ITV

Tag: OTT

  • Sony to shift Animax channel to SonyLiv

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Network India’s first kids channel Animax will go off air soon. The network, which launched the channel in 2004, had been targeting the 13-35 age-group, and niche anime lovers.

    The channel was operated and broadcast from Singapore by Animax Asia and distributed by Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) India. It is also the only channel to simulcast anime in India and Japan.

    The network will close the channel but the content will be available on its OTT platform SonyLiv.

    Sony Pictures Network India CEO N P Singh said, “Animax has been around for a long period of time. Anime is popular with a very small segment of the audience. We will take away Animax, and instead will give them the opportunity to view Anime on SonyLiv.”

    The network has announced the launch of its much-awaited kid’s entertainment channel, Sony Yay! that will go live on 18 April 2017. Promising to be the ‘Destination for Unlimited Happiness’ for kids, the channel has roped in the young cinestar, Tiger Shroff, who has become a phenomenon with kids across the country, as its brand ambassador.

  • Android future of TV, but many unwilling to pay

    NEW DELHI: Around 72% of respondents in a recent survey are considering Android implementations as a part of their set-top box (STB) strategies. In addition, 50% of respondents in a global survey see Android as being important for their goals within the next five years.

    These are among the findings of a research done by digital security platform Irdeto and OvumConsulting indicating that a majority of video service providers have either Android TV or Android Open Source Project (AOSP) on their technology roadmaps.

    Conducted in February 2017, the study “Is Android the future of the set-top box?” covered 300 TV industry professionals.

    Around 106 respondents were from APAC, segregated by Ovum into two categories: Developed which had 58 respondents and developing which had 48 respondents. India figures in the latter category.

    It also identified a variety of benefits they perceive Android TV to offer, including the availability of new features and services, faster time-to-market, an attractive user interface and cost efficiencies.

    However, while a majority of respondents indicated a commitment to Android, only 54% of video service providers are willing to pay more for Android chipsets than traditional chipsets with embedded middleware.

    Features, specifically the ability for users to download additional apps, are the driving force leading Android implementations. Video service providers with more than one million subscribers (43%) and those with less than one million subscribers (34%) both said that this was the number one driver for adoption.

    However, despite service providers’ confidence in the benefits of Android TV, there are significant concerns around piracy and cyberthreats. By allowing easy installations of other applications onto the STB, 43% of respondents believe there will be an increased attack surface, while 41% are concerned that their subscribers could install apps for illegal streaming.

    “Video service providers are feeling pressure to continue to innovate their offerings to satisfy consumer demand for an optimal user experience,” said Irdeto director of Product Management Frank Poppelsdorf. “These results indicate that Android TV is not only on pace to play a critical role in the future of TV distribution, but are essential for the industry to meet growing consumer demand for new and innovative services. However, the open nature of the technology brings up several security concerns, especially in regard to piracy. As the industry continues to shift toward more open platforms for the set-top box, it will be critical for video service providers to implement a robust 360-degree security approach to ensure their premium content is protected while optimizing flexibility and time to market.”

    While many expect Android to dominate the TV landscape in the near future, the survey revealed that more education on the differences between Android platforms may be needed. Only 52% of those surveyed understand the differences between Android TV and AOSP.

    “Education on Android platforms is critical for video service providers to understand the capabilities, benefits and drawbacks of each technology in order to make the best strategic decision concerning their technology roadmap,” saidOvum Practioce Leader TV Ed Barton. “These types of insights identified in our survey with Irdeto are key to help pay TV operators, broadcasters and OTT streaming providers better anticipate the opportunities and challenges ahead. We were pleased to work with Irdeto on this survey of C-Level executives as well as professionals across multiple disciplines to identify Android strategies that will shape the pay TV market in the years ahead.”

    As platforms like Android TV become the new norm in the TV landscape, it will be important for operators to employ a holistic, 360-degree security approach to secure these next-generation devices. Stofa, Denmark’s most innovative supplier of cable TV and broadband internet services, recently selected Irdeto Cloaked CA to securely deliver content through its upcoming new Android set-top box (STB). Not only will subscribers have the full range of Stofa services on the STB, they will also have direct access to the Google Play app store and to streaming services such as YouTube. Stofa intends to revolutionize the user experience with its new Android STB and with Irdeto’s latest renewable and cardless software security, any form of content delivered to customers will be robustly protected.

    The survey was commissioned by Irdeto and conducted in February 2017 by Ovum. 301 TV industry professionals spread across six regional groupings, including APAC, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Latin America, Middle East & Africa and North America participated in the survey. All respondent companies provide video services as part of their business and the service provider types were Internet service providers, OTT video providers, pay TV operators (cable, DTT and satellite) and telecoms providers. The survey targeted an informed audience with a representative proportion of C-level respondents alongside technology, content, marketing and network security.

  • Amazon Prime global head: Committed quality shows Indians love, partners Kabir for Netaji’s ‘true story”

    MUMBAI: Amazon has announced an Indian original series based on Subhash Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army to be directed by one of Bollywood’s top directors and producers, Kabir Khan.

    The Forgotten Army (working title) will mark Kabir’s Khan’s debut in OTT digital video services. The series is scheduled to start production by the end of 2017.

    The Forgotten Army is a war epic, an Indian band of brothers of sorts, which will touch upon several stories, including the contribution of women in the Indian National Army.

    “We had made a commitment to our Indian customers to deliver high-quality, binge-worthy shows that they’ll love to watch, and our association with Kabir Khan greatly reinforces our commitment towards this promise,” said Prime Video global content head Roy Price. “Our aim is to build a compelling lineup of Indian shows, working with the greatest talents from the industry. Our association with Kabir Khan is one of the many such partnerships that India will see. We know our Prime members are going to love the epic war story being brought to life with Kabir Khan helming the project.

    He further added, “Our aim is to build a captivating lineup of Indian shows, working with the greatest talents from the industry.”

    “These are super exciting times for any content creator in India and I am elated to make my debut in the digital space with Amazon Prime Video’s India Original,” said film director and producer Khan. “Amazon Prime Video provides greater access to reach new and vast Indian audiences. They are also bringing in global talent and knowledge to collaborate with Indian scriptwriters and content creators to further hone their skills and know-how. I am excited to make this truly international series which has a scale and reach far greater than any Hindi film.”

    Based on true events, this series is about a war “we were not told about and of soldiers we thought did not exist.” This series is the dynamic true story of the men and women who fought a heroic war for the independence of India as part of the Indian National Army which was forged out of British defeat in Singapore during WWII and led by the charismatic Bose. They fought against all odds and paid the ultimate price but they did not succeed… and against the dazzling success of Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent movement to free India, they soon became the forgotten army.

  • OTT: Blink Now taps Ooyala for video ads, live streaming & real-time analytics

    MUMBAI: Ooyala, a global provider of video monetization technology and services, is powering the complete video business of Blink Now, a leading premium OTT provider in the Philippines. With Ooyala, Blink Now is maximizing its business potential across three separate OTT properties with a single provider, powering ad operations, video delivery, data-driven insights and live streaming to more than 180,000 users nationwide.

    A US-based subsidiary of global telecommunications and IT services company Telstra, Ooyala’s comprehensive suite of offerings includes one of the world’s largest premium video platforms, a leading ad serving and programmatic platform and media logistics solution that improves video production workflows.

    A part of SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc., SMLEI, the entertainment arm and subsidiary of the Philippines largest property developer, SM Prime Holdings, Blink Now is the OTT division focused on providing the best entertainment content and customer experience. The company required a sophisticated video technology provider with a powerful analytics solution to help them understand their audience’s habits across its subscription-based (SVOD), transaction-based (TVOD) and ad-supported video services (AVOD).

    “Supporting multiple TV-monetization models demands rich data to guide decisions. Ooyala’s analytics ties our business decisions to our audience’s desires, giving us the confidence to know what we build is what they want most,” said SMLEI Assistant Vice President of Digital Media and Head, Francis Gerard R. Tupaz.

    He added, “when considering our options in the market, Ooyala stood out as they are the only video solutions provider with a comprehensive set of modern-day technologies. Backed by a local team for support and services, Ooyala immediately solved multiple challenges from reliable live streaming, audience measurement, premium content delivery and holistic ad-campaign management.”

    With Ooyala IQ, Blink Now has access to up-to-the minute analytics to see what content is trending at any given time, allowing them to feature well-performing content to attract even higher viewership. Real-time multi-dimensional reports gives Blink Now granular insights to track engagement over any period of time across all properties or even individual videos. The data helps ensure they are reinvesting in highly-profitable content for the business based on its audience’s’ viewing behaviors.

    Using Ooyala Pulse, the customer can see how ad-loads affect drop-off and completion rates against varying content lengths. This allows them to tailor the right amount of ads to every piece of content to maximize monetisation without sacrificing user experience.

    “Blink Now is great example of a modern entertainment customer in need of Integrated Video Platform solutions. With our technologies, they can grow in tandem with its audience’s appetite for video and with the industry,” said Ooyala General Manager of Asia-Pacific, Steve Davis. “And with our analytics, they now have the insights to see how audiences watch Hollywood titles versus globally-recognized TV episodes differently, what content is driving them the most money and how their audiences prefers to pay for and access content across devices.”

    Ooyala will be highlighting its set Integrated Video Platform (IVP) solutions at NAB 2017 and APOS 2017. With a common data set to drive insights and inform strategies, IVP is the next generation of OVP, evolving well beyond online video platform capabilities to deliver sophisticated solutions to understand the costs and return-on-investment of video content.

  • OTT: VEQTA is exclusive Major League Baseball partner for India

    MUMBAI: In what could be the best news for baseball fans in India, VEQTA, India’s only digital broadcast network (OTT) dedicated to sports, has announced its partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB), the world’s top baseball league from USA. With this first of its kind multi-year partnership, VEQTA will give baseball fans in India access to an all-new never seen before content experience.

    This partnership between one of the world’s most iconic sports leagues and India’s next generation sports platform will help build a larger fan base for baseball in the region. VEQTA will be the official home of Major League Baseball in India with exclusive long term OTT rights. VEQTA will serve the widest offering of MLB games ever in India, with over 20 live games each week during the regular season (April through September); and full coverage of the league’s “Jewel Events” — All-Star Game (July), Wild Card Games, Division Series, League Championship Series, and the World Series (October/November).

    MLB and VEQTA will also launch a variety of initiatives together to build the sport further in the country including promotional activities, events, fan activation and engagement.

    VEQTA, with its key partnerships with global sports bodies, will additionally serve over 6000 hours of live sports content in 2017 across Tennis, Fight Sports, Motorsports, Football, Basketball, Rugby, Athletics, and of course Baseball.

    VEQTA co-founder & director Vikram Tanwar said, “Baseball has a niche audience here and we wish to grow it further. Through this partnership, Indian baseball fans will have access to exclusive baseball content not available in its entirety on any other platform. VEQTA is proud to bring this experience to India and assert our commitment to offer the best sports content from across the globe to Indian fans.”

    MLB is amongst the largest league systems by revenue across any sport. It is also the world’s biggest league by total attendance with over 73 million fans attending MLB games in 2016.

    Major League Baseball VP – international media sales and marketing partnerships Dominick Balsamo said, “MLB on VEQTA will serve Indian baseball fans with comprehensive coverage of the league from Opening Day through the World Series, and present the game on an exciting platform that promises to attract new baseball fans and players in India.”

  • Half of video production may see greater RoI migrating to IP

    MUMBAI: Ooyala, a global provider of video monetization technology and services, and the Digital Production Partnership (DPP), the media industry’s business change network, launched the industry’s first report analyzing the benefits of adopting Internet Protocol (IP)-based processes and technologies in video production, “The Business Benefits of IP Production.” The findings show that by 2022, more than half of the video-production environments analyzed in the report will recognize greater business benefits, efficiencies and return-on-investment (ROI) by adopting IP.

    Surveying nearly 30 companies across the video supply chain, including ITV, Sky, BBC and Sony, the report shows where IP migrations will result in greater cost savings, cost avoidance, creative benefits and competitive advantages. Tracking against ten different production environments, five will see the greatest ROI by adopting IP, including:

    ● IP Distribution: Companies with internet-first distribution services, OTT

    ● Live Streaming: Companies distributing live content across devices and social
    platforms

    ● Single Camera Shooting: Companies accessing on-site footage via the cloud

    ● Media Management: Companies managing, moving and storing media

    ● Cloud Playout: Linear TV stations adopting cloud-based services

    The findings show media companies with online distribution at the heart of their business, particularly OTT services, will find the greatest value and ROI in adopting IP-based technologies. Other areas that IP disruption will impact are asset management, cloud playout and post-production, benefiting from technologies that reduce manual-labor costs such as automating metadata insertion.

    “The fact is, the move to IP has inherent benefits for many processes, but only specific environments will see the greatest benefits and highest returns today,” said DPP Managing Director, Mark Harrison.

    “Within a few years, IP infrastructure may be essential in doing business because of the impact it is having across media companies and distribution.” “As the first in the industry, the report brings to light the ROI opportunities for producers, broadcasters and media companies to adopt IP processes,” said Ooyala Co-founder and SVP of Products and Solutions, Belsasar Lepe. “Media logistics solutions like Ooyala Flex provide the ability to connect inherently disconnected and on-premise systems so companies can take
    advantage of IP benefits immediately or incrementally as needs change over time.”

    Ooyala and the DPP will host a special NAB morning event on Tuesday, 25 April at 8am PST in Ooyala’s booth, SV1000, to discuss the report and the future of IP production alongside BT Sport and PBS.

    Built with superior analytics capabilities for advanced business intelligence, Ooyala’s solutions help broadcasters, operators and media companies build more engaged and more profitable audiences, with personalized experiences across every screen.Vudu, Star India, Sky Sports (U.K.), ITV Studios (U.K.), RTL Group (Germany), M6 (France), TV4 (Sweden), Mediaset (Spain), America Television (Peru), and Media Prima (Malaysia).

  • SeaChange powers Quickline multiplatform video with time-shifting & catch-up TV

    MUMBAI: Swiss cable network operator The Quickline Group has raised the bar on personal television excellence with its introduction of Quickline TV, based on an end-to-end suite of integrated software and services from SeaChange International spanning multiplatform content management and delivery, monetization and subscriber experience, including RDK-V-based set-top box software.

    The Quickline Group is one of the leading full-service providers of entertainment and communication in Switzerland. With its scalable and open SeaChange platform, Quickline maintains an optimally efficient, centralized video operation that supports 25 independent regional cable television operators representing approximately 400,000 Swiss households. Quickline is the country’s third-largest TV provider and fourth-largest Internet and telephony provider.

    SeaChange Adrenalin multiscreen television software, integrated with SeaChange’s RDK-based Nucleus set-top software, drives Quickline TV from the back office operation through to TVs, PCs and mobile devices at home and on the go. Quickline TV achieves the pinnacle of truly differentiated personalized TV services with its innovative subscriber profiles, which give multiple viewers on a single household cable subscription the ability to enjoy uniquely curated experiences across devices, presenting thousands of hours of on-demand video, recommendations and time-shifted TV programming to suit an individual’s own content tastes and viewing preferences.

    SeaChange also delivered Quickline TV’s OTT device apps for Android and iOS enjoyment, in addition to leading end-to-end integration of third-party technology providers for content delivery network, video encoding, content security and advanced set-tops, among other components.

    “Quickline is on a mission to produce meaningful innovation that results in Switzerland’s best entertainment and communication experience,” said Quickline Residential MD Yann Steulet. “Quickline TV is the latest success to embody our desire to win and inspire consumers with unsurpassed value every day. Through its meticulous focus on monetising high-quality video everywhere, SeaChange has been instrumental in helping us to elevate multiplatform entertainment to a new level in the Swiss market and for the world at large.”

    “SeaChange is accustomed to collaborating with many customers to define the forefront of innovative entertainment,” said SeaChange CEO Ed Terino. “With Quickline’s groundbreaking achievements in personalisation, ease of enjoyment and RDK implementation, we believe the eyes of the media world will be on Quickline TV as a new ideal for video service provider evolution.”

    SeaChange develops open software solutions that perfect mission-critical performance in multiplatform content management, video back office, advertising and user experience. SeaChange offers proven interfaces to empower service providers and content owners with flexibility to innovate with the widest range of third-party technologies to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving market for video entertainment. SeaChange is deployed across a variety of clients and devices, including solutions developed organically by service providers themselves, best-of-breed client/device solutions, and now with the option of also leveraging a rich set of extensively customizable clients, which provide the front-end for Quickline TV.

  • Smart TV & streaming device makers may collaborate as race intensifies for on-demand content: F&S

    MUMBAI: Growing preference for over-the-top (OTT) content is catalysing demand for streaming media devices and smart TVs. The market, which slowed down during 2014-15 fiscal, is now ready to match consumer expectations by offering seamless accessibility to on-demand content through a new generation of competitively priced streaming devices. Major market contenders are embracing strategic collaboration to increase their footprint. For instance, smart TV manufacturers such as Samsung, TCL, LG, Sony and Panasonic are developing apps in collaboration with streaming media device manufacturing companies such as Roku, Apple and Amazon.

    “High-efficiency video coding (HEVC), 4000 pixels (4K) and high dynamic range (HDR) will drive sales and shorten upgrade cycles, but competition will continue to intensify,” said Frost & Sullivan’s Digital Media Research Analyst. “Their agility and ease of replacement continue to provide streaming devices a distinct competitive edge over smart TVs.”

    Global Smart TV and Streaming Media Devices Markets, Forecast to 2021, a part of Frost & Sullivan’s Digital Media Growth Partnership Service program, finds that the smart TV market, which stood at 190 million devices in 2016, will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.1% between 2016 and 2021, even as the price per unit steadily decreases. Google, with 33.1% share, will lead the streaming media devices market, followed by Apple with 31.% and Roku with 15.2%.

    For complimentary access to more information on this analysis and to register for a Growth Strategy Dialogue, a free interactive briefing with Frost & Sullivan’s thought leaders.

    While the streaming media devices and smart TV market is meeting consumer expectations in terms of ease of viewership and usability, it has not yet been able to offer a unified and intuitive search facility. Further, frequent updates are required to make the user interface of consumer-facing devices seamlessly operable. As a result, consumers find it difficult to use the devices to their full potential, which, in turn, can dampen interest in these services.

    “The primary screen will continue to play a dominant role in content consumption, but content will increasingly be discovered and played back from devices other than the set-top box,” observed the analyst. “The key to capitalising on this demand is to refine user experience and content inventory on connected devices to be at par with the quality and consistency of a fully managed experience.”

  • Spectranet video delivery optimised through Qwilt

    NEW DELHI: Broadband Internet Service Provider Spectranet has chosen content delivery and open caching solutions provider Qwilt’s award-winning open caching solution to optimise over-the-top (OTT) video delivery and improve Quality of Experience (QoE) for its subscribers.

    By deploying Qwilt’s Open Cache solution, Spectranet is able to scale its network in response to the dramatic growth of streaming video and its subscriber base across India.

    Spectranet CEO and MD Udit Mehrotra said, “As India’s first and only end-to-end fibre broadband and Internet Services Provider, we have over a decade of experience as pioneers in service innovation including our 100 Mbps, truly unlimited, symmetric residential Internet service which we provide to our customers. We chose Qwilt over legacy cache solutions because we wanted a next generation solution that would support our goal to build a smarter, more efficient and higher quality network. The results are excellent, especially for Adaptive Bit Rate (ABR) caching which Qwilt handles better than anyone we know. By implementing Qwilt’s open caching solution, we have created a more intelligent network to manage streaming video — the business outcomes for Spectranet are outstanding: we have a more scalable network and our customers enjoy better streaming video quality.”

    By analyzing OTT video traffic in real-time, Qwilt’s open cache solution, deployed deep in ISP networks, is able to cache and deliver popular video content locally, close to subscribers, and optimize streaming for both network utilization and quality of experience. The result is a comprehensive and open architecture which can manage OTT, VOD and live streaming video in operator networks. This new open architecture is the foundation which enables network scaling to support the future of online video.

    Qwilt CEO and co-founder Alon Maor said: “Internet Service Providers are looking for solutions to scale their networks in response to the phenomenal growth of online video. Qwilt’s open caching solution results in an open architecture and an intelligent network for streaming. We’re excited to work with Spectranet to extend the reach of our open caching solution and meet growing demand for online video services across India.”

    Qwilt’s open cache solution is engineered specifically for high performance and scalable video delivery in the demanding environment of high capacity operator networks. Qwilt’s solution is delivered as a fully managed service to speed deployment and streamline ongoing operation. The broader operator organization—including network planning, engineering and operations teams—benefit from comprehensive media analytics, which offer insights into growth trends, content sources and consumer preferences. By relying on open caching for online video delivery at the network edge, operators can substantially reduce network capital and operational costs—a typical open cache deployment yields a return on investment (ROI) in less than 12 months.

  • Cloud Force partners Corpus Media for TV internet applications on pay-TV providers

    MUMBAI: New York City and Hartford, CT-based software and services company Cloud Force Digital Media has selected Corpus Media Labs as its applications development partner.

    Cloud Force Digital, a US subsidiary of Cloud Force Global, is one of the first companies focused on building, distributing, and monetising TV Internet applications for the pay TV operators. Corpus Media is an established video technology company that helps in simplifying video OTT journey by providing end-to-end multi-screen streaming solutions.

    Corpus Media is aligned to the right blend of critical thinking and engineering curiosity to help customers ‘turns ideas into revenue’ with a unique mix of product, services and systems integration. Corpus Media aligns with one of the first companies focused on delivering next-generation interactive video services through TV internet applications launched on global pay TV operators.

    Corpus is the leader in managing end-to-end digital video life-cycle by providing customised OTT solutions and video monetisation services.

    “Collaboration with Corpus Media for its application development services will provide an edge to our content partners with the opportunity of building their TV internet applications. Corpus Media will allow a financial added value to our content customers and the TV Internet App Technology will assist in growing their distribution within the U.S. and globally,” said Cloud Force founder and CEO E.J. Klein.

    On the partnership, Corpus Media COO Dave Maan said: “We are extremely excited to partner with Cloud Force Digital Media in providing business-changing cloud interactive platforms to broadcasters, content owners and networks. We believe that our partnership will accelerate innovation in the TV internet industry and Cloud Force will set higher benchmarks by addressing the need of its customers using our past experience in application development services.”