Category: Software

MUMBAI: Videocon d2h, the last entrant in the fiercely competitive six-player Indian direct-to-home (DTH) market, has claimed that it is offering the maximum number of channels provided by any DTH operator in India.

Videocon d2h is offering 266 channels, including regional language channels in Marathi, Bengali, Oriya, Punjabi, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Tamil.
  
Videocon Group director Saurabh Dhoot said, “We are currently having 266 channels and services on our platform which is the highest in the DTH industry as we believe in delivering the best for our customers. Regional viewing preferences are very important for us and we ensure every effort to provide more content for customers from different regions with entertainment suiting their needs.”

Videocon d2h is providing 10 channels in Marathi, 19 channels in Tamil, 18 in Telugu, 14 in Malayalam, 13 in Kannada, 13 in Bengali, six in Oriya and seven in Punjabi.  
 
“We are the only platform which is providing such a large variety of channels to choose from. We also have five channels for our customers from North East,” added Dhoot.

Videocon d2h has also launched Planet M Music Space. It also has 22 exclusive channels (including two video channels), designed to target customers’ needs for music.

The DTH player has also introduced a new Active Bhakti music video channel and two regional devotional audio channels in Marathi and Bengali under its Active Music Space platform.
 

MUMBAI: Content protection specialist Conax will showcase a portfolio of interactive hybrid solutions together with partners at the television technology trade event IBC in Amsterdam.

Conax will also launch its new security platform, Conax Contego.
 
The Conax IBC showing is aimed at galvanising its benchmarking security levels for superior, open standards solutions. With its new offerings, Conax aims to take significant market share in the coming years.

Conax will publicise details of its revolutionary new content security platform. Demonstrations will be featured hourly throughout IBC, following the launch.

Conax executive VP products and markets Geir Bj?rndal says, “The launch of Conax Contego at IBC, combined with Conax’ robust and comprehensive solutions shown at IBC together through several key Conax partners (such as TiVo, ADB, Espial, eventISt), will further solidify the Conax tradition for providing best-in-class, open standards security solutions through a global network of partners”. 
 
Robust partner solutions for on-demand services : Together with partners, Conax will highlight a portfolio of robust interactive solutions of interest for operators and partners. Demonstrations will feature user-friendly interactive services for a home cinema experience and integration of top-tier content combined with state-of-the-art security and middleware to protect operator’s valuable content.

Conax DRM Control : Conax DRM Control provides operators with the ability to determine how the content can be consumed on various devices, controlling features such as downscaling of HD content, copy control, and trick-play control. Conax’s new DRM Control functionality is already implemented at a key operator in Germany, through partner Technosat. This will also be on display at IBC.

Benchmark policy for consumer devices
Conax’ benchmark STB policy was the catalyst shifting the traditional STB market from proprietary, costly solutions to the evolution of an open market. Conax partners with over 200 STB manufacturers for security evaluated consumer devices that cater to the varying needs of today’s TV operations, providing a wide selection of pricing models and secure, flexible solutions.

CI Plus in the forefront : Conax’ focus on quality is further extended to the CI+ market through the provider’s strict regime for security accreditation via third party certification processes. Conax is actively engaged with all CI+ client device and module suppliers, ensuring that healthy competition and pricing is extended to new equipment.

The security provider aims to make CI+ modules available that include best-in-class Conax security for operators deploying Conax technology to for revenue protection. CI+ modules with more advanced technology will be available within a short time.

DTT security : Conax claims 40 per cent of the global DTT market deploys its security technology, including 15 national DTT platforms in Europe, where Conax partners with leading broadcasters, pay-TV operators and regulators.

NEW DELHI: Satellite Channel Nepal, a pay-TV provider in the South Asia region, has chosen Latens software Cas for its direct-to-home (DTH) system in Nepal.

Satellite Channel was awarded a DTH operating licence at the start of the year and will launch with a minimum of 80 national and international HD/SD channels. It targets to have a subscriber base of 300,000-400,000 within the first three years of operations.
 
Satellite Channel has chosen the Latens and Media Nucleus solutions, which comprise Latens DTH software Cas, and will operate on set-top boxes initially from Arion, providing it with a highly flexible and secure DTH delivery system.

“Latens‘ Cas was the most attractive solution for our requirements as it offers a high level of protection and security,” said Satellite Channel CEO Rameh Paudiyal. “Of all the offerings that were considered, Latens was selected to provide a secure, quality, cost-effective DTH service to the businesses and homes of Nepal.”
 
Satellite Channel said the launch of the first DTH platform in Nepal using the latest and most advanced digital technology available would be a step towards changing TV experience for consumers in the region and dramatically reduce the government incurred losses through the illegal import of DTH services.

“This deployment is the latest in the growing number of Asian Telcos selecting Latens CA solutions and is further evidence of our high reputation for dependability and ease of operation and deployment,” said Latens Asia regional director Rahul Nehra.
 

MUMBAI: Asianet Cable Vision (ACV) has partnered SureWaves to aggregate the viewership across its cable channels and provide flexible, transparent, accountable and easy process with proof of play to advertisers.

SureWaves’ Spot TV, the company said, is filling the gap of providing the cable viewership to national advertisers on single platform. 
 
SureWaves will not only provide advertising and local content management solution to Asianet, it will also act as sales partner for markets outside Kerala. ACV runs bouquet of six channels and reaches out to more than three million viewers across Kerala.

SureWaves solution is integrated with cable channel play out system using internet and inserts advertising based on central triggers.

The solution has the intelligence to aggregate and distribute the right advertising to the right places on the right channels based on advertiser requirements and integrates the functions of network management, content play-out, media planning and reporting. SureWaves Spot TV is realised through advances in Cloud Computing technologies for high scalability.  
 
Asianet Satellite Communications EVP S Rajeev says, “In a dynamic business atmosphere, the SureWaves initiative has provided us with an effective and powerful tool which can help us improve our offering to our viewers and help provide us accountable and transparent offering to our advertisers.”

SureWaves chairman and MD Raj Khare adds, “Spot TV offering is part of our endeavour to use latest advances in internet technologies to improve and organise non-internet mediums. It’s great to have organisation like Asianet Satellite Communication as our founding partner. We will be expanding our offering in other states in near future.”

NEW DELHI: The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (Tdsat) said Monday it would give interim directions on 31 August on the plea by broadcasters seeking the stay of the Tariff order on addressable systems including DTH issued by Trai on 21 July.

Tdsat also said today it would hear the four petitions on 14 September. The petitions have been filed by Zee Turner, ESPN software, Star Den and MSM Discovery.
 
The principal bench of the tribunal said Trai should file its reply by 6 September and the petitioners can file their counter affidavit before the matter comes up for hearing.

All the four petitions have raised the same prayer, seeking quashing of the Trai Tariff order of 21 July. The petitions are largely similar in the arguments raised by them.

Furthermore, as the order is to come into effect from 1 September, the petitioners sought a stay of the order until the petition is disposed off.

Appearing for Trai, senior advocate Meet Malhotra said that the new tariff would be effective operationally from 1 October 1, due to the billing cycle.

“The new tariff, between operators would become effective not before first week of October,” said Malhotra.

He further suggested the tribunal to hear all four cases filed by the broadcasters collectively and pass orders.

The Tariff order puts the cap for television content in address digital systems at 35 per cent of the existing analogue cable TV pricing.  
 
Zee Turner in its petition has said that the ceiling of 35 per cent in the non-Cas rates in the Tariff order of 21 July is wholly arbitrary, irrational, and untenable. The justification for this is contrary to settled principles of law and contrary to Article 14 of the Constitution.

The petition says that instead of improving the methodology of counting subscribers in non-Cas areas, the Trai order would have the effect of eliminating incentives for the industry to achieve addressability. It is a known fact that the exact number of subscribers in non-Cas areas is not clear because of under-declaration, and therefore there has been non-application of mind while issuing the order, the petition added.

The petition said that Trai had adopted perverse methodology by calculating subscriber content cost per annum at Rs 287 in analogue in non-Cas areas and comparing this with the subscriber content cost of Rs 709 per annum in DTH areas, and thus arriving at an inference that the discount of 59.6 per cent is required to be given to DTH operators by broadcasters and content providers.
 

MUMBAI: HomeShop18 has revamped its site, www.homeshop18.com.

The relaunched ecommerce portal has been upgraded to offer a wider choice of products. Customers will be now able to choose from over 50,000 products in the first phase.
  
The real shift is in user functionality with the aim of making it easier to navigate with highly efficient search capabilities for a highly enjoyable shopping experience. While designing the new website, special attention has been paid to ensure that customers with slower Internet connections will have a good browsing experience.

The new site provides an enhanced gifting catalogue with offers and gifting ideas for birthdays, anniversaries and festival season. The products ordered from the website comes with multiple payment options (including cash on delivery) , 24X7 call center support, delivery to over 2800 locations and 15 days money back guarantee.

HomeShop18 CEO Sundeep Malhotra said, “We are now totally focussed on becoming the market leader in the ecommerce segment, like we are in the home shopping industry. The re-launch of the ecommerce portal is just the first step and we are going to aggressively enhance the portal to make it the most preferred shopping destination online.” 
 
Last month, www.homeshop18.com was awarded for Brand Excellence in Internet business by CMO Asia. The portal has also been a recipient of the PC World “Best Shopping Website Award” in 2008.

MUMBAI: People magazine has debuted its first issue for the iPad.

The announcement was made by Time editor, Style and Entertainment Group Martha Nelson.

The People application includes a single copy purchase option plus a first-ever subscriber verification web interface. The app invites People subscribers to verify their subscription and then supplies a login username and password which allows them to download the current issue for free.
  
Nelson says, “People‘s subscriber base is extremely loyal and pays a premium price for the magazine. We want them to have the ability to consume People content however they choose. We are thrilled that the weekly issues of People are now available on the iPad along with a variety of exciting bonus features to our audience.”

The People iPad app appears in the iTunes each Thursday morning and will feature the current issue as well as interactive elements, bonus photos and exclusive videos. 
 
The inaugural issue of People‘s iPad application includes exciting bonus features such as a video of Katy Perry demonstrating how to navigate the app as well as bonus never-seen-before photos of her childhood. People‘s special Babies section also receives treatment in the app, featuring a video tour of Bethenny Frankel‘s nursery and videos of Leelee Sobieski with her baby and Tori Spelling with her family. 

MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (Trai) tariff order in July for digital addressable systems including DTH was bound to land in the court.

Broadcasters have moved the Tdsat against the tariff order that was to be implemented on 1 September and would have put the cap for television content in address digital systems at 35 per cent of the existing analogue cable TV pricing. They are particularly disturbed by the loss in revenues they would suffer from DTH where the earlier ceiling was 50 per cent of cable TV rates.
 
Star Den, Zee Turner and Sun among others have approached the Tdsat and would consider moving the Supreme Court if the verdict is not favourable. Broadcasters are seeking relief from the Trai order and the matter is up for hearing on Monday.

“There is a huge amount of competition among the broadcasters. Trai has not taken that into perspective and there is no need for heavy regulations on pricing. While DTH operators are given a la carte choice, the regulator also should have allowed our pricing to be dictated by market forces. There is no way any broadcaster can price itself arbitrarily in today’s highly competitive environment,” said Star Den CEO Gurjeev Singh.

There is no rationale for the regulator to lower the content tariff for DTH operators, many broadcast executives said. 
 

NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati is going to spend Rs 15.28 billion in its first phase of digitisation for Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR) that is set for completion in 2013.

Doordarshan has been earmarked a budget of Rs 6.2 billion while AIR gets Rs 9.08 billion for the first phase. A fresh dose of funding would be required for complete digitisation of the two outfits, but government sources couldn‘t confirm the entire requirement.
 
For the first phase, DD will digitise 40 transmitters. It will also complete full digitisation of 39 studios in 31 states and Union territories.

All India Radio has undertaken replacement and digitalisation of 70 MW transmitters, 34 old FM transmitters, setting up of 130 new digital compatible FM Transmitters, nine short wave transmitters and 98 studio centres in 34 states and Union territories. 
 
Though the government is yet to take a final view on the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (Trai) recommendation that 31 December 2013 should be the sunset hour for analogue transmission, it has reiterated that it expects to complete digitisation in Doordarshan and All India Radio by 2017.

NEW DELHI: A budget of Rs 4.5 billion has been earmarked to the Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited for providing communication facilities during the Commonwealth Games 2010 includng the broadcast network for high definition broadcast.
 
Parliament was informed by Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Sachin Pilot that MTNL and Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd. (TCIL) are executing the work.

MTNL is setting up wide area Telecom Networks for Commonwealth Games connecting various venues with three networks: Games Data Network (GDN) for Games Applications, Voice & Multimedia; Security Data Network (SDN) for CCTV/Video Surveillance; and Broadcast Network (BN) for High Definition Broadcast. 
 
MTNL is getting funds for use of this network during the CWG from different sources: Rs. 1.82 billion from the Sports Ministry in a wet lease basis; Rs. 300 million from the Home Ministry for uses of security data network; and Rs. 730 million from the Organising Committee for using data and various other services.

Among other things, TCIL has been asked to get cable access TV services at a project estimate value of Rs 13.8 million; and supply, installation & commissioning of audio visual equipment at a value of Rs 51.9 million.