ITV

Tag: HEVC

  • Reliance Big TV partners 12,000 India Post offices across Maharashtra & Goa

    Reliance Big TV partners 12,000 India Post offices across Maharashtra & Goa

    MUMBAI: Reliance Big TV is looking at building its brand under its new parent Pantel Technologies. It has partnered with 12,000 India Post offices across Maharashtra and Goa so consumers can do the initial booking by making a payment of Rs 500 through the outlets.

    The company claims to offer the effectively free high definition (HD) High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) set top boxes (STB), as earlier promised by Reliance Big TV. Commenting on the latest development, Reliance Big TV director Vijender Singh said, “With its recent offer, Reliance Big TV disrupted the digital entertainment space in India. India Post has an incredible reach, which is unrivalled by any other logistics partners and the same would help the customers.” He also stated that the initiative would support the digital India initiative by bringing urban and rural India on the same platform.

    Reliance Big TV is further extending its pan-India network to fully support its customers and provide content spanning entertainment, movies, sports, news, infotainment, education, kids content and more. Furthermore, the HD HEVC STB comes packed with latest features, such as scheduled recording, USB port, YouTube, recording and viewing channels simultaneously.

    The offer provides pay channels free for a year including HD channels and up to 500 free to air channels free of cost for five years.

    Also Read:

    Reliance Big DTH to take FTA route under new management?

    Reliance Big TV makes pay channels free for a year

  • Dish TV & ALi tie up – chipset tech vital for secure VAS, enriched viewing

    MUMBAI: India’s largest DTH operator Dish TV is tying up with ALi Corporation, a STB (set-top box) manufacturer, for launching its Liberty project.

    Also, ALi Corporation is integrating Conax robust cardless security client into HEVC series system on chip (SoC) family, expanding operator STB offering, which is aimed at emerging markets such as India, LatAm, APAC and Africa. The ALi HEVC family includes SoCs for Satellite, Cable and IPTV decoders.

    ALi’s project with Dish TV would be based on its system-on-a-chip technology to offer next-gen security, performance and flexibility while being cost-efficient needed for India. The aim of the project is to provide VAS to expand Dish TV’s market share, hike revenue and enhance user experience. ALi and Dish TV will launch the Liberty project to accelerate convergence and target future expansion opportunities. The Liberty project is based on ALi Corp.’s cutting-edge and sophisticated SoC technology.

    India is the largest DTH market in the world based on the number of subscribers. According to statistic reports in 2016, subscribers reached approximately 65 million in India. Since the introduction of the DTH service in 2003 by Dish TV, the market has experienced exponential growth through multiple digitalisation phases.

    Throughout Phase 1 and Phase 2, four metropolitan areas of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata had gone digital in 2012. In Phase 3, most of the urban areas in India had gone digital and completed ASO (Analogue Switch-Off) process. As Phase 4 is around the corner, the operators are looking forward to the opportunity targeting at the households in rural areas and thus the whole country will be digitalised. For operators to stay ahead of the game, chipset technology plays a significant role in their capability to supply value-added yet secured services that will help them establish a wider subscriber base by offering enriched viewing experience.

    “Dish TV serves over 14 million subscribers by 2016, leading the Indian DTH market,” said Dish TV COO VK Gupta. “To maintain our market leadership and prepare for future opportunities, we implemented ALi Corp.’s SoC solution to launch the Liberty project, which will improve our DTH operations. ALi Corp. has the expertise to help us provide whatever it takes to realise the true spirit of the Liberty project.

    “Ranked among the world’s top 3 with a good chance to be further boosted amid the industry reshuffle, ALi Corp. has a proven track record in delivering high-performing and competitive STB chipset solutions,” said ALi Corp COO Tony Chang. “The Dish TV deployment of ALi Corp. SoC platforms further signifies recognition on our global achievements in helping partners go through ASO and digitalisation processes. We are confident to offer innovative and revolutionary features and services to Indian views and we will fully support Dish TV in their expansion,” Chang added.

    DTH satellite pay-TV sector in India is a growth-oriented industry. Media Partners Asia had forecast it will generate revenues of US$ 4.04 billion by 2018 and US$ 5.6 billion by 2023 in the country. The DTH active subscribers may increase to 60 million by 2018 and 70 million by 2023. This means a 39 per cent share of the overall market by ’23 and a 56 per cent of the digital pay-TV market.

  • AsiaSat launches UHD FTA channel 4K-SAT for APAC

    AsiaSat launches UHD FTA channel 4K-SAT for APAC

    MUMBAI: Satellite operator Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. (AsiaSat) launched its first Ultra-HD (UHD) television channel 4K-SAT at 122°E on AsiaSat 4, marking a new era for AsiaSat’s satellite broadcasting services in the region.

     

    This new UHD channel will be available free-to-air (FTA) across more than 50 countries and regions within AsiaSat 4’s enormous footprint, spanning from New Zealand to Pakistan and part of the Middle East. Asian TV operators and home viewers with an AsiaSat 4 C-band antenna and a HEVC set top box will be able to receive the UHD channel directly.

     

    The new 4K-SAT channel broadcasts full UHD produced videos featuring fashion, lifestyle and documentaries from content partners including Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, FashionTV and Rohde & Schwarz.

     

    The UHD content from FashionTV includes major fashion shows from all over the world as well as features highlighting the latest in beauty and lifestyle trends, all delivered to Asian viewers in crystal clear, realistic and ultra-high definition. FashionTV, the global multimedia network in fashion and lifestyle content, also broadcasts its HD and SD channels on AsiaSat 5 and AsiaSat 7 in the Asia-Pacific.

     

    “We are delighted to be at the forefront of next generation broadcasting technology, bringing to Asian viewers true UHD content. We look forward to working closely with our content and technology partners to drive UHD audience penetration in Asia,” said AsiaSat vice president, marketing and global accounts Sabrina Cubbon.

     

    “The launch of this UHD channel on our new AsiaSat 4 UHD broadcast platform provides an opportunity for all stakeholders to experience and promote UHD content in Asia. This reaffirms our commitment to promoting leading edge technologies for the broadcast community. We shall continue to focus on compelling UHD content to enhance the quality of the television viewing experience,” Cubbon added.

     

    The 4K-SAT channel encoded in HEVC, is broadcasting at 50 frames per second (fps) with 10- bit colour depth. Besides offering 3840 x 2160 pixels resolution, four times the resolution of the full HDTV, the UHD specification also means a richer color palette, with more saturated colours and fine colour gradations. The superior quality of UHD broadcasting will deliver to consumers much better quality and more realistic picture and sound, offering an immersive viewing experience, particularly for sporting events and action movies.

     

    AsiaSat will be showcasing this new 4K-SAT channel at the CASBAA Convention in Hong Kong on 27 and 28 October.

  • Videocon d2h selects MStar HEVC SoC solution for HD zapper STB

    Videocon d2h selects MStar HEVC SoC solution for HD zapper STB

    MUMBAI: Direct to home (DTH) operator Videocon d2h has joined hands with MStar Semiconductor, wherein the latter will provide its high efficiency video codec (HEVC) H.265 system-on-chip (SoC) to the former’s HD set top boxes (STBs).

     

    MStar Semiconductor, which is a semiconductor company for TV, STB, display and digital home solutions, has successfully implemented HEVC technology in the HD solution, which fits properly to save the bandwidth requirement with high definition picture quality. The operators and STB OEMs can reduce their development costs and time to market to meet the Indian market demands with the MStar HEVC-capable set-top box SoC solution.

     

    Videocon d2h director Saurabh Dhoot said, “The HEVC technology ensures that our consumers get the most advanced and evolved TV viewing experience. Videocon d2h has taken the lead in bringing this latest technology to India and we are committed to using high end technology. Innovation has been the driving force for Videocon d2h, and the HEVC technology is perfectly positioned to further improve our bandwidth usage and enable us to add more HD channels.”

     

    “HEVC technology will greatly benefit the DTH operators in India due to the saving of bandwidth. With the coming of HEVC technology, our subscribers will experience high-efficiency Asli HD picture quality for the first time in India. This is possible through the unique video compression technology present in the HEVC capable set top boxes that is the latest in the field, and is a major improvement over the existing ones. We are committed to delivering a world class viewing experience,” added Videocon d2h CEO Anil Khera.

     

    “It is our honour and pleasure to be a partner with Videocon d2h. As high-quality programme deployment becomes more widely demanded, we anticipate increased market demand for HEVC-capable set-top-boxes which allows more effective usage of the limited bandwidth. Leveraging our HEVC-capable set-top box platform, we will continue to provide the timely HEVC solution to Videocon d2h in order to fulfill their business goal,” said MStar Semiconductor chairman Wayne Liang.

     

  • Broadcom to supply HEVC SoC for Tata Sky Ultra HD STBs

    Broadcom to supply HEVC SoC for Tata Sky Ultra HD STBs

    MUMBAI: Broadcom Corporation has announced that it will be providing its BCM7252 high efficiency video codec (HEVC) H.265 system-on-chip (SoC) to Tata Sky. This will be utilised in the DTH operator’s Ultra HD set top boxes (STBs).

     

    Tata Sky and Technicolor have teamed up to design and deploy its 4K STBs by 2015. Broadcom’s HEVC-enabled chipsets provide the compression and high-throughput required by operators and OEMs to rapidly introduce Ultra HD subscriber hardware and content. The Broadcom BCM7252 Ultra HD SoC improves coding efficiency and reduces video bandwidth usage by 50 per cent.

     

    “We are committed to delivering an innovative and world class TV viewing experience. With the arrival of HEVC technology, our subscribers will soon be some of the first in the region to experience the live-action quality that only Ultra HD can provide,” said Tata Sky MD and CEO Harit Nagpal. “As Ultra HD TVs continue to become more affordable and Ultra HD content becomes more widely available, we anticipate increased subscriber demand for Ultra HD-capable set top boxes.”

     

    “Technicolor is at the forefront of Ultra HD, working to enhance the Ultra HD experience on all screens by providing content preparation and 4K image certification for high quality STBs and video gateways. By leveraging Broadcom’s advanced Ultra HD devices with integrated HEVC compression technology, we can deliver 4K resolution at a frame rate of 60 frames-per-second while substantially reducing the bandwidth required for video transmission, and providing the advanced features and capabilities needed to enable the ultimate home viewing experience,” said Technicolor Connected Home Division senior vice president APAC Georges Laplanche.

     

    “As consumer interest in Ultra HD continues to grow, Broadcom is delivering advanced devices with market-specific features and price points that allow consumers to enjoy an enhanced viewing experience regardless of their geography,” said Broadcom senior vice president marketing BCG Rich Nelson. “Broadcom continues to demonstrate its commitment to furthering the Ultra HD ecosystem across the globe, providing the innovation required by our customers to drive this technology quickly into the market, particularly as lower-cost Ultra HD TVs drive consumer awareness.”

     

    Key Features of the BCM7252 Ultra HD SoC

    •    High-performance dual-core Brahma15 10000 DMIPs ARMv7 processors

    •    2180p60 or dual 1080p60 decode and transcode capabilities

    •    Integrated connectivity peripherals including USB 3.0, PCIe, Gigabit Ethernet and MoCA 2.0

    •    Highest level of platform security, content protection and DRM robustness

    •    Dual display allowing presentation of two simultaneous video channels from the same STB via independent HDMI outputs and remote control devices

    •    Dedicated interfaces to a range of Broadcom companion front end cable, DOCSIS, satellite and 802.11ac Wi-Fi devices

  • SES pioneers first Ultra HD transmission

    SES pioneers first Ultra HD transmission

    MUMBAI: Global satellite operator SES has announced that, together with its partners Harmonic, which offers video delivery infrastructure, and Broadcom which offers semiconductor solutions, it has pioneered what it says is the first Ultra HD transmission in the new HEVC standard live from an Astra satellite at 19.2 degrees East. The HEVC standard features an up to 50 per cent encoding efficiency improvement, compared to previous test broadcasts in MPEG-4 AVC (H.264).

    The end-to-end demonstration which was presented at the SES Industry Days in Luxembourg used Harmonic’s ProMedia Xpress and a HEVC decoder reference-design system based on Broadcom’s BCM7445 device for receiving HEVC encoded Ultra-HD television transmission. The signal was broadcast in DVB-S2 using a data rate of 20 Mbit/s.

    The live demonstration for the first time broadcasts a full 3840×2160 pixel Ultra HD picture in HEVC, while previous demonstrations were either broadcast in H.264 or using 4 HD pictures in parallel. SES first live-broadcast a full 3840×2160 pixel Ultra HD picture using the MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) standard at IBC 2012.

    SES VP reception systems Thomas Wrede said, “We are very proud to present the first Ultra HD demo in the HEVC standard on satellite. SES has once again taken a leadership role in the industry by broadcasting the first real Ultra HD picture in a commercially realistic bandwidth.

    “We are convinced that the HEVC standard will become the option of choice for TV operators broadcasting Ultra HD content and expect the industry to develop prototype Ultra HD receivers in the coming months. With this initiative SES will be significantly driving the Ultra HD ecosystem forward and provide a 24/7 test channel to its industry partners.”

    Harmonic senior director of emerging technology, strategy Ian Trow said, “SES has achieved an important industry first with Harmonic and Broadcom. This DVB-S2 transmission clearly demonstrates the benefit of HEVC encoding using the Harmonic ProMedia in a live to air Satellite application. A significant compression improvement has been achieved using HEVC when compared to previous Ultra HD deployments using MPEG-4 AVC (H.264)”

    Broadband Communications Group associate product line director Joseph Del Rio said, “Broadcom is working to advance the adoption of HEVC technologies – and ultimately the distribution of UltraHD content – with SES. HEVC is the catalyst that will drive UltraHD television with its telepresence-like resolution to consumers.”