Category: Software

MUMBAI: UK-based BT Group has criticised a government proposal that would allow authorities in the country to suspend Internet access temporarily for those who engage in copyright-infringing file sharing repeatedly.

BT said the ‘summary justice‘ proposal undermines rights to due process and raise costs for consumers by requiring expensive network interventions on the part of ISPs.

It also said that temporary bans on access would fail to curtail encrypted file-sharing activities while wielding unintended effects such as preventing households from accessing legal services.

It “would institute a regime in which an alleged infringer could face punishment or redress without any kind of judicial scrutiny,” the BT response said. “A vicious circle of mistrust between those involved will surely result, with deleterious consequences for all the industries involved, let alone consumers.” The Department for Business Innovation and Skills said that its response to BT‘s comments and other official comments on its proposals will come in late November.

MUMBAI: BigFlix.com, a part of Reliance Big Entertainment, has announced the launch of BigFlix Smart Client and the BigFlix Wap site demonstrating mobility-centered hybrid service enhancement for its movie rental service. The services enable consumers to borrow and return DVDs while on-the-move.

Consumers using Nokia, Blackberry, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, HTC, Motorola, LG and iPhone handsets can download BigFlix Smart Client application. To begin using the BigFlix wap site, mobile users have to launch their mobile‘s web-browser.

BigFlix.com COO Kamal Gianchandani said, “The applications will help us enhance our customer relations and drive greater engagement with our existing users. Launching this service will help us reach and meet our aim to connect with a vast number of people across the country anytime, anywhere.”Beside, BigFlix Smart Client application and the BigFlix wap site, BigFlix.com‘s movie rental service also has its pre-existing SMS and voice-based mobile interactive services.

MUMBAI: Aksh Optifibre plans to raise up to $20 million through a private placement to grow its Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) business.

The amount will be used to part finance Aksh’s capex requirement as it plans to ramp up its subscriber base from 35,000 to 650,000 by March 2013.

“The company intends to launch a process to raise up to $20 million on a private placement basis to grow its IPTV and VoIP business (together the Services Business),” it said in a filing to BSE.

The company, which provides IPTV services with MTNL and BSNL, believes that such a fund raising is essential for “unlocking the significant potential in the Services Business”.

MUMBAI: Autodesk, Inc., a world leader in 2D and 3D design, engineering and entertainment software, will host an event in Mumbai as part of its four-city 2009 Asia Pacific Blockbuster Animator Tour.

Anchored by the theme, “Thrive, Innovate, Win”, the agenda for the event will shine a spotlight on what it takes for firms in the digital entertainment content industry to successfully develop world-class productions in Asia Pacific, for a global audience.

Autodesk will share the stage with Academy Award-winning visual effects house Industrial, Light & Magic (ILM) which is behind this summer‘s hottest movies, including Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Terminator Salvation and Star Trek.Nigel Sumner, Digital Supervisor, Industrial, Light & Magic (ILM) will showcase how ILM relied on Autodesk, Inc.‘s digital entertainment software to create thousands of stunning visual effects shots using Autodesk visual effects software including Autodesk Maya and the Autodesk Inferno software for some of these blockbusters.

The event is scheduled for 5 October in Mumbai.

MUMBAI: The Supreme Court has asked Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) to complete its exercise to fix tariff for the direct-to-home (DTH) services by 15 January.

In its order on Wednesday, the apex Court set the deadline for the sector regulator.

Earlier on 6 July, the Supreme Court had given Trai two months of time.

The bench headed by Justice BN Agarwal, while extending the time, clarified that it has not expressed any opinion on whether there is any linkage between non-Cas cable and DTH platform, PTI reported.

Trai had sought sufficient time to fix the issue in a proper manner, following a consultation process involving all stakeholders in both non-Cas cable distribution sector and DTH platform.

MUMBAI: Hathway Cable & Datacom plans to utilise Rs 5.8 billion out of the net proceeds of its proposed initial public offering (IPO), bulk of which will be for customer acquisition and digitisation of cable TV.

Hathway is looking at a valuation of $900 million-to-$1 billion, an industry source says. The multi-system operator (MSO) will have a public issue of up to 27.75 million, consisting of a fresh issue of up to 2 million equity shares (Rs 10 each) and an offer for sale of 7.75 million shares.

Private equity investors ChrysCapital and Morgan, who are partially exiting through an offer for sale, are expected to get around $80 million.

“The final valuation of Hathway, however, will depend on the pricing of the IPO through the book building process,” the source avers.

Post IPO, the promoters‘ holding will fall to 49.24 per cent while News Corp‘s stake will dilute from 20.2 per cent to 17 per cent. The foreign holding, in fact, will fall from 42.74 per cent to 31.33 per cent, following the IPO.

Hathway will utilise Rs 2.44 billion towards acquisition of MSOs and LCOs (local cable operators), Rs 1.56 billion for digital capital expenditure, services and set-top boxes, Rs 830 million for broadband infrastructure and Rs 967 million for repayment of loans. Hathway has a debt of Rs 4.01 billion (as of 31 March 2009) on a standalone basis and Rs 4.34 billion on a consolidated basis.

MUMBAI: In order to increase ARPU (average revenue per user), direct-to-home (DTH) players in India are offering more movies on-demand, thereby decreasing the time-window between theatrical releases and airing on the DTH platform.

After movies like Agyaat, Kaminey and Chintu Ji, new releases – Aagey Sey Right and Kisaan are now ready to set foot on to the likes of Dish TV, Tata Sky and Big TV.

While Kissan is already available on Dish TV and Tata Sky, Big TV will offer the movie from 2 October. Aagey Sey Right will be available on both Dish TV and Big TV from 2 October on their respective pay-per-view (PPV) channels.

Aagey Se Right casts Shreyas Talpade, Shenaz Treasurywala, Shiv Pandit, Kay Kay Menon, Mahie Gill, and Vijay Maurya. It’s a story of chance, co-incidence and real life humour based in the present day Mumbai. The film is about a cop and a terrorist. Through a series of events, the cop loses his gun and the terrorist loses his heart. Their two worlds collide in a maze of chance and mayhem.

MUMBAI: Bigadda.com, the social networking site from the Reliance ADAG stable, is investing close to Rs 7 million to market and promote the web-based reality show, India Bike Rally Bharat Ki Khoj.

To be launched on 5 November, the 20-day-long show has roped in Yamaha as the title sponsor.

Talking about the marketing initiatives for the show, Bigadda revenue and marketing head Mandar Natekar says, “A 360 degree campaign is being worked out to promote the show which will include radio, print and cinema.”

“We are also scouting for TV partners to cover the show and will also promote the show on other social networking platforms,” Natekar adds.

Targeting the youth, a college activity has also been planned across four cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Pune wherein on ground activities will be carried out to encourage youngsters.

MUMBAI: From tomorrow 1 October English movie channel HBO will air in high-definition (HD) in Singapore and the Philippines, and in Hong Kong on nowTV from 6 October.

The channel will launch on StarHub TV. Viewers in Singapore will have the opportunity to enjoy a dedicated movie channel in HD. HBO will be available in high-definition to StarHub’s HBO Pak subscribers in Singapore via StarHub TV Channel 602. The launch of HBO in HD will mark HBO as the first regional movie channel to broadcast in HD in Asia.

Currently, all StarHub TV subscribers of the HBO Pak under the Movies add-on tier will get to enjoy HBO’s commercial-free line up of Hollywood blockbusters and HBO original programmes and series in HD with no additional cost. To access HBO in HD, viewers will also need to have StarHub’s HubStation HD or HD set-top box.

MUMBAI: Comcast has added Alterna‘ TV‘s AYM Sports to Spanish language offerings as part of a multi-city rollout throughout Central and Northern California. The channel provides 24/7 coverage on sports happening in Mexico.

Said Comcast director national ethnic marketing Natalie Rouse, “AYM Sports is the perfect complement to our Spanish-language lineup for Central and Northern California. Its programming reflects the athletic California lifestyle while still providing Hispanics a taste of home. We‘re happy to add it to our multi-cultural channel line-up.”

AYM Sports joins Alterna‘ TV channel‘s including One Mexico, CBTV and Mi Cine on Comcast systems in Fresno. This will be followed by 82 other California cities including Monterey, San Jose, Berkeley, Oakland and San Francisco. “We are very excited to once again team up with Comcast to bring AYM Sports to California. Comcast recognises how important the Hispanic community is and continually strives to serve their needs,” said Alterna‘ TV GM Leonardo Alvarado.