successful appear to be set. Not only is awareness and usage of streaming high, but willingness to pay for content has increased too. There are, however, barriers, not least the likely cost of set top boxes. What is more, by the end of 2012, everyone in the UK will have digital terrestrial TV, with the choice of between 20 and 30 channels. That’s a lot of free TV. It is possible that the majority of TV households don’t actually need anything more.”

Other key findings:

Smartphone and tablet ownership continues to rise : 44 per cent of respondents said they own a smartphone as their main phone (compared to 36 per cent six months ago and 27% in 2010). More than three quarters of respondents (78 per cent) use their smartphones to browse the Internet and over two thirds (67 per cent) are using them for social networking. Tablet usage has almost doubled since September 2010 and owners continue to use tablets for a wide range of activities. This suggests that tablet owners are becoming more familiar and confident using their tablets as well as increased functionality on account of a wider range of available ‘apps’.

Smartphone and tablet spend is up : Successive waves of research show that the average spend on smartphone and tablet apps is increasing, with eBooks taking up the largest share. Among those who download paid apps, the average spend is now ?6.97 on smartphone (up from ?5.65 six months ago). The average monthly spend on tablet apps has increased too ?10.78 (from ?8.87 six months ago).

Usage of traditional media continues to decline : The majority of respondents said they prefer the use of “traditional media” such as reading physical books or watching TV; however the consumption of traditional media continues to be on the decline (with the exception of watching TV).

In contrast, online newspapers and magazines as well as digital books are becoming increasingly popular, a trend that appears to be driven by the expanding tablet and eReader market. More than half of respondents (55%) said they had read online newspapers in the last month (compared to 40% six months ago) and 14 per cent said they had read digital books (compared to 8% six months ago). Increases in social media usage are also apparent along with online music streaming and downloads.

However, money spent on both traditional and new media has remained stable. Consumers will spend most on eBooks and music download within new media activities; most likely because these are the most expensive to access compared to streaming music/TV, which at the moment tend to be free via online services.

Elms said, “We continue to see mobile media as an attractive means to monetise content, given the continuing rise in the uptake of smartphones, tablets and eReaders. Whilst consumers continue to embrace new media at a rapid pace, a “mixed ecology” persists, with a majority still enjoying traditional media such as reading books or watching TV.”

MUMBAI: Beehive Systems, the developer of WASP3D real-time 3D Graphics Solution, has announced that it will showcase a complete range of its broadcast graphics solutions and presentation tools during the forthcoming BES Expo, 2012 with a focus on elections and live events.

The presentation will feature use of interactive tools including touch screens and tablets to trigger 3D graphics in an immersive virtual environment.

Also on display will be various modules of WASP3D workflow with an improved UI, new features and realistic, built-in design effects.

For Beehive, which has gained a stronghold in the Indian market, the expo will provide a perfect platform to showcase its graphics solutions to nearly 300 companies from 25 countries, who are expected to participate in the expo.

The company asserts that an anchor can deliver complex analysis-driven presentations integrated with live data with great ease using WASP3D’s cutting-edge technology.

BES, which was established in 1987, is India‘s leading broadcast technology show.

MUMBAI: Ahmedabad-based Gujarat Telelinks Private Ltd (GTPL), a joint venture where Hathway Cable & Datacom has 50 per cent stake, has a funding requirement of Rs 3.5 billion for digitisation.

Cisco Capital is likely to finance GTPL’s digitisation initiative in Kolkata, one of the four metros that fall under the first phase of digitisation. The MSO plans to invest Rs 1 billion and seed 500,000 digital set-top boxes (STBs) in Kolkata.

Cisco is GTPL’s technology partner for STBs. “For Kolkata, we are looking at Cisco Capital for financing. We plan to invest around Rs 750 million-Rs 1 billion in that market. We aim to seed 500,000 STBs as Kolkata falls under the first phase of digitisation,” said GTPL CMD Anirudh Sinh Jadeja.

GTPL bought 51 per cent in Kolkata Cable and Broadband Pariseva to set foot in West Bengal.

GTPL will require Rs 2.50 billion in the second phase to digitise in towns like Ahmedabad, Baroda, Surat, Rajkot, Nagpur and Ranchi. “Our estimate is that we will need 1.5-1.8 million STBs in these markets. The main chunk of this will be in Gujarat where we are the largest MSO,” said Jadeja.

A dominant player in Gujarat, GTPL has also spread across Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Bihar and, most recently, Assam. It has operations in cities such as Dhanbad, Jamshedpur, Sangli, Satara and Vidarbha. In Gujarat, it covers over 30 cities.

Will GTPL look at raising funds? “In the first phase of digitisation, we have only Kolkata to take care of. We will get financial help from Cisco Capital. For the second phase, we still have time. We will look at vendor financing and debt from banks,” said Jadeja.

GTPL, which has expanded fast, will not pursue more acquisitions. “We will conserve capital for digitisation. We are not looking at more acquisitions unless there is a very lucrative opportunity,” said Jadeja.