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Tag: Scat workshop

  • Hindujas’ expecting smooth CAS rollout

    Hindujas’ expecting smooth CAS rollout

    MUMBAI: The final session of the SCaT workshop on Wednesday had an optimistic note to it. The session was presided over by IndusInd Media and Communications COO Rajiv Vyas who spoke on InCable’s strategy, the future of cable TV as well as CAS benefits.

     
    Vyas said that InCable would be deploying digital set tops in Mumbai and Delhi but declined to comment on the number of boxes that would be seeded. “The value proposition has to be right and marketed properly.” He estimated that the price for the FTA channels would be anything between Rs 50 – 100. The government has to still set a limit to the number of FTA channels and it might also decide what genres should go in.

    He estimated that there would be 35 – 40 FTA channels. As far as pay channels are concerned, while there would be differential pricing between the driver channels and the not so hot ones he didn’t feel that any channel which is now pay would go free in the CAS regime. ” Of course, the big question still remains as to who will be able to get the most from the consumers pocket. The pay channels or those that are free to air,” Vyas said.

    While an analogue box will carry only 64 channels, a digital set top can carry over 300 channels. It was also pointed out that there were many channels from other countries like China and Japan that a cable op can offer a subscriber who has gone digital. ” Comparing an analogue box to a digital one is like comparing a VHS to a DVD. The consumer who goes in for a analogue box now will have to suffer the price of reinvesting for a digital box later on if he wants extra services.”

    Elaborating on the benefits of CAS he said, “The operator enjoys longevity and additional revenue streams. The broadcaster gets complete declaration in connectivity while the consumer will enjoy superior sound and picture quality. He also pays only for those channels that he gets instead of being saddled with a whole bouquet. As far as additional services are concerned, in a month or so, we will be introducing video mail and voice mail.”

    Elaborating further on the set top box rollout, he said, “We operate 104 channels at the moment. This number will increase. To give an example, education is going to be an important sphere with the number of channels catering to that segment set to explode to around 30. We have a two-way addressability system in most places. There is a gap but some services do not require a reverse path. Anyway the cost for two-way amplifiers for the last mile has come down drastically.”

    “Services that a digital subscriber can enjoy include the Electronic Programme Guide and Video-on-demand. For the last one, the viewer selects a programme, which will be sent to a particular channel. The subscriber can watch it at his/her convenience and so there is no need to visit the local video store. 

    The sound will come from the server. Also archived footage from events like sports broadcasts will be made available. The EPG makes it easier for the consumer to navigate and find out exactly what is needed. There is a reminder service. Parents can restrict content that their kids have access to. Of course digital broadcast will mean greater interactivity between the operator and subscriber. The subscriber will also have different gaming modes to choose from.”

    Despite fears that in a CAS regime, viewers would have to shell out far more for much less he maintained that CAS was consumer friendly. Vyas also said that due to research he was confident that the MSO would not face consumer resistance. One could buy a set top outright or hire it.

    He was highly optimistic of convergence becoming a reality. For instance on a mobile phone in the near future you would be able to make calls, send emails, view television, Vyas pointed out.

  • Importance of SMS stressed at SCaT Workshop

    Importance of SMS stressed at SCaT Workshop

    MUMBAI: “Subscriber management doesnt have to be boring. But it needs to be the best”. 

    At the ongoing ScaT workshop in Mumbai, a large gathering from the cable and satellite fraternity heard these words from Great Lakes Data Systems president Laura Rosado. Rosado dwelt on the features of a Subscriber Management System and the different kinds available.

    ” For operators, cash flow is paramount. If billing costs are controlled, profits will rise. So they have to constantly balance time, features of the system and costs. When choosing a system, operators have to keep in mind implementation time, system features, overall costs, conditional access, size/scalability and support and reliability. A SMS can help operators turn CAS into CASH” Rosado said.

    Some essential SMS features are –

    1. Subscriber Management Database – It has to store essential subscriber data while also providing contact information like email address. The financial history should also be on hand and there should be searchable criteria for subscribers.

    2. Accounting functions – These include the ability to track and report revenue, report on earned income, cash receipts/ cash control.

    3. Customer Relationship Management – It should track work orders and service call history of each subscriber. The operator needs to treat the subscriber as a human being and not just as a number and so the system must support critical alerts that the subscriber makes.

    4. Scheduling and workforce management – The system should enable the operator to keep abreast of both finished work as well as orders which are pending. This should be done by technician, area, work type. There shouldnt be hassles when it comes to reassigning or rescheduling a particular task. Reports must also be maintained on technician productivity.

    5. Security and data protection – The database should be securely encrypted. User-defined group level access and multi level security log ons also need to be present.

    6. Addressable/ conditional access control – For the operator, this is a crucial function. The SMS should support instant authorisation or de-authorisation of services. Expensive service calls should be eliminated. The system should support both analogue and digital types. Digital addressable interfaces are provided by Scientific Atlanta, Motorola, WS Net. Analogue ones are provided by Scientific Atlanta, Zenith, Tocom, Pacific Monolithics, Pioneer. The system must also allow for future technological expansion in the form of Video-on-demand, modems

    Rosado continued explaining the need for a SMS thus – The question now arises ‘Cant I just authorise CAS manually?’ The problem is that most manufacturers do not support this. It is extremely labour intensive. Auditing and reporting problems can happen due to human error. A subscriber wouldnt like to be billed for a service he is not receiving.”

    There are three system options, which are custom software, license mainframe software and license in-house software. While the first option is tailored to an individual operators needs, it is also the most expensive to maintain. While you can access subscriber data whenever you want, in the event of a system breakdown or failure, no outside help is available. 

    You have to figure out the problem on your own. Mainframe software is ideal for very large systems but it takes a longer time to implement. The connectivity costs are high and you have limited access to data. Delays in batch processing are also not uncommon. In house- software is the one that Rosados company works on. It can work on any system regardless of size. It can be implemented in a time span of two months. There are little or no connectivity costs, Rosado said.

    As far as the system architecture is concerned, the hardware as well as maintenance needs to be affordable. There must be a Graphical user Interface as well as a robust and reliable SAQ database like Microsoft Windows. 

    Great Lakes Data Systems claims to be the leading PC billing software since 1980. It was the first major software company with all Motorola certified digital interfaces.

  • Cable ops dissect CAS implications at Scat workshop

    Cable ops dissect CAS implications at Scat workshop

    MUMBAI: Pandora’s box is finally open. The CAS bill, which has thrown up more questions than answers at least for the present, was the subject of intense debate and discussion at the opening session of the two day Scat Bombay Workshop that kicked off in the city this morning.
     

    Over 150 cable operators from all over the city who converged in Mumbai today were treated to a critical analysis of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Amendment Bill 2002 by Scat editor Dinyar Contractor. While assailing the bill for leaving vague the definitions of terms like ‘pay channels’ and ‘addressability’, Contractor said the Bill had also left certain issues un-addressed. 

    The government, he said, has not specified retail margins for CATV delivery. While cable ops’ margins in countries like the US are often as high as 50 per cent of the total subscription revenue, the Bill has left the matter to market forces here. There is no clarity on sharing of revenues between satellite broadcasters and CATV delivery MSOs and last mile operators, or on audits and ratification of SMS figures. Consumers here will have to choose channels a la carte instead of in tiers as is done overseas, says Contractor.

    Also, the question whether MSOs will permit local generation of the basic tier has been left unanswered, he said. 

    The definition of a pay channel, in respect of a cable television network, as a channel the reception of which by the subscriber would require the use of an addressable system to be attached to his receiver set, can also give rise to several possibilities, Contractor pointed out.

    Since the definition does not link it to whether a broadcaster asks for payment for his channel, an associated network can even arrive at an all India settlement with an associated channel by paying a flat sum for its subscribers. It can then put that channel on the basic tier, reaching a wider audience, Contractor noted.

    In a similar manner, an unscrambled FTA channel could be scrambled by a CATV network and delivered through an addressable system, making it a pay channel on that network, Contractor claimed.

    Despite some of its apparently vague clauses, the CAS Bill, said Contractor, is clear that the carriage of pay channels without an addressable system post 14 July 2003 would be tantamount to a cognizable offence under section 4A. The CrPC defines a cognizable offence as one for which a police officer may arrest without a warrant. 

    The spectre of police harassment in the absence of clearly laid down guidelines and the prospect of an addressable system that could be hacked were clearly among the prime concerns of participating cable ops. Some, like Mrugesh Golatkar, an operator from a Mumbai suburb, said there will considerable confusion regarding the physical implementation of CAS, but staunchly maintained that they would prefer a digital addressable system to an analog one.

    Col V C Khare, a member of the BIS committee on set top boxes, however, stressed the need to mull the considerations that have guided the government’s guidelines. 

    The Analog vs Digital Debate

    Analog and digital system providers, who have descended on the country to reap the first harvest of CAS, were among those present at the Scat debate to educate participants on the benefits of their products. Arcom Labs’ regional vice president Basil Dillon Malone extrapolated on the benefits of the analog MDI system. Other than offering over 117 channels in 860 MHz and video on demand, TV consumers’ needs can be satisfied either through analog or digital technology. The MDI set top box, he said, offers BIS approved good quality descrambled pictures, is compatible for the pay per view system which may make its entry into India shortly and is able to use electronic countermeasures if a breach occurs. The analog set top costs lesser than digital ones, at Rs 2,500 as against Rs 7000 for a digital one, apart from the headend costs, which too are considerably higher than one for analog systems. 

    NDS’ business development manager Danny Gershon who detailed the company’s digital STB profile, said the digital STB keeps content more secure than analog systems, and keeps subscribers honest with its employment of control words, secure packets, electronic counter measures, smart card authentication, pairing and fingerprinting which eliminate the possibility of hacking.

    Operator controlled features in the NDS digital STB include varying levels of encryption for each channel, allowing taping control for different shows, and blackout of certain areas if the operator wishes. Subscriber controlled features include passwords, parental rating and a check on spending limit (in case of PPV). Under the system, the cable op is also able to telecast electronic programme guides, offer multiple language support (dubbing in different languages for films) as well as send out local bulletins and personalized mail.