Category: Software

MUMBAI: The BBC Trust has given its provisional approval to the BBC to participate in the proposed joint venture ‘Project Canvas‘ that is set to bring internet access to TVs via a set-top box.

The joint venture of the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five, plus BT and Carphone Warehouse aims to develop and promote a common standard that would allow viewers with a broadband connection to watch on-demand services on their television sets, such as the BBC iPlayer or the ITV Player and other Internet content and regular linear content. 
 
Set-top boxes with the new software are expected to be available late next year.

The Trust has proposed some conditions on the BBC‘s participation in the venture to secure public value and lessen any adverse impact Project Canvas might have on the wider market, where possible.

There will now be a period of consultation on the provisional conclusions closing on 2 February after which the Trust will reach its final decision.

Said chairman of the Trust‘s strategic approvals committee Diane Coyle, “One of the BBC‘s aims is to bring the benefits of emerging communications technologies to the public. After careful consideration, the Trust has provisionally concluded that Canvas is likely to benefit license fee payers. We believe Canvas could be an important part of the way in which the BBC delivers its services in the future.  
 
“Our provisional conclusions include some conditions on the BBC‘s involvement. These conditions are designed to help secure the public value we identified and to help minimize, where possible, any potential harmful effects on the market. We will now be consulting industry and the public on our provisional conclusions. The last stage of the process will be to consider the responses to that consultation before reaching our final decision.”
 

MUMBAI: Sun Direct has announced a new Metro pack to expand its customer base in the urban areas.

With the metro pack, which is targeted at the “cosmopolitan urban class”, the company is hoping to increase the average revenue per user (ARPU). At present, Sun Direct’s ARPU stands at the lowest at Rs 90.
 
The metro pack is priced at Rs 1490 for six months. The channels would be part of a premium pack. Metro pack is bundled with channels of regional flavor, the company said.

For rest of India, there are Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi, Bengali, Oriya and Hindi channels available, while for South India, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada language channels are offered.

Other channels in the pack are Star Movies, HBO, Zee Cinema, Star Plus, Zee TV, and news and music channels.

Recently Sun Direct had launched the HD services. The company said that this is a focused approach to penetrate deep into the metro market where most of the viewing pattern indicates the requirement of a light combo pack comprising news, most viewed GECs and music with a regional touch catering to every member of the household. 
 
Says Sun Direct COO Tony D’Silva, “It‘s important that we offer our busy and mobile urban audiences more ways to access the huge range of Sun Direct channels available in a crisp and concise format. This innovative version of pack underlines our commitment to reaching new audiences by making Sun Direct services as customer friendly as possible.”

Sun Direct, which claims a subscriber base of 4.8 million, has also announced added validity of 15 days and one month on a recharge of six months and 12 months respectively.
 

MUMBAI: Southern broadcasting major Sun TV Network is restructuring its distribution business to expand its footprint across the globe via all fixed networks including cable, direct-to-home and internet protocol television, HITS and MMDS.

Sun will create two verticals. While one will manage the South Indian and international business, the other will focus on the expansion of Sun TV bouquet into the north, west and eastern markets of India. 
 
Earlier, Indiantelevision.com had reported that Sun TV would be entering into the distribution of television channels business along the lines of Star Den, Zee Turner and MSM Discovery.

“This is an important initiative for us in the distribution platform business and is being created with the vision of better leveraging our television brands across the country and internationally. The initiative will benefit consumers of all our products and signals our deep commitment to drive greater growth from subscription revenues,” said Sun TV Network chairman and MD Kalanithi Maran.

Sun TV also announced the appointment of two senior distribution professionals – Mohammed Mujeebuddin and Jawed Akhthar – to manage these business units.

Among the new appointments, Mujeebuddin will head the South India and international operations of the company. He comes with over 15 years of experience with the cable and broadcasting industry.

Prior to Sun, he was with Star Den Media Services as EVP, where he was heading the sales function nationally.  
 
Akhtar, on the other hand, will head the North, East and Western India operations. He comes with more than 20 years of experience in channel distribution, subscription and the cable industry.

Earlier, Akhtar was associated with Star TV group for more than 13 years where he was EVP – distribution, managing Star‘s all India cable distribution business. His last assignment was with WWIL/Zee Group as EVP.

The company also said that it is excited in building a robust channel distribution platform. “The vision is to incorporate the best practices to create a platform of premium content, which adds value to the entire distribution chain,” the company said.

NEW DELHI: In a significant move towards offering value-added services, Mumbai-based multi-system operator (MSO) Digicable has entered into a 10-year strategic outsourcing agreement with IBM at an initial outlay of Rs 3.8 billion ( $83 million).

IBM will support the integration of Digicable‘s digital media content delivery and Vas such as video-on-demand, interactive TV, Internet services on TV and gaming and telephony.

“We will roll out the services within four months. The set-top boxes (STBs) can also enable us to offer DVR services at a much lower cost than DTH,” said Digicable MD and CEO Jagjit Singh Kohli.

Digicable will be sourcing the STBs from Indieon Technologies, a Pune-based digital multimedia products and content delivery solutions provider. The company manufactures hybrid STBs for cable and IPTV-based delivery medium. It has integrated PVR over USB 2.0 interface.
 
“The STBs will start from Rs 2500 upwards,” says Kohli.

Digicable will offer Cable Radio with around 50 channels and costing around Rs 700 to Rs 1,000, next-generation VoD , Internet over TV, online interactive 3D gaming, and High Definition TV.
At a later stage, Kohli hopes to introduce ‘Third Screen,‘ an extension of the system to the mobile screen or even the remote. 
 
IBM Director (Solutions and Business Development India/South Asia) KS Raghunandan said it had chosen to tie up with Digicable because of its media expertise. He said media and entertainment was growing at a rapid pace in India and would help IBM to grow. Though the present agreement was with an outlay of Rs 3.8 billion, this may go up if the system achieved success.
With a strong focus across all segments of the media and entertainment industry, he said IBM had the deep business insights and technology know-how to help Digicable solve complex business problems and build a more intelligent enterprise by accelerating the transformation of their business.

As part of the agreement, IBM will provide IT infrastructure services, network support, application maintenance services and security services. IBM will leverage its strength in hardware and software solutions – to assess and help optimize operations for Central/Remote Head Ends and physical/digital assets. IBM will also implement and manage core applications and services, including B2B/B2C and employee Portals, voucher and credit management systems, EBPP (Electronic Bill Presentation & Payment), Intellectual Property Management (IPM) and ERP.

MUMBAI: By way of a deal, Spanish broadcaster Telecinco has acquired the free-to-air network Cuatro from Prisa. It has also taken a 22 per cent stake in the pay-TV platform Digital+ for around $1.5 billion in cash and shares.
 
Under the agreement, Prisa will receive about 18.3 per cent of Telecinco‘s equity plus 500 million euros in cash. The move enables Prisa to pay up some of its debt which currently stands at some $7.1 billion. 
 
There is more consolidation pending in Spain‘s free-to-air sector with Antena 3 in merger talks with La Sexta.

NEW DELHI: Videocon d2h, the Direct-to-Home arm of Videocon Group, today announced the phased launch of its DTH with the world’s first Satellite LCD, Satellite TV, Satellite DVD as well as the Satellite Box (STB).

Indiantelevision.com was the first to report that it would launch from Punjab and progressivly move to other parts of the country.

The latest entrant in the ever growing DTH segment, Videocon d2h has made the entry as the world’s first company offering a range of satellite products. 
 
The satellite LCD offered by Videocon d2h is enabled with DTH in the latest MPEG – 4 DVB S2 technology and is available in the market at a price range starting from Rs 12,990. This includes a six-month free Diamond Pack subscription.

These Satellite LCDs come with unique features such as a single remote for LCD and DTH, 12 PIP mosaic, Two tickers on one channel, Movie on Demand, Active Services, 2,00,000 : 1 Mega Contrast Ratio, Anti Glare Technology, DCI – Dynamic Contrast Improvement, Invisible Speakers and 178 degrees Viewing Angle.

There are various models available in sizes 22”, 26” and 32 inches respectively along with free monthly subscription packs. The LCDs are manufactured indigenously in their group factories.

Videocon d2h has partnered with Irdeto as it offers pay-TV operators a versatile, modular and scalable Conditional Access system (CAS) that protects content conveyed over cable, satellite, terrestrial, IP, mobile and hybrid networks. Similarly they are also associated with Tech Mahindra as their IT partners and IBM to provide a world-class technology infrastructure. 
 
Speaking on the occasion, Bharat Business Channel Ltd. (BBCL) CEO Anil Khera said, “We are glad to introduce our satellite range of products and services in Delhi. We are the latest entrant in the DTH category in India, but surely not the same as others. We are creating a new category of Satellite Products. Our exclusive line of Satellite range of products is sure to catch the eye of today’s consumer, who is looking for technological innovations. At Videocon d2h, we promise to deliver the latest providing value for money to our consumers.”

He said Delhi was an important market and currently Vodeocon d2h had a presence in more than 750 dealer counters. The company offers two packages; first one with 170 channels in their Diamond Pack priced at Rs. 275 a month and second
with 130 channels in their Gold Pack priced at Rs 150 per month.

Khera added, “DTH has revolutionized the TV viewing experience in India by spearheading the introduction of innovative services. We at Videocon d2h are just making sure that the experience is enhanced and more convenient by integrating both the technologies in one.”

The key differentiator being the customer service, the company has set up customer call centres in Pune, Dehradun and Bangalore with toll free contact numbers, manned by multi-lingual customer service associates equipped to resolve all queries in ten languages.

MUMBAI: Russia‘s Channel One will air the second season of Southern Butowo, the local version of SevenOne International‘s comedy show, Schiller Street.

In its second season, the show will air twice a month on the channel from January 17 to 31 May.

The first season of Southern Butowo that aired on Sundays outperformed the channel‘s average share by up to 50 per cent. 
 
The Russian cast includes stand-up comedian Sergey Svetlakov, as well as Dima Brekotkin, Timur Batrudinov, Timur Rodriges, Stepan Abramov, Kseniya Lavrova-Glinka, Vera Brezhneva and Nastya Shunina-Makhonina.  
 
Said SevenOne International managing director Jens Richter, “We are absolutely thrilled about the success of Schiller Street on Channel One and cannot wait to see the second season launching. Also in Estonia, this truly innovative and entertaining format has been captivating audiences this autumn.”

MUMBAI: Dish TV, the direct-to-home (DTH) service provider, has partnered with Axis Bank to facilitate consumers to pay for their subscription recharge.

Dish TV subscribers can now pay their subscription recharge by dropping their cheques at any of the 3,900 plus ATMs of Axis Bank.
 
Also, Axis Bank account holders, who have subscribed to Dish TV and hold an account with the bank can use internet banking and ATM for making payment.

Such subscribers will register through a unique identification number allotted by Dish TV called VC (Viewing Card) number and could, make the payment of subscription amount.

Said Dish TV COO Salil Kapoor, “This is for the first time that Axis Bank’s ATM network is being leveraged for collection for payment of DTH subscription recharge.

“Our tie-up with Axis Bank for paying DTH subscription recharge is in line with our promise of offering Sabse Zyaada (maximum) to our subscribers not just in terms of content but also in providing maximum number of payment options.” 
 
“Through this tie-up the bank intends to provide end-to-end collection and payment solutions to utility service providers through conventional and alternative banking channels,” Axis Bank president business banking MV Subramanian added.

Dish TV boasts of multiple recharge payment options that include: Online payment, IVR, ITZ card, Rechargeitnow.com, credit card (Master, Visa and Amex), dropbox, netbanking, easy bill, money order, and cheque/DD.
 

MUMBAI: Simon Fuller‘s new entertainment venture If I Can Dream, which launches early 2010, will be distributed and marketed to a global audience through a number of integrated partnerships with brands. Fuller created the music based reality show American Idol.
 
The show will follow five young performers (a musician, an actor, two actresses and a model) who move into a house in Hollywood. The house is wired with 50 cameras so the contestants can be viewed online 24/7. Each contestant has been judged to excel in either one of the creative arts, sport or fashion and the premise of the show will be to follow the as they attempt to succeed in their chosen field.

The show will attempt to be fully interactive, using all popular forms of new media to allow participants to communicate and make decisions with the audience. The show‘s website ificandream.com will stream footage from the house and participants will have a regular vlog alongside holding regular webchats.

Hulu and Clear Channel will create a distribution partnership with MySpace building an exclusive audition platform. Both PepsiCo and Ford are also confirmed as founding partners for the production.

Hulu will stream an If I Can Dream TV episode each week exclusively via Hulu.com. Each programme will include highlights from the week, stringing together the storylines from the past seven days into an easy to follow episode. It will be the first recurring show to be available to select international audiences via Hulu.

Hulu senior VP content and distribution Andy Forssell says, “Innovate is not a buzzword for Simon Fuller and 19 Entertainment. They‘ve consistently delivered extremely high quality content in innovative ways, and helped to change how viewers engage with entertainment. That‘s a great match with what Hulu is all about, and we‘re excited and honored to partner with them on If I Can Dream as part of our mission to help people find and enjoy the world‘s premium content, when, where and how they want it.”

Clear Channel Radio will serve as a core partner in introducing the If I Can Dream cast to the US audience of over 100 million people on-air each week and to 30 million people on its digital properties monthly. Clear Channel‘s local radio personalities and audience interaction will spur daily conversations, and through Clear Channel‘s content creation and distribution platform, the IF I CAN DREAM cast member stories will come to life on-air, online, and on mobile devices.

Clear Channel Radio executive VP Evan Harrison says, “19 Entertainment‘s fresh approach to talent development will find fertile ground on Clear Channel‘s stations and digital properties. Our highly engaged on-air and online communities will be the engines that drive ongoing interest in the cast. Together, we have the opportunity to completely change the paradigm and break new talent across multiple platforms simultaneously.”

As the exclusive audition and primary social networking platform for If I Can Dream, MySpace will provide the ability for other hopefuls to realise their own dreams. Through the audition process, essentially anyone will have the chance to take part in the show by uploading videos explaining why they deserve to be featured. IF I CAN DREAM will have a customized page on MySpace empowering fans to socialize content by sharing, commenting and interacting. The integration exemplifies the aspirational overlay that has always existed on MySpace and the site‘s ongoing capability to offer access to once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.

MySpace senior VP marketing, entertainment and content Angela Courtin says, “For years musicians, comedians, filmmakers, models and actors have come to MySpace to express themselves and to showcase their talents to a global community. Now we are giving them another incredible opportunity to do just that and looking forward to the talent that we know will emerge. We‘re thrilled to be working with 19 Entertainment and all other involved partners on this project to bring If I Can Dream to a large audience.”

If I Can Dream is developing integrated partnerships with a select set of blue chip brands. Pepsi was the first company to embrace this innovative concept and its unconventional approach to multiple platforms. In keeping with the IF I CAN DREAM spirit of young people refreshing their worlds, Pepsi‘s Refresh Project will play an important role in the experience. As a founding partner The Pepsi Refresh Project on If I Can Dream. 
 
Pepsi-Cola North American Beverages senior VP Chief Consumer Engagement Officer Frank Cooper says, “If I Can Dream is a groundbreaking interactive experience that represents our ongoing efforts to engage with consumers across a variety of platforms. If I Can Dream is one of many innovative ways the Pepsi Refresh Project will be featured in the digital space. Partnering with 19 Entertainment, Hulu, and MySpace ensures that this will be a multimedia project that will change the way people interact with programming”
Ford will be partnering with the show to create a new marketing initiative to pre-promote the launch of the 2011 North American Ford Fiesta. This will build on the Fiesta Movement programme, a social media initiative that generated over 675,000 flickr views and 5.5 million YouTube views.

Ford manager, brand content and alliances Connie Fontaine says, “The Ford Fiesta already has the attention of socially vibrant consumers months before it goes on sale in North America next summer. So when 19 Entertainment approached us to cast the Fiesta in If I Can Dream, it seemed only natural. The role that 19 Entertainment and Ford has created for Fiesta is really exciting and will provide viewers a different look at the cast members through amazing technology and the Fiesta.”

NEW DELHI: Local cable operators need not fear the entry of DTH, IPTV or Headend-In-The-Sky (HITS) if there is ‘necessary last mile upgradation,’ industry experts said.

The speakers at the one-day SATCAB Symposium, organised by the All India Dish Antennae Aavishkaar Sangh, felt that HITS was, in fact, the cheapest way of digitisation and should, thus, be welcomed. But it was necessary for the local cable operators and MSOs to improve coordination among them.
 
The speakers also wanted the government to intervene to help the cable operators and ensure that they were given a fair deal. It was pointed out that though the Chandigarh High Court had stayed the attempt by the Haryana Government‘s proposal on licensing only one cable operator per city, it was necessary for the Centre to intervene in the case since the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 was a central legislation.

Sangh founder and president A K Rastogi regretted that no government had so far succeeded in bringing forward the Broadcast Services Regulation Bill in Parliament, though it was drafted several years earlier. He said that the FDI of 74 per cent in HITS may not be good for the country as it could go into foreign control.

Rastogi suggested that cable operators should have a united committee to interact with the government on all policy issues.

Colonel V C Khare, who has been involved with the cable industry for several years, said that most cable operators unfortunately did not bother to understand their industry and improve the last mile systems by making it two-way. This was the reason for their fear of new technologies.

Khare regretted that though the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) had drafted a restructuring of the cable sector and put a questionnaire on its website for eliciting the opinions of cable operators, not even 60 of the 60,000 cable operators in the country had bothered to respond. The operators, therefore, will have no reason to complain if the government passes any law in the absence of their responses. 
 
Khare said that the empowered authorities at present did not have any penal powers under the Cable TV Network Rules 1994, and Trai’s recommendations in this regard were under consideration of the government.

Subhash Grover of Siti Satellite said HITS should be accepted by cable operators as it would protect them from IPTV and DTH since it wouldl lead to digitisation.

Amit Kharbhanda of MyBox said digitisation was inevitable and it would be good if the cable operators accepted this as early as possible. He also felt that local set top boxes had a greater chance of success in the market than imported ones.