Category: Software

MUMBAI: Coca-Cola has tied up with C2W Digital, the digital agency of contests2win.com.

The ‘Coke Dare Series‘ has been launched and features two advergames, made for the fans of the Delhi Daredevils Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise.
 
The series is based on the IPL tournament where players can step into the shoes of the Delhi Daredevils and play matches. The game is being positioned as a complete package from the toss to batting and bowling.

The twist in this game is a ‘Dare’ that the bowler / batsman can throw at the opposition, winning which will ensure the game will be won by the team / player at that moment itself.

The second game, Runathon, emulates a game that involves challenging friends to beat the score. The player has to keep the cricket ball up in the air for as long as possible while collecting runs which appear on the screen.
 
The games are hosted on www.delhidaredevils.com/cokedaredevils and can be played without registering also. This is a part of the digital initiative that Coca-Cola has undertaken for the IPL and it is on full display on the website www.delhidaredevils.com with an option for an user to become a Fan of the Delhi Daredevils.

The beverage conglomerate has done a double take on this promo by launching a sales linked promo also in which every Pet bottle of Coke has a nine digit code that can be used to accumulate runs and also to register online on www.delhidaredevils.com/cokedaredevils. Every member who registers becomes a Classic Member and is entitled to a freebie. Users also have the option of becoming Silver and Gold members by paying Rs 599 / Rs 999 on the site and avail of prizes.

Coca-Cola brand manager Avishek Mandal said, “We have been working with C2W Digital for the last many years for digital and sales linked initiatives. This time around we wanted a 360 degree inclusive approach and wanted to activate the digital platform in addition to on ground and retail activation. Gaming is catching up in a big way in India and for IPL and our association with the Delhi Daredevils, games is a must have.”

C2W Digital business head Gaurav Sharma says, “The brief was simple from Coke – to create engagement with the Delhi Daredevils and IPL in a fun and engaging manner. Advergames help a brand weave brand communication in a very seamless and fun manner. Flash based games are becoming increasingly popular in India and are among the top activities for online users. Since the games went live recently they have registered nearly 50,000 plays.”

NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has asked stakeholders to give their opinion on whether the tariff model for Headend-In-The-Sky (HITS) should be based on the DTH, conditional access system (Cas), or non-Cas system.

In a consultation paper on “Interconnection and Tariff issues related to HITS services” consequent to the guidelines for providing HITS broadcasting service in India issued by the Government on 26 November 2009, Trai has also sought to know how the tariff model will be regulated and the views of the stakeholders on carriage and placement fee.
 
The consultation paper follows the Information and Broadcasting Ministry’s reference to Trai on 10 December last to revisit the Interconnection Regulations and issue tariff orders for promotion of HITS services.

The Authority has invited all stakeholders to respond to the issues raised in the consultation paper by 26 April.

Among other things, Trai also wants to know the revenue shares of broadcaster, HITS operator, and cable operator, the retail tariff for subscribers for pay channels, and whether there should be any minimum tariff for the subscribers. 
 
Suggestions have also been sought on any other model to regulate the tariff for HITS service, and whether the quantum of carriage and placement fee should be linked to some parameters. Stakeholders have also been asked to give their views on putting a cap on the quantum of carriage and placement fee and how this will be fixed.

Stakeholders have been asked to suggest any further amendments to implement HITS policy.

MUMBAI: Sun Direct, the direct-to-home company owned by Kalanithi Maran, is rolling out its video-on-demand (VoD) in Hindi. The recently released Karthik Calling Karthik will be the first movie on offer.
 
The film is priced at Rs 25 with flexible timings of three shows per day spread over two days beginning 10 April.

Said Sun Direct COO Tony D’Silva, “With the lifespan of films in theatres reducing to an average of two to three weeks and piracy eating away the revenues, DTH platform on television will emerge as an attractive alternative for production houses. New movies on DTH can be effectively leveraged between the theatre release and CD/DVD launch, making it a win-win scenario for all the parties including the subscribers and an additional revenue stream for the DTH platform.” 
 
Sun Direct has already launched HD services nationally and VoD in Telugu and Tamil. 

MUMBAI: Jason Priestley, best known for his role as Brandon Walsh on the show Beverly Hills 90210, will host the International Digital Emmy Awards on 12 April at the television trade event MipTV in Cannes.

The announcement was made by by The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
 
Priestley will be joined on-stage by a cast of international celebrity presenters including British film & television actor, Charles Dance, The Dog Whisperer‘s Cesar Millan, and Canadian actors Missy Peregrym and Gregory Smith.

Heroes Creator and Executive Producer Tim Kring will receive the International Academy‘s Pioneer Prize for his contribution to the fields of digital television and cross-platform entertainment with Heroes Evolutions.
 
The International Digital Emmy Awards 2010 are sponsored by Nokia and Ooyala.

MUMBAI: Dish TV has crossed seven million subscribers and hopes to add another 2.5 million this fiscal.

The DTH operator hopes to benefit from the rich line up of sporting events during the year and has come out with a special offer to target this segment.

“We have added two million subscribers in FY‘10 and expect to add 2.5 million this fiscal,” says Dish TV managing director Jawahar Goel. 
 
Dish TV has unveiled a special acquisition offer ‘World Cup Se World Cup Tak‘. In this offer, customers can get a 12-month Gold Pack and set-top-box (STB) for Rs 3190, while a four-month Gold Pack with STB can be purchased for Rs 1690 (with Rs 200 as installation charges).
The DTH operator is offering ESPN Star Sports, Star Cricket, DD Sports, Ten Sports and Zee Sports under the Gold Pack for Rs 210 per month.

“This is ‘World Cup Se World Cup Tak‘ offer that we have launched as there are many sporting events,” Goel adds.

The sporting line up includes the IPL, Twenty20 World Cup, Fifa World Cup, ICC World Cup hosted in India, the Champions League and Commonwealth Games.  
 
In a bid to control the churn rate, Dish TV has launched special offers, launching a new recharge offer for its Silver Saver and Gold Saver subscribers. Customers will get four months worth of subscription by paying recharge for three months.

MUMBAI: Reliance Big Entertainment (RBEL), part of the Reliance ADA group, has acquired a 50 per cent stake in the British video games developer and publisher company Codemasters for an undisclosed amount.

Balderton Capital, the European venture capital firm, holds the remaining 50 per cent in the games company behind Lord of the Rings Online, Colin McRae Rally and Formula One.

Zapak Digital Entertainment, the gaming division of RBEL, will oversee the investment in Codemasters.

With this acquisition, Zapak will get an international foothold in the US, UK, Germany, France, Spain, and Benelux.

Says Zapak CEO Rohit Sharma, “We are excited to partner with Codemasters and believe its very strong technology, development and distribution presence will complement our global gaming portfolio. Additionally, Zapak‘s global strength in mobile gaming will enhance Codemasters‘ ability to fully leverage its attractive franchises such as its racing and cricket games.”

Adds Codemasters CEO Rod Cousens, “The opportunities arising from this partnership are truly exciting. This is great news for our development and publishing teams. Reliance and Zapak have immense resources and will help us realise the full potential of our game coding and online excellence across so many platforms, and especially in the world‘s fastest growing markets.”
 
Codemasters, a 21-year-old company, has annual revenues in excess of $150 million and has franchises in cricket games (The Ashes), racing games (Formula 1, Dirt2 and Race Driver Grid), performance games (Dance Factory) and military simulations (Operation Flashpoint 2). It employees over 450 people worldwide.

Zapak is one of the largest gaming companies in India, with interests in online casual games, massively multiplayer online games (MMOG) publishing, chain of gaming cafes and physical distribution of gaming software.

Zapak also controls Jump Games, an international mobile game development and publishing company with global distribution across Asia, Europe, North America, and South America.

Zapak works closely with most of the leading global gaming and entertainment players such as EA, Microsoft, Valve, Popcap, Boonty, Payfirst, Disney, Universal Studioa, Shanda, Jagex, Cartoon Network, THQ, iPlay and Hands-On. 
 
Indian gaming companies are trying to build scale and grow inorganically as they covet a footprint outside India in the main consumption markets of the world.

Two years back, UTV Software Communications had made investments in Ignition (console games), True Games (online games) and Indiagames (mobile games).

Says UTV Group CFO Rajeev Wagle, “This acquisition by Reliance is great news for the gaming industry. Asia is growing to be a strong player in gaming consumption and development and it is high time that Indian corporates explore this space. UTV pioneered this two years back with its acquisitions and is working on developing IP’s for each of the platforms.”

UTV is set to release its first online title in the first-quarter of this fiscal and its first console title by Christmas this year, making it a global player in this space.
 

MUMBAI: comScore, which measures the digital world, has announced the launch of comScore Video Metrix in the Asia-Pacific marketplace.

comScore’s video measurement product is now available in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore, in addition to the five markets where the service is already available – US, Canada, UK, France and Germany. 
 
Singapore posts highest video penetration: In each of the Asia-Pacific video markets, more than 80 per cent of home and work Internet users (age 15 and older) viewed online video during the month of January. China had the largest video-viewing audience with 199 million unique viewers, who viewed a total of 10.3 billion videos in January.
Japan ranked second with 60.4 million viewers and posted the strongest user engagement with an average of more than 12.5 hours of video viewing per viewer. More than 10.6 million Australians viewed 934 million videos during the month, ranking Australia as the third largest video market in Asia-Pac.

Despite having smaller overall video viewing audiences, Singapore (87.6 per cent) and Hong Kong (87.4 per cent) boasted the highest penetration of video viewers among their respective Internet populations. Both markets also exhibited high engagement with viewers averaging more than 10 hours of online video during the month. 
 
YouTube makes Google sites top video property: Google sites, driven predominantly by video viewership at YouTube.com, was the top video destination according to the number of videos viewed in all markets except China, which was led by three local Chinese video properties – Youku, Tudou Sites and 56.com.

In Japan, Google sites ranked first, followed by local property Dwango (which includes Nicovideo.jp) and NTT Group (which includes OCN.ne.jp). In Australia, Microsoft sites captured the number two spot, followed by Facebook.com.

Facebook.com ranked among the top three video properties in Malaysia, Australia and Singapore, while Tudou Sites ranked second in China, Hong Kong and Singapore.
 

MUMBAI: WarnerTV, a channel developed and programmed by Warner Bros, has been launched on the pay TV platform StarHub in Singapore.

The programming on WarnerTV includes a mix of comedy, drama, crime/mystery and sci-fi/action series as well as blockbuster movies.
 
With more than 1000 hours of programming, WarnerTV will also present 15 prime time series debuts in 2010, with 100 per cent of them Pan Asian premiers.

Warner Bros. EVP of business management Malcolm Dudley-Smith says, “Singapore is a key market for us in the WarnerTV Asia Pacific rollout strategy, and we are tremendously excited to have the progressive and forward-looking StarHub as our foundation partner here”.  
 
StarHub head of content Kathleen Syron said, “StarHub warmly welcomes WarnerTV onto our pay TV platform, and we thank HBO, our longstanding partner, for working closely with us to make this possible. We are certain our customers will be delighted with the double treats—one, to be able to enjoy the quality entertainment on Warner TV, and two, to do that at little or no additional cost since the channel will be added to our Entertainment Basic Upsize group”.

MUMBAI: Sensio Technologies is partnering with Teranex Systems at the 2010 National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show to demonstrate integration of the Sensio 3D Encoder and Decoder IP Cores within the Teranex VC100 Universal Frame Synchronizer and Format Converter.

The technology integration, on display at the Teranex booth, will showcase how Sensio‘s professional-quality 3D technology can be incorporated into broadcast products to streamline
broadcasters‘ move into 3D broadcasting on current and future infrastructures.
 
Teranex GM Mike Poirier says, “Sensio‘s reputation for development in 3D technologies is in line with reputation for development in image processing, making this partnership a natural fit. Teranex was a key player in the transition from SD to HD, and moving on to 3D – the next wave of technological development – is a natural evolution for us. Broadcast customers are looking for this technology, and we look
forward to highlighting this exciting 3D solution at the 2010 Nab Show.”

The Sensio 3D technology is a professional grade frame-compatible stereoscopic compression technology. The Sensio 3D encoder combines two streams, coming from any video source, into a single stream that can be transmitted throughout the existing broadcasting infrastructure for visually lossless encoding that yields outstanding results. Sensio‘s 3D decoder IP core runs on Teranex‘s VC100 platform, taking advantage of its real-time processing technology. The dual-channel VC100 architecture is suited to handle left and right eye processing and this capability enables broadcast of 3D programming on 1.485 Gb/s infrastructures.
Sensio Technologies develops and markets stereoscopic 3D digital compression, decompression, and display-formatting technologies. Its solutions are deployed on a global scale by content creators, games developers, broadcasters, specialty channels, and digital cinemas, allowing customers to generate substantial additional revenue streams.

MUMBAI: Discovery has announced that its MythBusters App for iPad is available on the App Store.
Created in conjunction with developer Phunware, the app delivers a wholly re-imagined fan experience designed especially for iPad. The new app builds on the recently launched MythBusters App for iPhone and iPod touch, maximising the user experience through the iPad’s larger screen and innovative Multi-Touch user interface. The app features an interactive video experience, immersive game play and
easy integration with Twitter and Facebook, all in a dynamic physics-based experience that will resonate with enthusiasticMythBusters fans.
 
Discovery digital media distribution Rebecca Glashow says, “The iPad represents a compelling new opportunity to engage Discovery viewers and we’re thrilled to bring consumers an action-packed app with which to explore and experience MythBusters. MythBusters is one of Discovery’s most popular franchises across all platforms from television to online, mobile and social media, and its fans are among some of our most passionate, making it the perfect choice for our first iPad app”.  
 
The MythBusters App for iPad features the following:

An interactive video experience with a robust collection of ad-free, short-form video content, including sneak peeks, outtakes and behind-the-scenes clips, which can be easily collapsed, expanded and moved around the screen.

Easy integration with Facebook, Twitter and the ability to share content

Three multi-level games where players can compete against MythBusters fans to top the leader board.

Ability to save favourite images, photos, games and other content for easy and quick access.
Phunware CEO Alan S. Knitowski says, “We are excited to partner with Discovery to deliver a brand new app experience to consumers, all based on the science, physics and math that define the MythBusters brand. The MythBusters App for iPad features an interactive Multi-Touch user interface and an innovative windowing and docking system which brings to life the app’s compelling content and games in a whole new way”.