Category: Software

MUMBAI: MSM Discovery is adding sports channels to its entertainment, infotainment and news stable, entering into a three-year distribution pact with Neo Sports for an undisclosed amount.

The company, which operates under the OneAlliance brand, will get to distribute Neo Sports and Neo Cricket on cable and HITS (Headend-In-The-Sky) platforms. Neo will continue to keep the DTH side of its distribution business.
 
Says Multi Screen Media CEO Man Jit Singh, “Having Neo with its coverage of BCCI cricket complements the strength the bouquet draws from IPL and gives our bouquet the two largest cricket properties and a year round sports presence. TheOneAlliance has a significant presence in every genre and is the strongest distribution bouquet in India.”

MSM Discovery will distribute the channels from 1 September. “There is a short transition phase. TheOneAlliance will distribute the channels from 1 September. Neo will continue to distribute the two channels on DTH,” says Neo Sports Broadcast president affiliate sales Arun Poddar.

Neo Cricket has the rights of all the BCCI events in India till 2014. Its line up for the next few months include the Australia and New Zealand tour. Neo Sports, on the other hand, showcases football, tennis, golf and other sporting properties.

“We are the only distribution platform which offers the best of channels in all genres including sports. We will be distributing the Neo channels on analogue and digital cable and HITS platform,” says MSM Discovery president Rajesh Kaul. 
 
TheOneAlliance has in its family channels like Sony, Max, Sab, Pix, AXN, Discovery, Discovery Travel and Living, Animal Planet, Aaj Tak, NDTV 24X7, NDTV India and NDTV Profit.

Says Neo Sports Broadcast chairman Harish Thawani, “TheOneAlliance and Neo Sports Broadcast distribution deal is a strategically sound arrangement. The OneAlliance has proven track record of quality distribution and Neo Sports Broadcast has key properties on Neo Cricket and Neo Sports. This deal will provide an extremely robust platform for higher reach and empower the viewers to consume quality sports properties.”

MUMBAI: Samsung Electronics has expanded its Led TV lineup by introducing for the first time Led TVs in 22 and 26 inch screen sizes in order to meet the growing consumer demand.

These models have been introduced across Series 4000 and Series 5000 of Full HD LED TVs, to complement the existing 2010 lineup of Series 6200 and Series 6900 LED TVs. Thus, Samsung’s LED TV lineup now extends from 22 to 55 inch screen sizes across 13 models priced between Rs 25,000 to Rs 200,000.
 
In addition to its LED TVs, Samsung also offers 3D LED TVs across its Series 7000 and Series 8000 in the screen sizes between 40 to 55 inches.

Samsung LED TVs which use LEDs as their primary light source, rather than traditional Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps (CCFL), offer benefits that include ultra-high contrast ratios, slim depths for more artful designs, plus increased energy savings. All Samsung LED HDTV Series boast of Mega Dynamic Contrast Ratio, which complements Samsung’s ground breaking LED TV Engine. The Ultra Clear Panel supports by showing every detail even in brightly-lit, imperfect viewing conditions. Samsung’s entire LED HDTV line-up incorporates another innovative feature, the acclaimed Clear Motion Rate frame interpolation technology that reduce motion blur and image judder for crisp, easy viewing of sports, video games and movies. 
 
Similar to the Series 6200 and Series 6900, the new Samsung Series 4000 and Series 5000 not only offers a lifelike viewing experience but breaks free from the conventional limits of integrating a television into a room’s décor. By using Edge Led technology, Samsung has been able to shave its entire Led TV lineup to ultra-thin depths. Furthermore, the AllShare feature in the Samsung Led TVs allows users to wirelessly connect their TV with compatible mobile devices.

This means that users can share movies, photos and music through a single device – the Samsung LED TV. And with four HDMI ports – all with Anynet+ (HDMI CEC support), other compatible HDMI connected devices can be controlled via a single remote.

The company adds that the latest evolution of its Crystal design which uses dual-injection molding to coat a translucent, coloured surface to achieve an attractive crystalline appearance begins with a deep piano black bezel that fades into light ruby highlights. The intensity of the colour subtly changes depending upon the viewing angle.

Energy consumption in the Samsung LED TVs is reduced by over 40 per cent versus traditional LCD HDTVs of similar size. The company adds that LED TVs are mercury-free and lead free, which adds another degree of environmental friendliness and safety compared with other currently available backlight technologies.

Samsung India deputy MD Ravinder Zutshi said, “ Based on the strong acceptance that we witnessed for our LED TVs since their introduction, we are expecting our LED TVs to contribute over 15 per cent of our Flat Panel TV sales this Year.” Samsung says that it was the first company to launch Full HD LED TVs globally as well as in India. Samsung, which is a market leader in the fast growing Flat Panel TV market in India, is expecting to garner a 40 per cent market share in the Indian market by the end of the year.

MUMBAI: The BBC‘s London 2012 website, the new “home” for all of the BBC‘s London 2012 content, has been launched to mark two years through to the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

World Olympic Dreams has also been launched on the site.

The 2012 site, bbc.co.uk/2012, gives users a single entry point to a showcase of BBC content related to London 2012, drawing on news, sport, programmes from the BBC Archive and more. The site will also contain prominent links to external content such as information about volunteering in 2012 and how to buy tickets for the Olympic Games.
 
Nearer the Games it will be the home of the BBC‘s Torch Relay coverage online, building in technical innovation from the BBC‘s Future Media & Technology division and external development companies.

The Torch Relay begins in May 2012 and will cover the UK, before reaching its climax at the Opening Ceremony in London on 27 July. 
 
Among other highlights will be World Olympic Dreams, a project which will feature 26 individual stories and 46 athletes from around the world as they strive to achieve Olympic glory in 2012, and World Class, a sister project. Also reflected on the site will be the array of high profile Cultural/Festival 2012 activity and the Queen‘s Diamond Jubilee.
The look and feel of the site will adapt to the dominant theme of the 2012 journey. For example, when the Torch Relay is under way, the site will fit with that theme and, before the Games themselves get under way, traffic and travel information will be added so that users can easily check on how to get around London and to the other Olympic venues.

BBC‘s director of London 2012 Roger Mosey says, “Telling the story of London 2012 from now until the end of the Games is one of the biggest challenges the BBC has ever undertaken. We want our coverage to bring the whole of the UK together to enjoy this unprecedented period of events, and the BBC‘s website will be the place where people can find out about everything from the 100 metres final and the latest Olympic News to the greatest cultural performances.”

World Olympic Dreams is an innovative multi-platform project which will be broadcast across TV, radio and online and will follow athletes including Abhinav Bindra drawn from six continents and competing in 17 different Olympic sports.

The series of short films will be collated through the BBC‘s worldwide reporting network, with correspondents in each of the countries featured providing the relevant footage.

Viewers will be given an insight into each of the athlete‘s unique stories and very different personal circumstances while they all work towards the same goal of Olympic success: personal training regimes; coaches; diet; family; friends; their likes and dislikes; and the sacrifices they all have to make.

Two new films will air every month and the World Olympic Dreams website will be updated with the latest news from all the athletes. The site will also contain features such as Q&As and blogs as well as the athletes personal social media sites, where users will be able to interact with the athletes.

In addition, BBC Breakfast, World News, World Service, News Channel and BBC Radio 5 Live will carry coverage.

BBC Sport news reporter and Olympic gold medallist Matthew Pinsent will front the series and will be bringing regular updates and reports on each of the 26 stories.

To mark the launch of the new London 2012 website, the BBC Archive is releasing a brand new collection of television and radio programmes online.

Programmes from the archives take you back to the Austerity Games to reveal how the BBC coped with their first time broadcasting television from any Olympic games, and also how the bombed and battered city of London managed to host the Olympics on a shoe-string.

Pictures showing the Olympics from a different angle – from behind the cameras – have been released publicly for the first time. The pictures include shots of crowds cheering on the British team as they parade through Wembley, and the British Gymnastic team getting ready for the Games by practising in Hyde Park.

MUMBAI: In its bid to reconnect with the Facebook generation, Disney has firmed up its intention to buy out social game maker Playdom for $ 563.2 million.

Playdom, launched two and a half years ago, has been attracting 42 million users monthly to its games such as Social City, Bola and Tiki Farm, that are popular on social networks such as Facebook.
 
According to Disney chief executive Robert Iger, the purchase would allow the company‘s ageing stable of characters to reach a new audience. The studio is expected to leverage Playdom‘s expertise not only for its band of classic characters but also for games linked to its TV properties like ABC and ESPN and for its stable of Marvel comic book characters.

“This acquisition can benefit many of our characters, stories and brands, delivering them in a creatively compelling way to a new generation of fans on the platforms they prefer,” Iger added.

Disney paid $4 billion last year to acquire Marvel so that it would have access to characters like Iron Man and X-Men. Disney‘s characters including Mickey Mouse can feature in games on the social networking site.
 
Playdom chief executive John Pleasants described the deal as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the way people of all ages play games with their friends across devices, platforms and geographical boundaries.”

Bangalore: Digital Destination Media player – LiveMedia announced a strategic alliance with Barista Coffee Company Limited through which 200 Barista Lavazza outlets across India will have LiveMedia screens on their premises.

LiveMedia is a young start-up company funded by Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Bay Partners and Samsung. It currently runs over 15 different branded programmes, including such hits as Love Unplugged, Humour Live, Dhakkan’s Diary, Yo Mousi, Kittty & Witty, Mr. Wise, Horoscope, Trivia Live and Fashion Live
  
LiveMedia Ceo Rajan Mehta reveals, “The process of installation of the screens is well underway and nearing completion. We will be developing content specific to the tastes of the youth, upwardly mobile people and young professionals who spend time at coffee shops. Overall, our emphasis has been on having a humour-rich content that is designed to enhance the experience of viewers.” 
 
Claims Barista Coffee Company director and Ceo Sanjay Coutinho, “Barista Lavazza is an experiential brand and we use key touchpoints to differentiate our brand experience. These include store ambience, store experience, innovation and guest service. This tie-up is an initiative to enhance guest engagement elements and provide an additional medium of entertainment to our guests.”

NEW DELHI: The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (Tdsat) has passed an interim order, restraining MSM Discovery from representing itself as an agent for Viacom18 to third parties.

The bench headed by chairperson SB Sinha with members GD Gaiha and PK Rastogi, who reserved orders on 22 July, said the prima facie order was only by way of interim relief.

The order amounts to restraining MSM Discovery from distributing Colors and other channels of Viacom18 till further orders.
  
Viacom18 in its petition against MSM Discovery distribution bouquet had alleged material breaches, misrepresentation and under-reporting of subscriber base.  
 
The case has arisen out of a dispute following the decision by Viacom18 to pull out its four channels – Colors, MTV, Nick and Vh1 – before the expiry of a three-year contract which had come into effect from 1 April 2009. Viacom18 has decided to shift its channels to Sun18, a newly formed joint venture between Sun Network and Network18.

MUMBAI: Wire and Wireless (India) Ltd has narrowed its first-quarter net loss as revenue has jumped 10 per cent with a gain in carriage earnings from broadcasters.

A revival in Hyderbad and an entry into new markets through buyouts and joint ventures will shore up the multi-system operator‘s revenues in the second quarter, a senior executive at WWIL said on condition of anonymity.

The multi-system operator (MSO) is planning to get into Varanasi, Asansol, Bilaspur and Bhubaneswar.

“We expect a 10 per cent growth in revenue from the trailing quarter. The fourth-quarter growth should be higher as the acquisitions gain some maturity,” the executive added.

WWIL has posted an operating consolidated revenue of Rs 692.46 million for the three months to 30 June, up from Rs 630.06 million.
 
 
“Carriage has contributed to 55 per cent of our overall revenues. This formed 51 per cent of our revenue component in the year-ago quarter,” the official said.

WWIL‘s consolidated net loss stood at Rs 233.91 million for the quarter ended June 2010, narrowing from the earlier year‘s Rs 477.69 million.

The company, in fact, has turned Ebitda positive compared to the year-ago period. Ebitda for the quarter under review stood at Rs 74 million, from a Rs 100 million loss in the first quarter of FY‘10.

“We have arrested our expenses. Unlike the previous year, there is no expenditure incurred on Headend-In-The-Sky (HITS) during the quarter. The content cost has also come down. Our expenses fell 14.77 per cent,” said the official.

Expenses in the quarter stood at Rs 782.84 million, down from Rs 918.48 million a year ago. 
 
On standalone basis, WWIL‘s net loss for the quarter stood at Rs 204.65 million (against Rs 464.72 million in Q1 FY‘10). Revenue increased to Rs 497.50 million (from Rs 471.78 million), while expenses were at Rs 569.13 million compared to Rs 753.58 million in the earlier year.

WWIL has seeded 300,000 digital boxes and expects to add a similar amount during the fiscal.

WWIL promoters pledged 34.62 million shares, or 13.18 per cent stake, according to information provided by the company till 30 June 2010.

MUMBAI: Following the launch of CNN’s application for the iPhone and iPod touch in the United States last year, CNN has now announced the availability of the international version of the CNN App on the Apple application store.

Available free of charge to users outside of the US, the international version of the CNN App is purpose-built and designed to provide a visually-driven news experience for iPhone and iPod touch users.
  
“CNN’s new app will offer our international audience a mobile experience for iPhone and iPod touch, delivering unique features and a user-friendly design,” said CNN VP – mobile Louis Gump. “CNN is completely dedicated to meeting the needs of consumers and this app is an important contribution to that effort.”

The CNN App features push notification; regionalisation and personalisation tools. It showcases important global news through text, video and photos, and also includes user-generated content capture and upload functionality through iReport, CNN’s user-generated news community. 
 
CNN International VP of digital services Nick Wrenn added, “Our aim with the CNN App is to serve their mobile needs, putting relevant news, analysis and video right at their fingertips in a form that is both personally relevant and easy to use.”

NEW DELHI: The Cable and Satellite Broadcasters Association of Asia (Casbaa) announced expansion of its Indian agenda with the addition of three more players as members of the association.

The new members are Bharti Airtel, NDTV and Star India.

In line with this market growth as a regional body with a domestic agenda, Casbaa continues to increase its commitment to India through undertaking conferences, issuing reports and regularly engaging with policy-making government bodies on key industry issues.
 
“As a leading DTH player, we are committed to collaborating with world leaders in bringing innovative technologies,” said Bharti Airtel director and CEO Ajai Puri. “We are confident that Casbaa, leading the evolution of ecosystems and technologies that enable cable, satellite and broadcast industry, will impact positively on some critical structural changes to help digitise India rapidly.”

According to Casbaa, India is the most dynamic pay-TV market in the world with almost 10 per cent growth every year over the past five years. In the next 12 months, it is expected to overtake China as the biggest pay-TV market in Asia.

“Certainly, the additional memberships bring extraordinary new value to Casbaa‘s contribution to the Indian pay-TV market,” said Casbaa chairman Marcel Fenez. “With our extended footprint, the association looks forward to joining hands with all its Indian members and partners.” 
 
Other Indian Casbaa members include BAG Network, Conax, IMCL, Tata Sky, Zee TV, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Amarchand Mangaldas.

MUMBAI: Toshiba has launched its new range of LED TVs in the Indian market.

The new Toshiba REGZA backlit LED TVs XL700 series comes in three sizes – 138.7 cms (55XL700E), 117.5 cms (47XL700E) and 106.7 cms (42XL700E).

The XL700 series will range between Rs 1,20,000 to Rs 2,30,000 and would be available in India from July-end.
 
The products have Toshiba‘s proprietary Resolution+ technology. The company says that the details of images are mproved through analysis and refinement during the up conversion process. A standard image is first up scaled to HD-level resolution, then down scaled for comparison before eliminating the differences, such as noise, that degrades the original image.
 
The XL700 series aims to create a better visual performance by producing better details, gradation and clarity. It also has a Meta Brain Premium Video Engine and 14-bit video processing. The XL700 Series also features Auto Signal Booster to compensate for areas where the signal reception is weak.
The XL700 is outfitted with four HDMI inputs, a USB port and SD slot together with JPEG, MP3 and Movie (DivX®) Playback Functions, offering multiple media playback for an all-in-one entertainment experience.