MUMBAI: There is a lot of excitement in the US about NextGen TV or TV broadcasts based on the ATSC 3.0 standard.  With 76 per cent of U.S. households now able to receive the signals,  America’s local TV broadcasters are hailing the introduction of new ATSC 3.0 receivers that will first be shown at next week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The affordable options will add to consumer choice, from high-end NextGen TV sets to affordable accessories that can transform Android and Fire TV devices already in consumer homes. 

“We are very excited about the expanded offerings from accessory device manufacturers for NextGen TV. The new low-cost Atlanta  DTH (ADTH) USB receiver, powered by Tolka, is built for existing Android and Fire TV televisions and will, at a very affordable price, expand the reach of NextGen TV into homes who already have those sets. ADTH is also about to introduce a new model that works without an internet connection and will be doing a software update for deployed ADTH devices to give them the same functionality. In addition, Zinwell is adding pause functionality to their accessory device, with an add-on hard disc drive. In 2025, RCA is also coming to market with two new NextGen TV sets that will join TV options already available from Panasonic, Sony, Samsung, Hisense, and TCL,” said Pearl TV managing director Anne Schelle. “We congratulate all of the manufacturers who are selling thousands of receivers each day to consumers looking for the best possible video and audio quality from local stations.” 

Pearl TV is a business organisation of US broadcast companies with a shared interest in exploring forward-looking broadcasting opportunities, including innovative ways of promoting local broadcast TV content and developing digital media and wireless platforms for the broadcast industry. Pearl’s membership, comprising more than 820 TV stations, includes eight of the largest broadcast companies in America: Cox Media group, Graham Media group, Gray Television, Hearst Television, Nexstar Media group, Sinclair Broadcast group, the E.W. Scripps, and Tegna. 

Broadcasters are loading up new services with new features for NextGen TV viewers, including interactive gaming options that will be launched by GameLoop. 

GameLoop TV launches next week in Las Vegas on local NextGen TV channel 3.2 and will bring gaming directly to viewers with no additional hardware or subscriptions required. At the heart of GameLoop’s innovation is the channel’s exciting “play now” feature, which allows NextGen TV viewers to instantly play games showcased on the channel simply using their TV remote or mobile phone. 

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“We also salute TV broadcasters Gray and Sinclair, who are working to bring fun, interactive gaming to the living room through GameLoop – a service that utilises NextGen TV for web-based family fun that will work seamlessly with millions of installed NextGen TV sets. Easy interactivity is literally going to be a game-changer for viewers,” Schelle predicted. 

High Dynamic Range (HDR) functionality is now live on more than 200 local NextGen TV services throughout the US , with more being added to enhance viewing of key sports games and other spectacles.  Broadcasters are promoting the advantages of NextGen TV this sports season on stations throughout the country and plan to continue these promotions as they continue to rollout HDR and Dolby Atmos services nationwide. 

A holiday promotion effort in NextGen TV markets that began before December continues through early February, with broadcasters now indicating onscreen to viewers when local NextGen TV programming is available in HDR. 

“We’re very excited to announce that broadcast stations throughout the country are adding HDR10+ capability in their NextGen TV broadcast services to accommodate a broad array of TV manufacturers. With other flavors of HDR that also may be present in the service, this allows every receiver to present the best picture possible, showing that local television just keeps getting better and better, which is exactly what we promised with the rollout of NextGen TV services,” Schelle said. In addition to providing better video quality through HDR, many markets are adding Dolby Atmos audio coding, which delivers immersive audio capability. 

“HDR began for sports with the Kentucky Derby last spring. It really made the Olympic Games pop with brilliant video. We know that sports is a big driver for buying new TV sets as well as for enjoying broadcast services — your favorite games look even better in High Dynamic Range,” Schelle said. 

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Throughout the country, local stations not already broadcast on over-the-air ATSC 3.0 transmissions are gaining access to NextGen TV viewers through the innovative addition of more channels through broadcast internet protocol – or broadcast IP. These additional channels are available as NextGen TV channels and have added more choices for viewers in a range of markets, from public to commercial broadcasters who now have their programming available for NextGen TV viewers. 

Consumers can easily find details of what NextGen TV services are available in their markets by visiting WatchNextGenTV.com, a resource maintained by Pearl that lists individual services by market and a full range of more than 90 NextGen TV receivers and antenna products certified to work seamlessly with the new services. 

Mumbai: Barco, the leader in laser-powered cinema solutions, and Miraj Cinemas, a movie theatre circuit, announced recently a new partnership that will bring Barco’s laser technology to the chain’s theatres across India. The three-year deal makes Barco the preferred provider of visualization solutions for Miraj, covering new sites and theatre upgrades. As part of the agreement, Barco’s award-winning laser projectors will be supplemented by the integration of Barco Alchemy ICMP media servers and an enhanced service agreement. Cinema integration partner Qube Cinema will handle local service and installation.

Miraj is growing cinema circuits in India, with 223 screens across 68 properties in 50 cities and 16 states. The brand’s focus on luxury and comfort pairs perfectly with the elevated viewing experience delivered by Laser by Barco. Now, Miraj patrons will enjoy bright, high-quality movie presentations onscreen, while relaxing in plush seating and indulging in fresh, made-to-order cuisine. The new deal with Barco will see laser projection installed in both standard and PLF auditoriums at the circuit.

“We are delighted to announce our partnership with Barco, to elevate our theatres with their state-of-the-art laser projectors. This collaboration represents a significant milestone in our relentless pursuit of delivering the ultimate cinematic experience to our patrons. By integrating Barco’s advanced laser technology and Alchemy ICMP media servers, we are poised to redefine visual excellence across our locations. Our audience can look forward to an immersive, high-quality movie experience that perfectly complements the luxurious comfort for which Miraj Cinemas is known,” said Miraj Entertainment MD Amit Sharma. “Furthermore, at CinemaCon 2024 earlier this year, we have reinforced our commitment to elevate our visual presentation and grow our branded premium format footprint. These collaborations, alongside our work with Barco, underscore our dedication to setting new industry benchmarks and ensuring that our patrons enjoy unparalleled movie viewing.”

Qube CEO Harsh Rohatgi added, “We are excited to play a role in this partnership between Miraj and Barco. As an organization that is passionate about cinema, we believe in providing the best solutions that help our theatre clients deliver unparalleled visual and auditory experiences. As Barco’s only authorized integrator in India, we advise many of our cinema clients to choose their laser projectors for unmatched projection quality. We look forward to continuing our successful partnership with Barco and supporting Miraj in delivering excellent cinematic experiences to audiences.”

Qube is a trusted cinema partner of Barco and the only authorized integrator for the company in India. The companies have worked together on installs in the region for nearly 15 years.

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“We’re thrilled to expand our relationship with Miraj Cinemas,” said Barco EVP Cinema  Gerwin Damberg “Barco is proud to have a strong presence and dedicated team in India. Together with Qube, we look forward to delivering exceptional cinema experiences for Miraj audiences across the region.”

The move to this preferred partnership agreement comes as the evolution of a long history between Barco and Miraj beginning nearly a decade ago with the installation of the first Barco laser projectors there in 2019. This deal brings the next generation of Barco laser projection to their theatres, aligning with the elevated cinema experiences Miraj audiences expect.

Mumbai – Netskope, a leader in Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), announced that Gartner, Inc. has recognized the company for the third year in a row as a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Security Service Edge (SSE). The 2024 Magic Quadrant for SSE report shows Netskope to have the highest Ability to Execute and to be furthest in Completeness of Vision. Netskope was also shown to have the highest Ability to Execute and to be furthest in Completeness of Vision in the 2023 Magic Quadrant for SSE report.

More organizations than ever trust Netskope to be their SSE and SASE provider, including more than 3,000 customers, tens of millions of users, and over 30 of the Fortune 100. Among consistent validation of its SSE and SASE leadership, Netskope was recently recognized as a Leader and had the highest score in the Current Offering category in The Forrester Wave™: Security Service Edge Platforms, Q1 2024 report, and in 2023 was recognized as a leader in SSE and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) in IDC MarketScape reports.

As part of the Netskope One platform, Netskope Intelligent SSE uses zero trust principles and AI to govern access, protect data, stop threats, and enable secure work-from-anywhere connectivity using Netskope’s truly ground-up integrated and converged modules, including Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), Secure Web Gateway (SWG), ZTNA, Remote Browser Isolation (RBI), Cloud Firewall, SSPM and Digital Experience Management (DEM). Netskope One is also powered by the Netskope NewEdge network, a worldwide security private cloud designed to deliver the industry’s fastest and most secure access to data, applications, and websites without compromising network performance.

Market Demand for SSE

Secure, optimized work from anywhere is already recognized as a necessity and a primary business opportunity for all CIOs and their teams. The growth of SSE continues apace with the overall surge in the business adoption of a SASE architecture. In an October 2023 Forecast Analysis, Gartner stated that, “Over the next five years, the market for secure access service edge will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 29%, reaching over $25 billion by 2027.”

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Gartner also predicts that “By 2027, the largest SD-WAN and SSE vendors will offer a completely converged single-vendor SASE solution”, an offering that Netskope already provides and for which it continues to deliver new features and innovations.

“Netskope customers know that best-of-breed security and the fastest performance are simultaneously achievable. They are foundational to how they transform their security and networking investments and address the proliferation of cloud and AI we are seeing in the enterprise,” said Netskope CEO Sanjay Beei. “It is a major accomplishment for us to be placed the highest in execution and furthest in vision in Security Service Edge for two consecutive years, and our ability to execute behind our vision has never once wavered. I’m extremely proud of our entire Netskope team, customers, and partners for what we’ve achieved in SSE, SASE, and zero trust. We’re just getting started.”

Netskope continues to dominate the SSE and SASE marketplace, innovate in AI and data and threat protection, and build critical ecosystem partnerships throughout enterprise technology. Recent announcements include:

. Skope AI: Netskope’s suite of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) innovations deliver modern data protection and cyber threat defense, overcoming the limitations of conventional security technologies and providing protection using AI-speed techniques not found in products from other SASE vendors.

. Global and Seamless Localized Experience: Netskope became the first industry vendor able to deliver SSE globally with a seamless, localized experience for over 220 countries and territories thanks to a NewEdge footprint that now includes more than 200 Localization Zones.

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. FedRAMP® High Authorization: Netskope announced that its Netskope GovCloud received the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) authorization at Impact Level “High” issued with sponsorship from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

. SASE Tailored for the Midmarket: Netskope expanded its single-vendor SASE family to offer an MSP-friendly SASE solution, created specifically for the needs of the midmarket. Netskope now offers the most complete range of single-vendor SASE options that align to the requirements of different business sizes.

. Expansive Global Industry Partnerships: Throughout the past year, Netskope has expanded collaborations and strategic alliances with major global system integrator, managed services provider, and alliances partners around the world including BT, Deloitte, Orange, Telstra, Wipro, among many others.  Netskope also continues to integrate with and help customers secure their deployments with the major cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services, Google, Microsoft, and tens of thousands of SaaS providers.

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