ITV

Tag: MPEG-2

  • Prasar Bharati invites applications for vacant MPEG-2 DD Free Dish slots

    Prasar Bharati invites applications for vacant MPEG-2 DD Free Dish slots

    Mumbai: Prasar Bharati has invited applications for vacant MPEG-2 slots on free DTH platform DD Free Dish in the 58th e-auction process. The slots will be allowed for the period between 1 April and 31 March 2023, and the e-auction will be tentatively held from 7 March. 

    The public broadcaster has categorised different language/genre channels into six buckets and published their starting reserve price for the bidding process.

    Starting reserve price/annum for Hindi GECs (bucket A+) is Rs 15 crore, while Hindi movie channels (bucket A) will have to start the bid at Rs 12 crore. Hindi, English, and Punjabi news and current affairs channels (bucket C) will have to bid starting at Rs seven crore.

    For bucket B comprising all Hindi music and sports channels, Bhojpuri GECs and movies and Hindi teleshopping channels, the starting reserve price is Rs 10 crore. For all other remaining genre (language) channels in bucket D and devotional (spiritual/AAYUSH channels) in bucket R1 the starting reserve price is Rs six crore and three crore, respectively.

    Only satellite channels licensed by the MIB can take part in the e-auction. Only companies holding valid permission from the ministry or their authorised distributor partners can apply for participation.

    In case the applicant company is other than the licensee, the document/agreement signed between the license-holder company and the applicant company authorising the applicant/bidder for distribution of the channel and bidding on behalf of the licensee must be submitted.

    International public broadcasters licensed by the MIB can also participate in the e-auction.

  • Prasar Bharati sells MPEG-2 slot to 53 broadcasters

    Prasar Bharati sells MPEG-2 slot to 53 broadcasters

    MUMBAI: Prasar Bharati has successfully sold Free Dish’s MPEG-2 slots for the period from 01.04.2020 to 31.03.2021 through 44th online e-auction process to 53 broadcasters. The second annual e-Auction of MPEG-2 slots (44th e-auction) of DD Free Dish Platform was completed on 28 Feb 2020.

    Applications were received for e-auction under different Buckets/Genre. Subsequently, 53 channels were successfully allocated slots on various buckets on DD Free Dish slots. Subject to completion of all formalities, the channels which have successfully bid for slots will come on air on DD Free Dish Platform from 1 April 2020.

    Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati says: “A key highlight of the e-auction was robust participation of channels across genres that saw several new channels making a debut enhancing the content diversity on DD Free Dish as a platform.”

    He further opined: “The increased competitiveness in the e-auction process is reflected in the substantial increase in bids over base prices across genres. DD Free Dish has emerged as a key enabler of competitiveness in the broadcast sector with new upstart channels challenging incumbents. Most significantly the nearly 50% growth in potential annual revenue from DD FreeDish is a key leading indicator on likely economic turnaround during FY 2020-2021.”

    Four slots were sold under bucket A+ with the reserve price of Rs 15 crore: Abzy Cool, Big Magic, Dangal, and Fun TV. The average slot price of the bucket was Rs 15.6 crore and the highest bid was Rs 15.16 crore. The A bucket was reserved for Rs 12 crore which was sold to 12 channels. The average bid price for the bucket was Rs 15.16 crore and highest bid price was Rs 15.2 crore. Under A bucket, ABZY Dhakad, ABZY Movies, B4U Kadak, B4U Movies, Blue, Cinema TV India, Enterr10, Maha Movie, Manoranjan TV, Movie Plus, Satya, and Surya Cinema reserved their place.

    Bucket B included All Music (Hindi) Channels, Sports (Hindi) Channels, GEC (Bhojpuri), Movies (Bhojpuri) and Teleshopping (Hindi) channels for the reserved price of Rs 10 crore. The pubcaster sold this slot to 16 channels- BDM GEC (Bhojpuri), Bhojpuri Cinema Movie (Bhojpuri), Big Ganga GEC (Bhojpuri), B4U Bhojpuri Movie (Bhojpuri), B4U Music Music (Hindi), Dabang Movie (Bhojpuri), Filamchi Movie (Bhojpuri), Manoranjan Grand Movie (Bhojpuri), Mastii Music (Hindi), MTV Beats Music (Hindi), Showbox Music (Hindi), Surya Bhojpuri Movie (Bhojpuri), Zee Biskope Movie (Bhojpuri), Zing Music (Hindi), 9X Jalwa Music (Hindi), and 9XM Music (Hindi). The average slot price was Rs 11.55 crore and the highest bid price was 12.25 crore.

    News & Current Affairs (Hindi) Channels, News & Current Affairs (English) and News & Current Affairs (Punjabi) Channels were included in Bucket C with the reserved price Rs 7 core. The pubcaster sold this slot to 13 channels: Aaj Tak, Aaj Tak Tez, ABP News, India News, India TV, NDTV, News Nation, News 24 Think First, News 18 India, Republic TV Bharat, TV9 Bharatvarsh, Zee Hindustan, and Zee News. The average price of Bucket C was Rs 10.85 crore and the highest bid was Rs 12.25 crore.

    All other remaining genre (language) channels and teleshopping (regional) channels were included in Bucket D with a reserved price of Rs 6 crore. Prasar Bharati sold this slot to five channels:  Fakt Marathi, Manoranjan Movies, Maha Punjabi, Shemaroo Marathibana, and Zee Punjabi. The average bid price of the bucket was Rs 6.17 crore and the highest bid price was Rs 6.25 crore.

    The Bucket R1 consisted of spiritual channels including channels promoting yoga, Ayurveda, Health & Wellness (Ayush) based on traditional methods, reserved for Rs 3 crore. The pubcaster sold this slot to three channels:  C7, Lord Budha, and Sadhana Bhakt. The average bid price for Bucket R1 was Rs 6.97 crore and the highest bid price was Rs 7.15 crore. 

  • Prasar Bharati increases MPEG-2 slot capacity on DD Free Dish

    Prasar Bharati increases MPEG-2 slot capacity on DD Free Dish

    MUMBAI: Prasar Bharati has invited applications from satellite TV channels to fill MPEG-2 slots of DD Free Dish DTH platform on prorata basis for the period from 1 December 2019 to 29 February 2020 through the 42nd on-line e-auction process. This time the pubcaster is not filling up the vacant slot but calling broadcasters to fill-up new or additional space on MPEG 2. Prasar Bharati has increased the capacity of equipment which allows to add few more channels in MPEG 2.  

    A senior official who is aware of the development said, "The slot is not vacant. There is an addition in the capacity, we have increased the capacity of the spectrum efficient equipment, so that we can have more channels." 

    The public broadcaster will allot the slots as per the recently amended guidelines for allotment of DD Free Dish slots. International Public Broadcasters licensed/registered by the Ministry of I&B can also participate in e-auction. Broadcasters can submit their application by November 13, 2019.

    The Policy guidelines for allotment of slots of DD Free Dish Direct-to-Home Platform to satellite TV channels (Second amendments), 2019 has substituted some of the sub-clauses. Sub-item iii under item A of Clause 3 has been substituted as “Prasar Bharati Management is authorized to take decision on reservation for the genre, and on the number of slots to be reserved deemed to be in public interest.”

    As per the new amendment pubcaster can reserve some slots in the MPEG-4 stream for placement of foreign Public Service Broadcasting Channels either on reciprocal basis/barter basis or on invitation basis for strategic collaborations, subject to availability of slots and if the broadcaster's willingness to match the last highest bid for MPEG-4 slot.

    It can also reserve some slots for placement of co-branded channels on a case to case basis; expansion into HD; & placement of DD Regional Channels. “The Prasar Bharati Management will be authorized to take a decision on such reservation. However the placement of co-branded channels on a case to case basis will be with the approval of Prasar Bharati Board,” the notification said.

    In the policy Guidelines, for sub-item ii of item r of Annexure -2, the following sub-item is substituted as, “In case, five or more vacant slots are available, then one slot will be reserved for each Bucket in the first round. In case no application is received for a particular Bucket, then there will be no reserved slot in that Bucket.”

    It further said, “After the completion of first round auction of one slot so reserved in Buckets, the remaining slots will be auctioned Bucket-wise starting from A+ and will progressively go down from Bucket A+ to Bucket D till such time there are no bidders in a given bucket or there are no vacant slot left. If the number of vacant slots is less than five, the auction will proceed from Bucket A+ downwards, without observing any reservation of slots in any Bucket, and will progressively go from Bucket A+ to Bucket D till such time there are no bidders in a given bucket or there is no vacant slot left. The slot fee will be determined on a pro-rata basis using the previous highest bid price for that bucket.”

  • DD Free Dish fills up 3 vacant MPEG-2 slots

    DD Free Dish fills up 3 vacant MPEG-2 slots

    MUMBAI: Public service broadcaster Prasar Bharati has allotted vacant slots to three channels on its direct-to-home (DTH) platform DD Free Dish in the 41st e-auction. According to media reports, the pubcaster has garnered Rs 21.69 crore in the latest round of e-auction.

    Hindi GEC Manoranjan Grand, Hindi movie channels Zingaat and Skystar Telugu have been allotted MPEG-2 slots for the period from 16 August 2019 to 29 February 2020. Manoranjan Grand, the new free to air (FTA) Hindi GEC will launch on 15 August while the test signal of the channel is already on.

    The Prasar Bharati board gave a green signal to e-auctioning of DTH slots on DD Free Dish in January. The e-auctioning was arbitrarily called off in October 2017. Earlier, FreeDish would conduct the e-auction every couple of months to award vacant channel slots to private broadcasters. The last e-auction was held in July 2017.

  • Placement of channels on DD Free Dish on 1 March

    Placement of channels on DD Free Dish on 1 March

    MUMBAI: A few days ago, Prasar Bharati had invited applications from private channels for participating in its 38th online e-auction for filling up of 54 vacant of MPEG-2 slots on its DD Free Dish DTH service. It has furnished details on the upcoming process which will see channel placements take place on 1 March.

    Interested private channels were requested to submit their applications along with requisite documents and demand drafts on or before 6 February 2019 by also mentioning the genre and language of the channel. Scrutiny of the application will be done from 6-8 February 2019. The e-auction will be held from 11 February 2019 onwards followed by the issuing of allotment letters by 20 February. All payments must be made by 28 February. International Public Broadcasters licensed by the MIB can also participate in e-auction for MPEG-2.

    Categorisation of TV channels in different buckets in accordance with genres/language of channel and their respective reserve price for allotment of slots on DD Free Dish through e-auction is as below:

    The starting price for e-auction for the next slot, if available in the same bucket shall be increased by minimum incremental amount of Rs 5 lakh from the starting price of e-auction of immediate previous slot of the same bucket.

  • Ericsson catalyses Tata Sky HD channels to reach 50 by ’16-end

    Ericsson catalyses Tata Sky HD channels to reach 50 by ’16-end

    MUMBAI: Tata Sky has chosen Ericsson AVP 4000 compression platform to deploy 200 new channels Ericsson’s innovative encoding technology delivers enhanced picture quality, lower transmission delay and bandwidth efficiency. This deployment extends Ericsson and Tata Sky collaboration, which first began in 2004.

    The Ericsson AVP 4000 is powered by the company’s first video processing chip, designed to deliver outstanding picture quality at HD and SD, in both MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 AVC and offers a strong roadmap for operators who wish to extend their service offerings to 4K and high dynamic range (HDR) technologies.

    Ericsson’s AVP 4000 compression platform has been selected by Tata Sky, one of India’s leading Direct-to-Home (DTH) service-provider. The solution addresses the operator’s requirement for an encoding platform that meets the complex video processing demands associated with HD content.

    The platform will transform Tata’s service offering and enable the delivery of 200 additional channels (150 standard definition and 50 HD) by the end of 2016. Part of the award winning Ericsson AVP encoding range, the Ericsson AVP 4000 compression platform offers superior quality system encoding for IPTV, cable, satellite and broadcast. It delivers greater reliability and flexibility with lower transmission delay to ensure media organizations use bandwidth more efficiently and ensure consumers receive a high quality viewing experience.

    Tata Sky chief technology officer Yigs Riza, says: “As a long-term strategic partner of Tata Sky, Ericsson has continuously delivered significant bandwidth efficiencies year-over-year and its expertise will enable us to develop and deliver 50 new HD channels which respond to today’s growing market expectations. Ericsson’s AVP 4000 compression platform will not only significantly extend our channel offering, but also deliver the high quality, reliability and operational flexibility that our subscribers expect.”

    Ericsson head of technology, TV & media, Giles Wilson, says: Ericsson is focused on providing its customers with the necessary technologies, innovations and services to help them do this. This latest project with Tata Sky reflects our continued commitment to offering market leading services that help our customers to achieve success through the delivery of more high quality content experiences to wider audiences.”

    Ericsson is a world leader in communications technology and services. Its services, software and infrastructure – especially in mobility, broadband and the cloud – are enabling the telecom industry and other sectors to do better business, increase efficiency, improve the user experience and capture new opportunities.

    Listed on NASDAQ OMX stock exchange in Stockholm and the NASDAQ in New York, Ericsson supports networks that connect more than 2.5 billion subscribers. Forty per cent of the world’s mobile traffic is carried over Ericsson networks.

  • Ericsson catalyses Tata Sky HD channels to reach 50 by ’16-end

    Ericsson catalyses Tata Sky HD channels to reach 50 by ’16-end

    MUMBAI: Tata Sky has chosen Ericsson AVP 4000 compression platform to deploy 200 new channels Ericsson’s innovative encoding technology delivers enhanced picture quality, lower transmission delay and bandwidth efficiency. This deployment extends Ericsson and Tata Sky collaboration, which first began in 2004.

    The Ericsson AVP 4000 is powered by the company’s first video processing chip, designed to deliver outstanding picture quality at HD and SD, in both MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 AVC and offers a strong roadmap for operators who wish to extend their service offerings to 4K and high dynamic range (HDR) technologies.

    Ericsson’s AVP 4000 compression platform has been selected by Tata Sky, one of India’s leading Direct-to-Home (DTH) service-provider. The solution addresses the operator’s requirement for an encoding platform that meets the complex video processing demands associated with HD content.

    The platform will transform Tata’s service offering and enable the delivery of 200 additional channels (150 standard definition and 50 HD) by the end of 2016. Part of the award winning Ericsson AVP encoding range, the Ericsson AVP 4000 compression platform offers superior quality system encoding for IPTV, cable, satellite and broadcast. It delivers greater reliability and flexibility with lower transmission delay to ensure media organizations use bandwidth more efficiently and ensure consumers receive a high quality viewing experience.

    Tata Sky chief technology officer Yigs Riza, says: “As a long-term strategic partner of Tata Sky, Ericsson has continuously delivered significant bandwidth efficiencies year-over-year and its expertise will enable us to develop and deliver 50 new HD channels which respond to today’s growing market expectations. Ericsson’s AVP 4000 compression platform will not only significantly extend our channel offering, but also deliver the high quality, reliability and operational flexibility that our subscribers expect.”

    Ericsson head of technology, TV & media, Giles Wilson, says: Ericsson is focused on providing its customers with the necessary technologies, innovations and services to help them do this. This latest project with Tata Sky reflects our continued commitment to offering market leading services that help our customers to achieve success through the delivery of more high quality content experiences to wider audiences.”

    Ericsson is a world leader in communications technology and services. Its services, software and infrastructure – especially in mobility, broadband and the cloud – are enabling the telecom industry and other sectors to do better business, increase efficiency, improve the user experience and capture new opportunities.

    Listed on NASDAQ OMX stock exchange in Stockholm and the NASDAQ in New York, Ericsson supports networks that connect more than 2.5 billion subscribers. Forty per cent of the world’s mobile traffic is carried over Ericsson networks.

  • DD Free Dish to include more channels in MPEG 2, DD denies glitches in satellite migration

    DD Free Dish to include more channels in MPEG 2, DD denies glitches in satellite migration

    NEW DELHI: Even as the migration to MPEG 4 will commence from April, Prasar Bharati is making attempts to increase the capacity of television channels that can be carried by its free-to-air DTH platform DD Free Dish under the existing MPEG 2.

    While declining to give the number of channels that it will gain in MPEG 2, a Prasar Bharati source confirmed to Indiantelevision.com that the switch-over to MPEG4 will be in two phases and the aim was to take the total capacity to 112.

    The source confirmed that the channels that bid successfully in the auction being held next week will be accommodated within MPEG 2.

    Meanwhile, the source denied any glitches in the transfer of DD Free Dish channels from INSAT 4B to GSAT 15 and said clear guidelines had been given to all channels on the steps they had to take in the regard and the Engineering section of Doordarshan was stepping in wherever needed. The source also said that it had been responding to calls from various channels in this connection.

    Asked why the ratings of some popular channels were falling on DD Free Dish, the source added that this was a question best answered by the channels.

    The official was reacting to a comment that even after the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India had commenced including rural area ratings in its weekly reports, there had been no perceptible increase in the figures of DD viewership despite claims by the pubcaster that it has the largest viewership in the country.

    The source said the popularity of DD Free Dish could be gauged from the fact that Aaj Tak and Big Magic, which are pay channels, were being run as FTA on Free Dish.

    A DD source added that the viewership of Big Magic, which had earlier been on Free Dish but had left it early this year had seen a steep fall and the channel had decided to come back on the platform.

    DD Free Dish is adopting the conditional access system (CAS) designed by the Bangalore-based ByDesign India Pvt Ltd.

    The ByDesign model is totally indigenous and built for DVB-C setup. This CAS solution will enable broadcasters and network operators to control access to their services by viewers, and thereby enabling them to extend their business models to subscription based schemes.

    This will mean that the Free Dish will become encrypted but will remain FTA. In addition to helping increase the number of channels on the platform, this will enable Free Dish to gauge the exact number of households relying on Free Dish as encrypted set top boxes will only be available with authorised dealers.
    DD Free Dish currently has 64 channels including its own channels and Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha TV. It also carries channels of All India Radio.

    The ByDesign CAS is provided by making access possible to the content, depending on subscriber credentials, which are generated by this CAS and sent through the broadcast system to receivers in the field. 

    Doordarshan has for the first time made a conscious effort to attract regional television channels by fixing a lower reserve of Rs 2 crore even as the price for the other channels remains the Rs 4.3 crore for its 26th e-auction slated for 15 February.

    This has been done considering the tremendous reach of DD Free Dish in semi-urban and rural areas all over the country.

    Reserved slot for regional language channel includes only Non-Hindi Channels (News or Non-News). Bhojpuri channels and Hindi regional channels have been kept as part of the general slots.

  • DD Free Dish to include more channels in MPEG 2, DD denies glitches in satellite migration

    DD Free Dish to include more channels in MPEG 2, DD denies glitches in satellite migration

    NEW DELHI: Even as the migration to MPEG 4 will commence from April, Prasar Bharati is making attempts to increase the capacity of television channels that can be carried by its free-to-air DTH platform DD Free Dish under the existing MPEG 2.

    While declining to give the number of channels that it will gain in MPEG 2, a Prasar Bharati source confirmed to Indiantelevision.com that the switch-over to MPEG4 will be in two phases and the aim was to take the total capacity to 112.

    The source confirmed that the channels that bid successfully in the auction being held next week will be accommodated within MPEG 2.

    Meanwhile, the source denied any glitches in the transfer of DD Free Dish channels from INSAT 4B to GSAT 15 and said clear guidelines had been given to all channels on the steps they had to take in the regard and the Engineering section of Doordarshan was stepping in wherever needed. The source also said that it had been responding to calls from various channels in this connection.

    Asked why the ratings of some popular channels were falling on DD Free Dish, the source added that this was a question best answered by the channels.

    The official was reacting to a comment that even after the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India had commenced including rural area ratings in its weekly reports, there had been no perceptible increase in the figures of DD viewership despite claims by the pubcaster that it has the largest viewership in the country.

    The source said the popularity of DD Free Dish could be gauged from the fact that Aaj Tak and Big Magic, which are pay channels, were being run as FTA on Free Dish.

    A DD source added that the viewership of Big Magic, which had earlier been on Free Dish but had left it early this year had seen a steep fall and the channel had decided to come back on the platform.

    DD Free Dish is adopting the conditional access system (CAS) designed by the Bangalore-based ByDesign India Pvt Ltd.

    The ByDesign model is totally indigenous and built for DVB-C setup. This CAS solution will enable broadcasters and network operators to control access to their services by viewers, and thereby enabling them to extend their business models to subscription based schemes.

    This will mean that the Free Dish will become encrypted but will remain FTA. In addition to helping increase the number of channels on the platform, this will enable Free Dish to gauge the exact number of households relying on Free Dish as encrypted set top boxes will only be available with authorised dealers.
    DD Free Dish currently has 64 channels including its own channels and Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha TV. It also carries channels of All India Radio.

    The ByDesign CAS is provided by making access possible to the content, depending on subscriber credentials, which are generated by this CAS and sent through the broadcast system to receivers in the field. 

    Doordarshan has for the first time made a conscious effort to attract regional television channels by fixing a lower reserve of Rs 2 crore even as the price for the other channels remains the Rs 4.3 crore for its 26th e-auction slated for 15 February.

    This has been done considering the tremendous reach of DD Free Dish in semi-urban and rural areas all over the country.

    Reserved slot for regional language channel includes only Non-Hindi Channels (News or Non-News). Bhojpuri channels and Hindi regional channels have been kept as part of the general slots.

  • FTA DD Freedish to soon encrypt with MPEG-4

    FTA DD Freedish to soon encrypt with MPEG-4

    MUMBAI: Since inception, DD Freedish has been the only DTH service that hosts free to air (FTA) channels. Boasting 18 million subscribers on the platform, it soon plans to encrypt signals for its future channels.

     

    With nearly 60 channels in its roster, Freedish plans to encrypt future channels with MPEG-4 compression technology to take it up to 110. Speaking exclusively to indiantelevision.com, Doordarshan deputy director general CK Jain said that the auction for the encrypted channels will happen in November with the commercial roll out of set top boxes (STBs) soon after. “48 channels will be on MPEG-4 and 64 on MPEG-2. Viewers who opt for MPEG-4 STBs will be able to view a total of 112 channels, including the FTA ones,” he said.

     

    The extended version of Freedish will have two streams of MPEG-4 and four of MPEG-2 so that the existing subscribers can continue watching the FTA channels. Currently the DTH service has five transponders on Insat 4B and will be soon getting an additional one, taking its tally to six. “The two encrypted streams will allow us to know definite subscriber numbers,” he adds.

     

    Jain is confident that digitisation drive in phase III and phase IV markets will see households pick Freedish. He is also sure that the plus point would be in the new TV households. The MPEG-4 STBs will be sold at a price higher than the current Rs 1200 for MPEG-2. But Jain says that given an option to watch more channels, he expects people to pick MPEG-4 boxes.

     

    Both the boxes will be available for sale through its distributors. November will see the auction for the 48 encrypted slots. Broadcasters who wish to be on the MPEG-4 bands, will have to undergo the auction, including ones who are also available on FTA.