DTH operators may feel a prime pinch

Low price differential could lure customers to the likes of Netflix, Prime

As per data released by Chrome Data Analytics and media research firm Media, of the 168 million TV households in India, over 9 million are HD subscribers.

Online video streaming services like Netflix, which launched earlier this year in India, and Amazon Prime, which launched recently, could lure customers away from DTH operators because of the low price differential in services. At R735 per month for a high-definition subscription of Tata Sky, the Indian viewer gets to watch a bouquet of Hindi and English entertainment channels, in addition to news channels and free-to-air channels like Doordarshan.

However, for about R800 per month, she gets to binge on the latest seasons of English drama Narcos, Jessica Jones, etc, apart from some of the latest movies, on Netflix. And in case she opts for Amazon Prime Video — digital video streaming platform run by e-commerce giant Amazon — she would have to pay R499 ( a miniscule R41.5 a month) as yearly subscription fee for exclusive English content such as Hand of God and Into the Badlands. Says Nitesh Kripalani, director and country head of Amazon Prime Video India, “Every viewer, be it Indian or American, wants to watch exclusive content. Once she is provided with a value-for-money proposition, she will definitely opt for such services.”

As per data released by Chrome Data Analytics and media research firm Media, of the 168 million TV households in India, over 9 million are HD subscribers. The research firm added in its report that video over-the-top is largely an urban phenomenon, as 137 million users in urban India watched video content online at least once in the last three months.

“Consumers subscribe to multiple services because these services have different exclusive content. In fact, in India, consumers are now transitioning to Internet TV, because it gives them more control of when to watch, how to watch and where to watch,” says Jessica Lee, VP, communications, Netflix Asia.

The rise of OTT services in India has changed the dynamics at the higher end of the home entertainment category with the customer spoilt for choice. With more players such as Hotstar, Voot and Eros Now having come in, many of them showing Indian shows, besides the ubiquitous free to use YouTube, the urban Indian customer can now pick and choose. Television operators, however, are putting up a brave face, saying that the Indian market is not ready for such a shift in viewership patterns. “As cable TV price in India is low, it still remains the primary source of entertainment for Indian households. Video streaming apps are still largely used to catch up on content that has been missed on TV or to watch content like live sports on the go,” says Harit Nagpal, MD and CEO, TataSky.

Globally, OTT players have been advancing at the cost of cable TV operators. In Q3 2016, Netflix posted a subscriber base of 86 million users globally up from 83 million in Q2.

“In Q3, we added 3.2 million members internationally versus our forecast of 2 million. This international growth is attributable to the traction we are getting in all markets, including India,” explains Lee.

Industry watchers say there would not be too many customers in India who would subscribe to every form of entertainment, DTH as well as OTT. Subscribing to DTH plus Netflix plus Amazon Prime, Hotstar, etc, would bring the annual budget to around R2,000, a price that is too steep by Indian standards.

Zulfiqar Khan, business head, ErosNow and CRO, Eros Group, says the Indian consumer will ultimately not pay for all the services. “Different combinations will be tried as traditionally people are not used to paying a high price for a television connection,” explains Khan. Eros Now, the video OTT service of Eros International, claims to have an user base of 2 million paid subscribers.

For instance, a viewer may opt for a basic pack which comes at R200 on direct-to-home platforms such as Tata Sky, or only for the news channel packs and pay another R800 on Netflix’s subscription, another R499 on Amazon Prime Videos, etc.

Analysts believe that while pay TV is strong in India, thanks to the low basic Pay-TV subscription fees and high penetration, the Indian digital video market will go from strength to strength, helped by rising disposable income and improving infrastructure. “The market will see an average annual growth of 70% between 2015 and 2019, driven largely by the growth in subscription video-on-demand (SVoD) spend,” says Tristan Veale, research analyst of Futuresource, a UK market research firm.

Resource:http://www.financialexpress.com/industry/dth-operators-may-feel-a-prime-pinch/485631/

Global Direct-To-Home (DTH) Services Market Briefing 2017 - Research and Markets

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Direct-To-Home (DTH) Services Global Market Briefing 2017" report to their offering.


 The Direct-To-Home (DTH) Services Global Market Briefing provides strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the direct-to-home (DTH) services sector.

The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional breakdowns, competitive landscape, market shares, trends and strategies for this market.

The direct-to-home (DTH) services comprise establishments offering television viewing services via signals transmission from direct-broadcast satellites. DTH service providers develop and establish a broadcasting center, satellites, encoders, modulators, and DTH receivers. They acquire and operate under ku-band licenses that are geographic specific.

IPTV is a system through which television services are delivered using the Internet protocol suite over LAN or the Internet. DTH service providers are increasingly catering to the growing IPTV audience by developing services such as video on demand (VOD), live streaming, and time shifted television. IPTV is expected to pave way for the declining DTH market.

Scope

    Markets Covered: Direct-To-Home (DTH) Services
    Countries: Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Spain, Russia, UK, USA, Australia.
    Geographic scope: Americas, Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa, Oceania.
    Time series: Five years historic and forecast.
    Data: Market value in $ billions.
    Data segmentations: Regional breakdowns, market share of competitors, key sub segments.
    Sourcing and Referencing: Data and analysis throughout the report is sourced using end notes.

Companies Mentioned

    DirecTV
    Dish Network
    HughesNet
    Exede Internet Service
    Sky Angel
    Bell TV
    GlobeCast World TV
    Foxtel
    Shaw Communications Inc.
    APT Satellite
    Norsat International Inc.
    JSAT Corporation
    Pace Micro Technology Plc.
    Optus Communications Pty. Ltd.

For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/vdm4wr/directtohomedth

Contacts

Research and Markets
Laura Wood, Senior Manager
press@researchandmarkets.com
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Related Topics: Broadcast, Televisions and Television Services

Resource:  http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161223005239/en/Global-Direct-To-Home-DTH-Services-Market-Briefing-2017

Today’s ETF Action: WisdomTree International High Div ETF (DTH) Rises 0.05% for Dec 22

Dec 22 is a positive day so far for WisdomTree International High Div ETF (NYSEARCA:DTH) as the ETF is active during the day after gaining 0.05% to hit $38.32 per share. The exchange traded fund has 263.98M net assets and 0.68% volatility this month.

Over the course of the day 2,300 shares traded hands, as compared to an average volume of 16,450 over the last 30 days for WisdomTree International High Div ETF (NYSEARCA:DTH).

The ETF is -4.50% of its 52-Week High and 15.84% of its low, and is currently having ATR of 0.36. This year’s performance is 1.94% while this quarter’s performance is -2.41%.

The ETF’s YTD performance is 1.29%, the 1 year is -1.38% and the 3 year is -3.51%.

The ETF’s average P/E ratio is 14.14, the price to book is 1.31, the price to sales is 0.92 and the price to cashflow is 4.98. It was started on 6/16/2006. The fund’s top holdings are: BP PLC for 2.98% of assets, HSBC Holdings PLC for 2.65%, Royal Dutch Shell PLC Class A for 2.62%, TOYOTA MOTOR CORP NPV for 2.46%, Total SA for 2.30%, NOVARTIS AG CHF0.50 (REGD) for 2.19%, GlaxoSmithKline PLC for 1.99%, Sanofi SA for 1.52%, British American Tobacco PLC for 1.44%, Daimler AG for 1.37%. The ETF sector weights are: Basic Materials 7.23%, Consumer Cyclical 11.67%, Financial Services 24.38%, Realestate 1.38%, Consumer Defensive 4.65%, Healthcare 8.30%, Utilities 7.73%, Communication Services 8.47%, Energy 13.51%, Industrials 11.28%, Technology 1.40%. The ETF currently as 4.06% yield.

WisdomTree DEFA Equity Income Fund seeks investment results that closely correspond to the price and yield performance of the WisdomTree DEFA Equity Income Index (the Index). The ETF has a market cap of $263.98 million. The Index is a fundamentally weighted Index that measures the performance of companies with high dividend yields selected from the WisdomTree DEFA Index. It currently has negative earnings. At the Index measurement date, companies within the WisdomTree DEFA Index with market capitalizations of at least $200 million and average daily trading volumes of at least $200,000 for the prior three months are ranked by dividend yield.

WisdomTree DEFA High-Yldg Eqty Fd (ETF)-Receive News & Ratings Via Email - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings with our FREE daily email newsletter.

Resource: https://www.kentuckypostnews.com/2016/12/22/todays-etf-action-wisdomtree-international-high-div-etf-dth-rises-0-05-for-dec-22/

Sunil Taldar to head Airtel’s DTH business

The country's largest telecom operator Bharti Airtel Ltd has appointed Sunil Taldar as director and chief executive officer (CEO) of its DTH (direct to home) business, the company said on Monday.

Taldar, who has nearly three decades experience in the FMCG industry, will be a member of the Airtel management board and report to Gopal Vittal, MD & CEO (India & South Asia), the company said in a press statement.

Taldar has replaced Shashi Arora, who after a stint of around five years in this role, has moved as MD & CEO, Airtel Payments Bank. The telecom major launched its payments bank in November, which also happens to be the country’s first payments bank.

“We are pleased to have Sunil as part of our leadership team and hope that his rich experience across consumer facing categories will add value to our DTH portfolio,” Vittal said on getting Taldar on board.


In his new role, Taldar will be responsible for driving growth and innovation for Airtel Digital TV, which is a key growth driver within the company’s B2C portfolio.


Taldar, who had held several senior leadership positions across multiple geographies for Mondelez in the past, was also associated with Cadbury where he is known to have transformed the company's go to market capabilities and delivered solid growth.


Airtel Digital TV claimed to have 12.4 million customers at the end of the quarter ended September 2016 and the business recorded a revenue growth of 21% and customer growth of 17% for the same period.


The direct-to-home space in the country has witnessed several vital deals, especially in the M&A category. Earlier this month, Videocon group promoters Dhoot family decided to merge the direct-to-home (DTH) firm Videocon d2h Ltd with bigger domestic rival Dish TV Ltd, to create the largest Indian listed media firm by revenues.


Prior to this deal, the DTH space in the country was essentially a fragmented TV business with each of the players holding around 8% or less market share. The top DTH and cable players - Dish TV, Tata Sky, Videocon d2h, Airtel Digital TV, Hathway, Siti Cable, Sun Direct - all own between 6-8% market share each currently.

Resource: http://www.vccircle.com/news/media-entertainment/2016/12/05/sunil-taldar-head-airtel-s-dth-business

Column: The DTH is fighting for more than records

Just before Thanksgiving, this newspaper sued UNC for the release of public records for cases in which someone was found responsible for sexual assault.

When we asked the University for these records in September, I wrote a column about why we wanted to take on this fight. All those reasons are still true.

But this isn’t an ordinary story, or even an ordinary lawsuit.

As an editor, I believe in open records and celebrate the fact that The Daily Tar Heel is independent and therefore capable of suing UNC. As a woman, well — try to find one of us who hasn’t been groped, catcalled or harassed. Try to navigate a college dance floor when it is routinely assumed you do not have the privilege to control who touches you. Try to find a woman whose life would not be markedly improved by even — as Andrea Dworkin wrote — a 24-hour truce in which there is no rape.

We are committing money and time to this lawsuit, and we’ve already made sexual assault a focus of our investigative reporting. We will never give up on this issue because we don’t leave it behind when we leave work.

The issue of sexual assault on college campuses is far from theoretical. It is real, painfully real; it is holding friends while they cry and watching personalities change and not assigning stories to reporters anymore because people are drained, because we do not get a break from this issue.

And even though campus sexual assault gets a ton of attention, RAINN reports that women ages 18 to 24 who aren’t enrolled in college are at an even higher risk. We’re pursuing the campus angle because this is a college town, but our coverage isn’t the end of the story.

Indeed, when we get the records, that will only be the beginning of more investigative reporting. Part of why we want the names of people UNC has found responsible is so that we can talk to them and understand the adjudication process from their side, too.

Statistics differ on how prevalent sexual assault is. I’m confident that the number of survivors I’ve met in three-and-a-half years of college is higher than it should be.

We’re pressing the University to tell us more about whether and how these cases are resolved. Personally, all I know is that “he was punished” isn’t a phrase I hear often, or at all.

We take survivors’ privacy seriously. We take sexual assault seriously. I want UNC to handle these cases as well as possible, and I want transparency so the DTH can make sure they do that.

The threat and reality of sexual assault should not be so routine. It isn't extreme to ask for basic safety.
Resource: http://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2016/12/column-the-dth-is-fighting-for-more-than-records

Go cashless! Five mobile wallets to ease your post-demonetisation cash crunch

New Delhi: Giving a push for the country to go digital, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday appealed the people, particularly the youths, to embrace e-banking and mobile banking for cashless transactions.

The Prime Minister suggested that mobile should be used for the banking purposes. “My mobile… My bank… My wallet,” Modi said.

Following PM’s request to turn India into a cashless economy, we took stock of the different options available among mobile wallets. These were the ones that really seem to ease the cash crunch. .

Paytm

One of the most popular wallet apps in the country, Paytm started out with mobile recharges, DTH plans and bill payments but later launched an e-commerce marketplace as well. Its wallet partners include Uber, Bookmyshow, and Makemytrip, along with others. Notably, Paytm is the only app to provide such an option for online shoppers.

Also, it is the only wallet that supports IRCTC bookings and the only app to offer current and saving account deposits.

Freecharge

FreeCharge lets you recharge any prepaid mobile phone, postpaid mobile, electricity bill payments, DTH and data card in India. Interestingly, the app very recently added a new feature enabling it to recharge metro cards. the wallet can be topped up with debit cards, credit cards and net banking.

MobiKwik

Just like the other mobile wallet apps, MobiKwik can be used to recharge mobiles and pay bills but it’s also accepted across merchants such as BookMyShow, MakeMyTrip, Domino’s Pizza, eBay, among others. MobiKwik has done a good job of building up offline partners such as Cafe Coffee Day already.

Oxigen Wallet

The wallet allows users to top up money and use it for mobile data recharge, DTH and data card recharge. It also allows mobile payments for mobile, landline and electricity bills.

Its ideal use though is money transfers. The wallet can have a maximum balance of Rs.10000 and lets you transfer 5000 rupees per day and 10,000 per month.

Vodafone M-Pesa

M-pesa is an appropriate choice in case you need to send money to someone who doesn’t have a bank account because the app lets you turn your virtual balance into cash easily.

The app lets you send money to anyone, to recharge prepaid numbers, DTH connections, postpaid Vodafone numbers, utility bills and online shopping.

Others

The above list includes the 5 most popular mobile payment wallets in India. There are many other widely used digital wallets like Airtel Money, mRupee, Freecharge, Citrus Pay etc. that are making lives easier for people in India.

Background:

The central government on November 8 demonetised old Rs 500 and 1,000 notes to crack down on black money holders. The move led to a cash chaos in the country.

Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to go for cashless transactions, his office on Monday conducted a training workshop for its staff in mobile banking, an official said.

Officers demonstrated the process of cashless transactions and helped their staff members download the relevant mobile apps on their phones, it added.

(With inputs from IANS)

Resource: http://www.abplive.in/india-news/go-cashless-five-mobile-wallets-to-ease-your-post-demonetisation-cash-crunch-454252

After 4G LTE, Reliance Jio sets eyes on DTH, broadband services

Reliance Jio is not just about the 4G LTE network but it wants to be a part of every aspect of your life.
Reliance Jio is already breaking all sorts of records with its 4G services, but turns out, it is only the beginning and there’s a lot more in store. After incumbent 4G network operators, Jio now has its eyes set of existing DTH and broadband service providers. Though there is no set timeline for a launch, Jio is working on soon offering broadband services with up to 1Gbps speeds, and a set-top-box with a host of HD channels. Last month BGR India visited Reliance Jio’s Experience Centre to get a first-hand experience of some of the services the company has in the works, which could be launched soon.

Reliance Jio has been doing the groundwork for the better part of a decade now to lay down fiber optic cables across major cities in India. The company is set to offer Fiber To The Home (FTTH) services with speeds up to 1Gbps, and it has already started a limited pilot program in cities like Mumbai and Delhi. This isn’t the first time we are hearing of Jio’s FTTH plans, and Mukesh Ambani had mentioned about it during the Jio 4G launch earlier this year.
Along with FTTH, Jio is also planning to have a set top box that will provide live TV streaming (Jio TV) along with other services that Jio already offers as a part of its ‘My Jio’ app suite for 4G LTE users. At the experience centre, the company showcased how its FTTH service would work with an NVDIA Shield Android TV to have smart TV functionality. Along with a bouquet of 350 channels, including over four dozen HD channels, users will also be able to view “catch up” TV up to seven days. The best part is they don’t have to record anything as everything is stored on Jio’s servers. Users will also be able to use the smart remote and use voice search commands like “Shah Rukh Khan”, which will show all content related to the actor that has appeared on TV in the last seven days. Of course, the hardware can support 4K playback and can also connect with other apps.

For a connected home lifestyle, users will be able to use the same connection to have multiple TV streams on multiple devices. For this, there is an app called MediaShare, so you can leave the stream on one device and continue it on another. Jio is also working on Chromecast Audio like hardware that will convert your old speakers into connected ones. The company is also working on other smart home devices like connected security cameras, smart locks and others. It is also working devices that can provide broadband over power lines in order to extend the range of internet connectivity across one’s house.

Coming to the physical world, Jio also showcased a tiny device that connects into the car’s OBD port. The device not only provides internet connectivity inside the car but also has an app where you can view the car’s diagnostics in real time, locate the car, and even control various functions. RELATED: Reliance Jio reportedly working on Car Connect OBD for in-car entertainment and safety

Reliance Jio has only given a glimpse at what it plans to launch going forward, without actually revealing any particular timeline. We must admit that these plans sound pretty interesting, and a tad ambitious as well. The idea behind Jio’s 4G services was equally ambitious, but since launch, the issues being faced by its users is no secret. Almost every day, we come across users complaining about call drops or low mobile data speeds. It would be interesting to see how these services fare once they are launched in the country.

Resource: http://www.bgr.in/news/after-4g-lte-reliance-jio-sets-eyes-on-dth-broadband-services/

Reliance Jio’s next big offering: 1Gbps optical fibre broadband and DTH

Reliance Jio is expected to roll out its direct to home services, which will affect established broadband and DTH players
Reliance Jio has already shaken up the telecom industry in India with its Reliance Jio 4G service offerings. However, the company has more up its sleeve. In fact, in a few months the conglomerate will roll out its direct to home services, which have the potential to make life hard for existing broadband players as well as DTH operators.

The service will come in the form of a high-speed optical fibre – pushing speeds up to 1 Gbps. The cables are already laid for most of India and some pilot services are being offered in part of Mumbai. There is no clarity yet on the final hardware offering or the date of full rollout. As far as pricing goes, the company has suggested that it will offer value for the customer like with all its Jio services.

Customers of the service will get access to high-speed internet, as well as a host of Jio services. The hardware will include a set-top-box, as well as an Android smartbox or Apple TV that will help them control the content and also play games.

The speeds will be unprecedented for the Indian home segment where 16Mbps is considered a luxury. With the Jio fibre offering — if everything goes well — customers will be able to stream and play high-definition games with multiple players. Also, 4K videos will become much more easier to access without any buffer.

However, where Jio could bring in big impact is with JioTV which will offer more than 360 channels, at least 50 of which will be in HD. The offering is differentiated by existing players because of the seven-day catch up option. This content is not saved locally, but on Jio servers and pulled in as per demand. Users will be able to use a voice enabled remote to search by channel, show, category or even by the names of actors.

It is not new for broadband services to offer television channels. MTNL tried IPTV many years ago while Airtel too has a similar service. However, none have been really successful. For households with multiple televisions, a single router will work but with individual set-top-boxes.

Then there is Jio MediaShare, with which the company is promising the ability to locally play content across all your devices from your PC or hard-drive – using the Home Gateway. Jio is also working on solutions to make legacy music systems and televisions smart.

Read- Reliance Jio’s impact still muted, say analysts: Here’s why

Plus, the service wants to push internet-of-things (IOT) as well. It will use smart plugs (already available in the market) to control appliances in a home. The home gateway will also enable better security of home through surveillance with real-time monitoring via cameras, connected doorbells and motion sensors.

Despite the ambitious plans, it might take a few months for the services to be rolled out as Jio wants to go pan-India with whatever services they have. Also at the moment getting the necessary permissions to install the Jio Fibre into residential societies and other private compounds is proving to be the bigger hurdle. However, Jio certainly stands out for being the first to offer, or at least think of, a whole bouquet of services that are linked to the web.
Resource:
http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/reliance-jios-next-big-offering-could-hit-dth-and-broadband-services-4371283/

DTH at a Glance: I peaked in high school

My sophomore year of high school, I was on the homecoming court and won class favorite. I was also in a relationship, president of my class and involved in more than seven clubs.

My sophomore year of college, I have more presence online than I do in the real world, cannot remember the last time I brushed my hair and spend more time having existential crises than I do sleeping.

I pretty much peaked in high school. Others hit a high point in college. @Mr. and Miss UNC 2016, Logan Gin and Dani Nicholson: please rub off on me.

— Tiana

QUICK HITS

    With a slight change of location, the Orange County GOP office building officially reopened Thursday after its Oct. 17 firebombing.
    A group of students created a UNC pingpong club. People don’t exaggerate when they say there really is a club for everything here.
    A new diversity supercourse called “Intersectionality: Race, Gender, Sexuality and Social Justice” will bring three different UNC departments together to educate students on important but sensitive topics.
    UNC defeated Georgia Tech 48-20 at Saturday’s homecoming football game, proving again why I left Georgia to come to North Carolina. (Does that make it a home-leaving game for me? Who knows.)

IN UNC ROYALTY

Congratulations to Logan Gin and Dani Nicholson on being crowned Mr. and Miss UNC 2016! The announcement was made this Saturday before the start of the Homecoming game. Nicholson’s service project will focus on starting dialogue on sensitive topics among students and faculty while Gin’s project will bring adaptive sports, like wheelchair basketball, to UNC.

IN BEING A FAVE

The Chapel Hill Historical Society honored exceptional citizens of Chapel Hill and Carrboro on Sunday. The society celebrated the 50th anniversary of its founding with the annual Town Treasures award, presented to citizens that hold special places in the two towns’ hearts. (I’m still waiting for my honorable mention.)

IN GOING AU NATURAL

The medicinal gardens surrounding the Health Sciences Library is growing. After two years of hard work, the Gardening and Ethnobotany in Academia Project are ready for the garden to become a go-to for students. The group hopes to plant the seeds of knowledge, helping visitors expand what they know about plants while simultaneously expanding the club’s membership.

IN REALLY, REALLY INTENSE EYE CONTACT

The dark void of human interaction is one that we like to avoid. At UNC, this is particularly difficult to do. Considering the number of people on campus every day, you are bound to make awkward eye contact with someone at some point in your four-year career. But when it happens — and it will — don’t panic. Use these evasion techniques instead.
Resource:  http://www.dailytarheel.com/blog/dth-at-a-glance/2016/11/dth-at-a-glance-i-peaked-in-high-school

RCom to rebrand Reliance Digital TV as Chois HD?

Anil Ambani group’s Reliance Digital DTH may be rebranded to ‘Chois HD’, according to a twitter user, who also tweeted some photographs of the upcoming brand.

Reliance Communications’ Reliance Digital is arguably the weakest candidate among the five private companies that compete in India’s DTH space.

The DTH business is dominated Dish TV, Tata Sky, Videocon, Airtel Digital and Sun Direct, while Doordarshan’s Free Dish caters to the free DTH market.

RCom’s DTH service has around 5 mln subscribers and an estimated 6% market share.

A sale of Reliance Digital has been rumored about for years, and the Anil Ambani group has not been spending much on promoting the venture over the past several years, unlike its competitors.

The user, @realraghv, who tweeted the suggestion and the photos seems to be basing his assumption on the similarly in the brand logo. While Reliance Digital TV has 4K Tech written in a particular style, the new Chois HD dish also has the words 4K Tech written in the exact same style.

It is also possible that Chois HD may be an entirely new player who is coming to the market, or a sub-brand of any of the existing players including Reliance. Dish TV, for example, has a sub-brand called Zing, aimed at lower-income customers.

The name Reliance Digital has been causing some confusion recently because of the rising prominence of an electronics retail chain by the same name started by Mukesh Ambani, the elder brother of Anil Ambani.

The renaming of the DTH venture to Chois, if it materializes, would suggest that the two groups are trying to avoid a confusion in the name and branding.

Secondly, and more importantly, the rebranding suggests that the Anil group is now gearing up to make more investments into the venture, either by itself or in conjunction with a new partner.

The DTH business offers synergies with JioTV, an app-based TV broadcasting venture operated by the Mukesh Ambani group. However, for now, there are not clues as to whether any synergy between the two will be explored or not.

The Anil Ambani group’s telecom operations have “practically merged” (in the words of its chairman) with Reliance Jio, the telecom venture of the elder brother. The two companies share spectrum, radio infrastructure, passive intrastructure and fiber.

Resource:  http://rtn.asia/t-t/24509/rcom-rebrand-reliance-digital-tv-chois-hd

IIT profs to coach engineering aspirants via four DTH channels

 Taking the concept of Digital India to another level and reducing the dependency on coaching institutes, professors from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) will be providing coaching classes to engineering aspirants through four DTH channels from January 1.

These channels will be available free of cost through Doordarshan's Free Dish DTH platform, and the aspirants will only have to secure a Set-Top Box to watch these channels.


The initiative named IIT-PAL (Professor Assisted Learning) will not only reduce dependence on coaching centres but will also reach out to the students who are living in rural areas and cannot afford to pay the fee for expensive crash courses.

"A team of 40 professors from various IITs have compiled 200-hour lectures for each subject covering the entire syllabus of Joint Entrance Examination (JEE). There are so many coaching institutes claiming to be providing easy tricks to crack the exam and not every aspirant can afford to join them," IIT Delhi Director V Ramgopal Rao told reporters here.

"The faculty members will be joined by teachers from various Kendriya Vidyalyas in imparting these lessons to the aspirants and the focus will be more on concepts," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Resource: http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/iit-profs-to-coach-engineering-aspirants-via-four-dth-channels-116110401418_1.html

DTH at a Glance: Presidentially pissed

President Barack Obama visited our campus yesterday. You probably knew that, your family members probably knew that, your dog maybe knew that and all of our sunburned reporters who camped out to cover the event definitely knew that.

I knew that, but the reality didn't sink in until I walked out of my mid-campus dorm to take out my trash before my not-canceled classes and ran into a line that ran all the way down to that weird Subway at the bottom of Rams. I think a thousand students saw me throw out about two weeks worth of takeout trash I can't afford and I've made my peace with that. Mostly because the drumline paused outside my mid-campus dorm window and provided a soundtrack for my non-presidential angst before going on to play the National Anthem with James Taylor or whatever it was they did. I don't know. I wasn't there.

— Rachel

QUICK HITS

    President Obama arrived to campus at around 3 o'clock, but many students had been camped out to see him since the night before (technically not allowed, but I'm not a snitch). We caught up with the early birds while they passed the time.
    African-American archives and histories are often overlooked by historical collections. Chaitra Powell of the Southern Historical Collection is trying to change that for UNC.
    The Supreme Court will hear a case concerning transgender bathroom rights. While the suit originated with a high school student in Virginia, it could have a serious impact on North Carolina's bathroom laws.
    We've all been there, girl. Here are 100 things to do instead of studying, as told by a very tired Swerve writer.

IN OFFENSIVE AGEISM

UNC football lost three seniors in the early stages of the 2016 season, but they've turned the situation into a strength. I try to do the same thing because I skipped a grade and am very young for a college sophomore, but instead of turning into a conference-leading offensive powerhouse, I'm just called a 12-year-old a lot. (I'm 18 and that joke stopped being funny around my high school sophomore year.)

IN FEE FORUMS

The Tuition and Fee Advisory Task Force met to discuss the proposed business school fee (again) and how much money graduate students should be charged if they're residents or non-residents of N.C.

IN POSTHUMOUS POLITICIANS

Durham District 30 Representative Paul Luebke died on Saturday at the age of 70 from lymphoma. His legacy will live on through North Carolina's 2009 Racial Justice Act, but also in his continued presence on the 2016 ballot. If he is re-elected (which is very likely), the N.C. Democratic Party will pick a replacement.

Resource: http://www.dailytarheel.com/blog/dth-at-a-glance/2016/11/dth-at-a-glance-presidentially-pissed

DirecTV, DTH drive rising pay-TV in Chile

In a context of a generally bouyant pay-TV sector, DirecTV is driving satellite technology and has become Chile’s third largest player.

As with most of Latin American pay-TV markets, Chile continues to show healthy figures, having exceeded the three-million subs barrier by June 2016, reaching a 53.7% penetration rate.

Between June 2015 to June 2016, Chile’s pay-TV household base grew by 3.1%, mostly driven by satellite technology, reveals the latest official figures from the country’s telecom authority, Subtel.

Among the leading operators, DirecTV has managed the most growth, having increased its subscriber base by 8.5% year-on-year. The AT&T-owned company closed June 2016 with almost 550,000 subscribers, 45,000 more than a year ago, and an 18.3% market share.

These figures mean that DirecTV is the third largest player in the market, while Claro continues to lose ground. In fact, the América Móvil operator is the only one showing a drop, having lost 40,000 subs since June 2015.

Liberty Global’s VTR tops the market with 1.04 million subs and a 34.5% share followed by Telefónica’s Movistar, which owns 646,000 pay-TV homes.

As a direct consequence of satellite operator growth, direct-to-home (DTH) technology keeps gaining share in the market, and has been the most used technology since Q4 2013. By June 2016, DTH accounted for 1.55 million subscribers, 51.4% of total pay-TV homes.

Resource:http://www.rapidtvnews.com/2016100744585/directv-dth-drive-rising-pay-tv-in-chile.html#axzz4MOGH1NaK

Intelsat 36 enters service

Intelsat’s latest satellite Intelsat 36 has entered service, providing additional DTH capacity for leading African pay TV operator MultiChoice.

Built for Intelsat by Space Systems/Loral (SSL), Intelsat 36 was launched aboard an Ariane 5 launch vehicle in August. The satellite, co-located with Intelsat 20 at 68.5° East, includes a Ku-band payload used by MultiChoice and a C-band payload targeted at Africa and the Indian Ocean region.

“There are dynamic changes taking place across the global media landscape, and Intelsat 36 supports our customers as they address the growing demand for content throughout the African continent,” said Brian Jakins, Regional Vice President, Africa Sales, Intelsat. “This satellite will enable our customer, MultiChoice, to extend high definition channels throughout the region. The C-band payload will provide additional redundancy for media customers to ensure that all viewers have access to reliable, high quality content.”

Speaking to DTVE at IBC last month, Intelsat’s VP, Europe, Middle East and Africa sales, Jean-Philippe Gillett said: “The bulk of [capacity] is dedicated to MultiChoice, which it will use to expand its offering. This his is going to help them boost their programming or deliver new types of distribution.”

At IBC, Intelsat’s Gillett highlighted the usefulness of the satellite operator’s EPIC high-throughput satellites in enabling African digital switchover. Gillett said that the EPIC satellites’ spot-beam capacity would be highly suitable for feeding DTT towers.

The operator however suffered a set-back in August when it was forced to push back the in-service date for its latest EPIC satellite, Intelsat-33e, which will serve Africa, to early next year after it suffered a malfunction in the primary thruster used for orbit raising.
Resource:  http://www.digitaltveurope.net/610132/intelsat-36-enters-service/

DTH players roll out festival offers

MUMBAI: Brands are bursting Diwali offers. As the festive season draws closer, all the D2H players, one after the other, are extending lucrative offers to consumers to buy their products and subscribe to their service. Tata Sky had run a promotional offer between 8 and 21 August on its tenth anniversary, under which it allowed subscribers to watch all its 500 plus channels at no extra cost.

DishTV has now come up with a special Diwali HD offer. Customers can opt for a high-definition set-top box at minimal additional cost just by paying Rs. 120 extra. The subscribers can also view HD channels via DishTV’s small HD entertainment add-on packs.

DTH operator Videocon d2h has hopped on to the bandwagon of the promotional offers. Videocon boasts of a 11-12 million active subscriber base and has branded the promotion as “Khushiyon kee Diwali.”

New Videocon subscribers will have to pay only Rs 1820 for HD or Rs 1620 for a standard definition connection. On choosing a monthly subscription plan, the newbie can instantaneously upgrade themselves to the next higher upgrade plan for two months at no cost. Additionally, existing subscribers can also avail of the free two month upgrade by coughing up just Rs 10 extra on their monthly plan. The DTH operator had upped its prices by a minimum of about Rs 20 a month across subscription packges on account of the rise in service tax, various levies and other input costs.

Says Videocon d2h executive chairman Saurabh Dhoot: “The festive season is all about mega enjoyment. This year our Diwali offer covers everyone from our existing subscriber to the potential subscriber opting for a new connection from Videocon d2h. This offer blends perfectly with our brand promise of providing wholesome entertainment for the family."

Adds Videocon d2h CEO Anil Khera: "Our Khushiyon kee Diwali promotion from 1 October to 30 November h Nov gives our existing consumer to enjoy the festive season with an upgrade to the next higher monthly plan for 60 days. We strongly believe that this attractive offer will create waves in the market in this festive season.”

Videocon d2h offer subscribers 570 channels and services, including a host of regional channels. It offers a wide range of active services like smart services including smart English, smart games.

DishTV's HD sachets capture the interest of consumers towards HD viewing by offering them the channels at a nominal price of Rs.75 for one. This offering enables DishTV subscribers to select these small packs as per their preferences and needs. "With users aspiring for HD channels, this move is to encourage them to embrace HD channels at a minimal cost," said DishTV CEO Arun Kapoor.

For new HD connections, customers will now have to pay an introductory price of Rs. 1990 which will include subscription of one-month super family pack or jumbo pack and one HD add-on for one month at no extra cost. The new connection will also include a universal remote. DishTV has a complete offering and mix of 51 high-definition entertainment, music, news and regional language channels. The offer is available across all parts of the country.

Resource:  http://www.indiantelevision.com/dth/dth-operator/videocon-d2h-launches-diwali-promotional-offer-161006

DTH companies nailing cable TV operators on coffin with smart packages?

DTH (Direct to Home) services are considered a revolution in the home entertainment industry. It has come as a blessing for TV viewers who were being exploited by cable TV operators for over a decade.

With the potentiality of the market the sector saw some of the major companies entering to capitalize and grab their share.

The DTH service providers such as Airtel, Dish TV, Tata Sky, Big TV and D2H have come up with a whole new concept of television over the years to enhance the television watching experience of viewers. They have come up with improved digital picture quality, better sound, freedom to choose and other add-ons.

Healthy competition among service providers has led to them offering their own tailored plans to attract more customers and giving the option of flexible recharge for maximum value for money.

The companies have started offering customized channel selection, high definition (HD) packs and child packs. The trend of offering more than expected has continued and consumers have started getting tailor made television solution too along with discounts, bonus channel options and several other value added services.

Added to all these utility features, the DTH companies are offering TV-recording option too that has driven the nail deeper in the coffin for traditional cable TV operators.

The goodness of DTH TV does not end there. Other companies with related services have joined hands with these service providers to offer customer convenience. For instance, Paytm offers for DTH are trying to attract more customers with the extra monetary benefits of the new Jabong offers list.

All in all, the DTH services in the country have a bright future thanks to the flexibility, convenience and freedom they offer.

Resource:  http://www.hindustantimes.com/sponsoredcontent/dth-companies-nailing-cable-tv-operators-on-coffin-with-smart-packages/story-xioDy13LdhBiCOo7TNgzUO.html

Samsung's new products get along

 Samsung's new products get along

LAS VEGAS (AP) – The latest developments surrounding the consumer-electronics show in Las Vegas known as CES :

Playing nice with the competition? It’s not unheard of at CES. Samsung has unveiled several new products that get along with those from other technology firms.

Samsung says its Gear S2 smartwatch will be compatible with Apple’s iPhones later this year. Watches using Google’s Android Wear already are, though with limited functionality.

Samsung also unveiled a 12-inch tablet that attaches to a keyboard. The Galaxy Tab Pro S is aimed at business users and runs Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system, unlike the Android system used in consumer tablets. Samsung says it will be the thinnest and lightest tablet-PC combination on the market.

In addition, Samsung’s top-end 2016 SUHD TVs will come with a free USB dongle to serve as a smart-home hub and let users to control up to 200 devices from manufacturers from Nest to Philips via their TV. One remote control will also operate boxes from the Xbox One to a Time Warner Cable set-top box to Apple TV.

Add to that its Family Hub refrigerator to allow ordering of groceries through its 21.5 inch touch screen. It’s clear Samsung is positioning itself to be the center of a fragmented technology landscape. Though the fridge is made in partnership with MasterCard, you can pay with other credit and debit cards like Visa.

-Ryan Nakashima, AP Business Writer, Las Vegas

—

Hollywood’s getting serious about moving beyond those old cardboard 3-D glasses.

The 21st Century Fox entertainment conglomerate says that it has a deal to buy a minority stake in a leading maker of headwear for virtual reality and augmented reality, Osterhout Design Group.

The news comes as a Fox subsidiary plans a CES debut for the virtual-reality version of its hit film, "The Martian," in which Matt Damon plays an Earthling space traveler left behind by his shipmates on the surface of Mars. This version, which lasts 20 minutes or so, will let viewers share some of Damon’s adventures in what’s been described as an immersive and interactive visual experience. According to published reports, Fox plans to distribute the virtual-reality version for viewing through headsets made by several manufacturers.

– Brandon Bailey, AP Technology Writer, San Francisco

—

Dish’s new set-top box will let viewers record 16 shows at once and watch four videos simultaneously – perfect for Football Sunday.

The Hopper 3 will also come with the ability to search recorded content and Netflix at once, so that you’ll find the TV show or movie regardless of its source.

Cable and satellite TV companies are trying to move beyond bare-bones set-top boxes and digital video recorders, in part to keep customers from fleeing to a rival or dropping TV service completely. Previously, advanced recording and search features required you to buy a TiVo, Roku or other stand-alone device.

– Anick Jesdanun, AP Technology Writer, New York

—

People will be able to order groceries directly from a new Samsung refrigerator.

The Family Hub refrigerator will let users order groceries via an app on the refrigerator’s screen. The app’s made in partnership with MasterCard, though you can use any debit or credit card to pay.

The service initially works with two grocery stores in the New York area: Fresh Direct and ShopRite. Users can choose when they want the groceries delivered. The fee is the same as it would be ordering from a computer – typically a few dollars, plus tip. It will be available in the US starting in May.

– Mae Anderson, AP Technology Writer, New York

—

Huawei is unveiling a new smartphone that promises more than two days of charge with normal use and a fast recharge for one day of power in 30 minutes.

The new Mate 8 is aimed at business users. It boasts enough power when fully charged to watch 17 hours of high-definition video and 20 hours of Web browsing over a 4G cellular network.

The Android device also sports an improved fingerprint scanner that lets you answer calls simply by touching the sensor on the back of the phone. Taking selfies is also enabled by fingerprint touch.

-Ryan Nakashima, AP Business Writer, Las Vegas

—

Kodak wants to put its iconic Super 8 film cameras for video into the hands of young filmmakers.

The company is showing off a new version of the 8mm film camera, which was introduced in 1965. It eventually plans to release a range of Super 8 cameras, film development services and related equipment designed for both professionals and amateurs.

The launch marks Kodak’s first new Super 8 camera in more than 30 years and is a nod to those in the film industry that continue to balk at the push to switch to digital cameras.

– Bree Fowler, AP Technology Writer, New York

—

It’s never been easier to find your lost keys. Several companies are showing off tags with wireless technology. You can put one on your keys and call to it with your smartphone. Think of it as dialing your partner’s mobile number just so it buzzes from under the couch.

– Ryan Nakashima, AP Business Writer, Las Vegas

—

With more home thermostats, lights, locks and appliances linking to the internet, automakers are working on plans to let you control them from your car.

BMW and Ford both announced they’re working on in-car apps that let drivers control smart home devices.

BMW says it’s working on apps that allow drivers to "precondition" their homes by setting the thermostat for the right temperature by the time they arrive home. The company also showed an i3 electric car linked to a home device that monitors routines, sets routes and starts car functions.

-Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer, Las Vegas

—

Hands full of groceries? LG has a refrigerator that opens automatically when a person steps on the projection of an image on the floor.

Its LG Signature fridge also lets you peek inside without opening the door, saving electricity and maybe keeping you from making a poor decision regarding a late-night snack. One side of its double doors has an opaque glass window. Knocking on the window lights up the inside slightly, enough to glance at your leftovers.

-Ryan Nakashima, AP Business Writer, Las Vegas

—

If you find buzzing or beeping is an alarming way to wake up, you might enjoy Sensorwake’s olfactory alarm clock.

The device by the French company emits scents that should get you up gently in about two minutes. The clock, selling for a promotional $89, diffuses particles contained in packets with dry air to give you a whiff of things like espresso, hot croissants, a lush jungle, chocolate or pepper mint. Two packs last for a total of 60 days and cost about $11.

And this important feature is important in cold and flu season: There’s a backup alarm if you have a stuffy nose.

– Ryan Nakashima, AP Business Writer, Las Vegas

Resource : http://www.news.com.au/finance/business/breaking-news/samsungs-new-products-get-along/news-story/f903b028aa7cebdec0132d25f726ed85

Hollywood may move beyond old cardboard 3-D glasses

The latest developments surrounding the consumer-electronics show in Las Vegas known as CES (all times local):

8:10 p.m

Intel CEO Brian Krzanich says tiny micro-processors will change the future of sports and art.

Krzanich showed off new uses for the giant chip-maker’s smallest processors during a keynote speech that formally opened the annual CES gadget show in Las Vegas. He said tiny, wearable computer chips will help athletes and fans track speed and movement, while helping musicians create songs by waving their hands.

The Intel chief invited a composer on stage to demonstrate a set of computerized wristbands that track hand gestures and translate them into musical notes. Other guests showed off drones and robots that use Intel’s three-dimensional optical scanning technology to navigate around obstacles and recognize familiar objects.

Krzanich also announced what he called a significant milestone toward the company’s goal of having a workforce that reflects the general population by 2010. He said 43 percent of workers hired at Intel last year were women or minorities.

Diversity is a hot issue in the tech industry, where Intel and other major companies have been criticized for not hiring and promoting women, blacks and Latinos. Krzanich announced an ambitious effort to address the problem during his keynote at CES last year. Intel had more than 100,000 workers as of mid-2015; Krzanich didn’t provide detailed statistics Tuesday.

5:05 p.m

A startup that harnesses the power of radio waves to charge your mobile devices has come up with an ultra-small transmitter to keep a fitness band topped up with power.

Energous Corp. unveiled a mini WattUp transmitter at the CES gadget show in Las Vegas. The company says the transmitter, about the size of a USB thumb drive, will deliver less than half a watt of power to a special receiver chip that can be embedded in a wearable device.

While that’s not enough to charge up a smartphone quickly, Energous says it’s great to zap a fitness band full of energy in 10 to 40 minutes.

One key benefit: By using wireless charging, Energous says a band can be completely sealed and waterproof because it doesn’t need an external charging port. That means not worrying about taking it off in the shower or swimming pool.

Because the device sends energy in the near-Wi-Fi band around 5.8 GHz however, it’ll need clearance from the Federal Communications Commission, a process that could push the first usable product into late 2016 or early 2017.

Energous is headquartered in San Jose, California.

4:30 p.m

Dish’s Sling TV online-television service is revamping its apps to focus on content rather than individual channels.

Among other things, the apps will present movies and TV shows based on what you’ve watched before, like Netflix does, rather than the traditional way of channel by channel. That could make Sling TV’s on-demand library – currently hidden behind multiple taps – easier to discover and watch.

The $20-a-month Sling TV service offers more than 20 cable channels, including ESPN, ESPN2, AMC and TNT. Sling TV announced Tuesday that it’s adding ESPN3 to the base package, too. ESPN3 is an online channel available to traditional cable and satellite subscribers.

For $5 more, customers can get an add-on package such as Spanish-language networks and even more sports. The service has live streams of those channels, along with selected content on demand. You’ll need an antenna for over-the-air channels, as those aren’t included.

Dish is announcing the changes as the CES gadget show in Las Vegas opens Wednesday. ESPN3 and the new, content-centric features will be available by the end of March.

4:10 p.m

Kia is promising to bring a self-driving car to the public by 2030, a decade longer than some companies have promised but perhaps a more realistic time frame.

At the CES gadget show in Las Vegas, Kia also says it will introduce a partially autonomous car by 2020. The car will still need a human behind the wheel. The Korean automaker, which is owned by Hyundai, also has received a license from Nevada to test an autonomous Kia Soul electric vehicle on public roads.

Tech giant Google has promised to have a self-driving car in the public’s hands by 2020, and other automakers have hinted at 2025. But outside experts say the 2020 time frame likely would be limited to small geographic areas because technical, regulatory and legal issues still have to be worked out.

Kia is creating a sub-brand for autonomous technologies called Drive Wise. At the CES consumer-electronics show in Las Vegas this week, the company will show off technologies including highway and urban autonomous driving, as well as the ability to follow the vehicle in front of you. Kia also will show off a system that analyzes drivers’ faces to make sure they’re paying attention to the road. If they aren’t, the car will automatically steer to the side of the road and stop.

3:50 p.m

Playing nice with the competition? It’s not unheard of at CES. Samsung has unveiled several new products that get along with those from other technology firms.

Samsung says its Gear S2 smartwatch will be compatible with Apple’s iPhones later this year. Watches using Google’s Android Wear already are, though with limited functionality.

Samsung also unveiled a 12-inch tablet that attaches to a keyboard. The Galaxy Tab Pro S is aimed at business users and runs Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system, unlike the Android system used in consumer tablets. Samsung says it will be the thinnest and lightest tablet-PC combination on the market.

In addition, Samsung’s top-end 2016 SUHD TVs will come with a free USB dongle to serve as a smart-home hub and let users to control up to 200 devices from manufacturers from Nest to Philips via their TV. One remote control will also operate boxes from the Xbox One to a Time Warner Cable set-top box to Apple TV.

Add to that its Family Hub refrigerator to allow ordering of groceries through its 21.5 inch touch screen. It’s clear Samsung is positioning itself to be the center of a fragmented technology landscape. Though the fridge is made in partnership with MasterCard, you can pay with other credit and debit cards like Visa.

3:25 p.m

Hollywood’s getting serious about moving beyond those old cardboard 3-D glasses.

The 21st Century Fox entertainment conglomerate said Tuesday that it has a deal to buy a minority stake in a leading maker of headwear for virtual reality and augmented reality, Osterhout Design Group.

The news comes as a Fox subsidiary plans a CES debut for the virtual-reality version of its hit film, ”The Martian,” in which Matt Damon plays an Earthling space traveler left behind by his shipmates on the surface of Mars. This version, which lasts 20 minutes or so, will let viewers share some of Damon’s adventures in what’s been described as an immersive and interactive visual experience. According to published reports, Fox plans to distribute the virtual-reality version for viewing through headsets made by several manufacturers.

Other studios are also dabbling in virtual reality. And Fox sees a big future in producing entertainment for the medium. In a statement, Fox executive Jim Gianopulos says the company’s preliminary agreement to invest in Osterhout will push films ”into the future” and ”bring audiences exciting new creative experiences.” Fox hasn’t disclosed the amount of the investment.

Osterhout is known for making stylish, computerized ”smart glasses” that can project realistic images in a wearer’s field of vision. That’s done either by overlaying images on the real world, in what’s known as ”augmented reality,” or in a more immersive ”virtual reality” experience that appears to surround the wearer with projected images. It’s showing off a new augmented-reality headset, designed for commercial and industrial uses, at this year’s CES in Las Vegas.

3:10 p.m

Dish’s new set-top box will let viewers record 16 shows at once and watch four videos simultaneously – perfect for Football Sunday.

The Hopper 3 will also come with the ability to search recorded content and Netflix at once, so that you’ll find the TV show or movie regardless of its source.

Cable and satellite TV companies are trying to move beyond bare-bones set-top boxes and digital video recorders, in part to keep customers from fleeing to a rival or dropping TV service completely. Previously, advanced recording and search features required you to buy a TiVo, Roku or other stand-alone device.

Although few households will ever need to record 16 shows at once, Dish executive Vivek Khemka says it wanted to create an environment in which the viewer never has to think about whether the box is free to record a show. That was also the thinking behind putting in two terabytes of storage – enough for 500 hours of high-definition video.

Dish TV subscribers will be able to get the Hopper 3 starting later this month for $15 a month, on top of regular fees for cable TV services.

2:35 p.m

People will be able to order groceries directly from a new Samsung refrigerator.

The Family Hub refrigerator will let users order groceries via an app on the refrigerator’s screen. The app’s made in partnership with MasterCard, though you can use any debit or credit card to pay.

The service initially works with two grocery stores in the New York area: Fresh Direct and ShopRite. Users can choose when they want the groceries delivered. The fee is the same as it would be ordering from a computer – typically a few dollars, plus tip. It will be available in the U.S. starting in May.

Besides ordering groceries, the 21.5-inch screen on the fridge will let families display photos, calendars and notes for each other. And from a smartphone, you can check what’s inside, as captured by three cameras. You can tell at the supermarket whether you really need more eggs. LG earlier announced a similar peek-inside feature in its fridges.

Samsung’s smart refrigerator is among the many Internet-connected items being unveiled this week at the CES gadget show in Las Vegas.

2:15 p.m

Huawei is unveiling a new smartphone that promises more than two days of charge with normal use and a fast recharge for one day of power in 30 minutes.

The new Mate 8 is aimed at business users. It boasts enough power when fully charged to watch 17 hours of high-definition video and 20 hours of Web browsing over a 4G cellular network.

The Android device also sports an improved fingerprint scanner that lets you answer calls simply by touching the sensor on the back of the phone. Taking selfies is also enabled by fingerprint touch.

Among other features, Huawei says the phone can detect knuckle taps and swipes to do things like crop photos and trim videos. It can also copy long Web pages that scroll over many pages.

The phone will start at about 600 euros ($645). It’s launching in various countries, but there aren’t any current U.S. plans.

1:45 p.m

Kodak wants to put its iconic Super 8 film cameras for video into the hands of young filmmakers.

The company is showing off a new version of the 8 millimeter film camera, which was introduced in 1965. It eventually plans to release a range of Super 8 cameras, film development services and related equipment designed for both professionals and amateurs.

The launch marks Kodak’s first new Super 8 camera in more than 30 years and is a nod to those in the film industry that continue to balk at the push to switch to digital cameras.

Kodak is showing off the new camera at the CES gadget show in Las Vegas this week.

1:20 p.m

Want a craft brewery on your countertop and don’t mind waiting a week for the hoppy elixir?

PicoBrew hopes to become the Keurig of brewing.

At the CES gadget show in Las Vegas this week, the company showed off its $699 appliance that uses pre-mixed recipes costing $20 to $60, including some from brewers Rogue and Dogfish Head.

It’s not for the home brewers interested in making their own creations, though the company says customers can turn the dial to make the brew more or less bitter or hoppy. And it doesn’t involve a basement’s worth of space dedicated to the process.

The company is shipping its first devices in April to its Kickstarter supporters who have contributed a combined $1.4 million to the project.

12:50 p.m

It’s never been easier to find your lost keys. Several companies are showing off tags with wireless technology. You can put one on your keys and call to it with your smartphone. Think of it as dialing your partner’s mobile number just so it buzzes from under the couch.

Some companies are taking it a step further. TrackR, a company in Santa Barbara, California, unveiled an add-on called Atlas. It plugs into a wall socket and scans a room for any TrackR tags using Bluetooth. It then tells you what room your missing item is in. The company’s Jeremy Fish says ”most people can find it if you get into the right room, unless you have a warehouse for a room.”

Chipolo, a company from Ljubljana, Slovenia, added a shaking feature that calls your phone or even takes a selfie (provided you can balance your phone somewhere). And even if your missing item is beyond the 200-foot Bluetooth range, if some other Chipolo user walks by it out in the wild, you’ll get notified where it is – without compromising the other user’s privacy – so you can go get it.

12:20 p.m

With more home thermostats, lights, locks and appliances linking to the Internet, automakers are working on plans to let you control them from your car.

BMW and Ford both announced they’re working on in-car apps that let drivers control smart home devices.

BMW says it’s working on apps that allow drivers to ”precondition” their homes by setting the thermostat for the right temperature by the time they arrive home. The company also showed an i3 electric car linked to a home device that monitors routines, sets routes and starts car functions.

Ford announced that it’s working with Amazon to link cars to its Alexa personal assistant. Later this year, the company will offer a service with voice commands that can start a car from a home or turn off an alarm system and open the garage door as a driver gets close to home.

11:50 a.m

Hands full of groceries? LG has a refrigerator that opens automatically when a person steps on the projection of an image on the floor.

Its LG Signature fridge also lets you peek inside without opening the door, saving electricity and maybe keeping you from making a poor decision regarding a late-night snack. One side of its double doors has an opaque glass window. Knocking on the window lights up the inside slightly, enough to glance at your leftovers.

And of course, it comes equipped with Wi-Fi enabled sensors so you can track the temperature inside and monitor energy use.

11:20 a.m

Old Mother Hubbard might have known to go to the store to get her dog a bone if she had a sensor from the company Smarter.

At the CES gadget show in Las Vegas this week, Smarter is debuting a mat and a camera that can remotely tell a person what’s left in one’s fridge.

Barnaby Sellers with Smarter says the devices will speed up a person’s daily routines and make a kitchen smarter without needing to buy a new fridge.

The company is also introducing a sound and atmosphere sensor that Sellers says will learn the sounds and environment in a kitchen to alert someone via their smartphone when the dishes might be done or when it might be warm to enough to warrant opening up a window.

Each is expected to be sold for $130 to $150 by this summer.

At last year’s show, Smarter showed off a remote-controlled coffee machine and kettle.

11 a.m

HTC is launching the latest version of its virtual-reality headset, Vive. It adds a front-facing camera and revamped controllers to the original prototype system.

The headset, called the Vive Pre, also comes with an updated strap and brighter displays. HTC says the front-facing camera lets people do real-world actions like take a seat or find a drink without taking off the headset. HTC says 7,000 units of the prototype will be available to developers.

The consumer version of the Vive is expected in April. No information was given on pricing.

The announcement comes a day after Oculus said it will start taking orders for its much-hyped Oculus Rift virtual-reality headset at 11 a.m. ET on Wednesday. The company, which was bought by Facebook in 2014 for $2 billion, has also not said how much it will cost or given a shipping date.

10:35 a.m

If you find buzzing or beeping is an alarming way to wake up, you might enjoy Sensorwake’s olfactory alarm clock.

The device by the French company emits scents that should get you up gently in about two minutes. The clock, selling for a promotional $89 during CES, diffuses particles contained in packets with dry air to give you a whiff of things like espresso, hot croissants, a lush jungle, chocolate or pepper mint. Two packs last for a total of 60 days and cost about $11.

And this feature is important in cold and flu season: There’s a backup alarm if you have a stuffy nose.

10:05 a.m

The limited sight line of your car’s rear view mirror may be a thing of the past.

BMW showed off the i8 electric car’s mirrorless system. Images from three cameras are combined on a display that replaces the interior mirror, giving the driver larger viewing angles and eliminating blind spots.

The system analyzes the images and alerts drivers to potential hazards with yellow warning icons. The replacement mirror also has lines showing the car’s trajectory when parking.

The i3 electric car has a roof-mounted camera replacing its mirror, giving a much wider angle of view.

BMW also introduced more gesture controls in the 7 Series luxury car to control infotainment and communication features without touching a screen.

9:45 a.m

Chicago, Dallas and Atlanta have been chosen as the first cities where AT&T’s will showcase the potential use of sensors and other Internet-connected technologies to improve municipal services.

Under this ”smart cities” concept, maintenance crews would be able to remotely detect roads needing repairs, while motorists would be able to view and reserve parking spaces ahead of time. Though some of these capabilities are already available in some cities, officials can better keep tabs on emergencies, such as power outages and heavy traffic, by integrating all aspects of government functions.

AT&T says it has formed alliances with Cisco, Deloitte, Ericsson, General Electric, IBM, Intel and Qualcomm to support smart cities. Two of the cities chosen have direct ties to AT&T. Dallas is the company’s headquarters, while Atlanta is the hub for its wireless businesses. There’s no time frame yet on when AT&T will roll out these services.

9:20 a.m

Call her mom. A small white plastic figure that resembles a Russian nesting doll offers a digital smile while it monitors if people it’s watching are taking their pills, drinking enough water or doing any of their daily routines.

Silver Mother is being marketed to caretakers and family members wanting to keep an eye on elderly loved ones.

Along with alerting caretakers and family, founder Rafi Haladjian says the white ”mother hub” will play the sound of running water if a person doesn’t drink enough water for the day. It will also call people on the phone to remind them to take their pills.

The system is being displayed at the CES show of gadgets in Las Vegas.

The hub and four sensors, which can be attached to anything including pill bottles, is sold for $290.

8:55 a.m

Office workers probably assume their boss can peek in on their corporate emails. But knowing – exactly – how long you’ve been sitting down on the job? That’s the purpose of the ”connected caster,” an innocent-looking, weight-sensitive wheel that can be affixed to the bottom of an office chair. It sends data back to a system that tracks just that.

Detroit-based Tome Inc. worked on the product with sleek office furniture designer Humanscale – which, conveniently, makes a line of desks for standing up and working at.

8 a.m

Fitbit, a leading maker of fitness trackers, is unveiling a mid-range model with heart-rate monitoring and smartwatch-like functions, such as audio playback control and message notifications.

The new Blaze won’t have a GPS built-in, but it will be able to use the GPS from a companion smartphone to display pace and distance more accurately. It’s a similar approach to the Apple Watch. The Blaze will sit alongside Fitbit’s existing Charge HR, which monitors heart rate but has no ability to latch on to the phone’s GPS.

The Blaze is the first Fitbit model to have a color display.

The Blaze will sell for $200 when it comes out in March. Fitbit will also sell alternative frames and bands made of leather or stainless steel.

This item has been corrected to remove incorrect reference to Blaze replacing Charge HR.

7:25 a.m

Ford says it will triple the number of autonomous cars in its test fleet as it moves to accelerate development of self-driving cars.

At the CES gadget show in Las Vegas Tuesday, the company said it will add 20 Ford Fusion gas-electric hybrid cars to the fleet, giving it 30 to test on roads in California, Michigan and Arizona.

The company also announced that it would use the latest laser sensors made by Velodyne in its test vehicles. The 360-degree sensors are smaller and have a longer sensing range than the previous generation. They can fit into a side-view mirror rather than the old laser sensors that were housed in a globe on the roof.

Ford CEO Mark Fields says he expects autonomous cars to be in public use in about four years, but they won’t be able to drive in all weather conditions. That, he said, is a long way away.

6:05 a.m

Sports clothing maker Under Armour is getting into the gadgets business with a set of wearable devices, headphones and a wireless scale.

Though Under Armour isn’t first with any of these, it’s trying to make it easy on consumers by designing products that connect wirelessly to each other or to its smartphone apps. A new version of its UA Record app seeks to integrate all aspects of your health and fitness – including nutrition, sleep and exercise – though a few features will require a companion app, MapMyRun. The apps are free and will also work with competing devices, such as Fitbit and Garmin watches.

Under Armour is offering a starter package, the UA HealthBox, for $400. It includes the scale, a chest strap to monitor heart rate and a fitness band to track steps and sleep. Each item is also sold separately. Beyond that, Under Armour is offering a shoe embedded with a chip to track exercise – even without a smartphone or any other GPS-enabled device for recording distance. The company is also making two headphones, including one that can measure heart rate at the ear.

Under Armour partnered with smartphone maker HTC for the HealthBox items and with Harman’s JBL business for the headphones.

Most of the items will ship Jan. 22; the shoes and heart-rate headphones will come later.
Resource : http://www.financialexpress.com/article/world-news/hollywood-may-move-beyond-old-cardboard-3-d-glasses/189001/

Online video gets an OTT push

With the entry of Netflix, the over-the-top (OTT) space in India may be seeing a flurry of activity, but when compared with other countries, things are still in a nascent stage.

With the entry of Netflix, the over-the-top (OTT) space in India may be seeing a flurry of activity, but when compared with other countries, things are still in a nascent stage.

As things stand, India’s online ecosystem remains devoid of necessary infrastructure, coupled with dismal broadband speeds. Payment wallets for subscription services are just beginning to see the light of day. While the US is a subscription-driven market and China follows an advertising-led model in the OTT space, India is still struggling to come up with a viable business model that enables returns.

As a Netflix spokesperson says, “We need to acquire rights for TV shows and movies in individual markets, localise services, ensure we can move video data around the world seamlessly to meet demand, establish a plan for customer service and establish clear methods for payments.”

Presently, there seems to be a very small ratio of pay subscribers. “One report states that there are 25 million OTT subscribers in the market today, of which pay subscribers would be less than 5%,” says Sony Pictures Networks India EVP and head of digital business Uday Sodhi.

Moreover, the price-point referencing for any subscription OTT service is of cable TV and these subscription video on demand (SVoD) price-points don’t seem very attractive for the mass market. One has to also keep in mind that a majority of the VoD consumption is happening on mobile and consumers are already paying for high data charges. Therefore, it is a challenge if content is also priced high.

As a result, OTT platforms like Sony LIV, NexGTV, Hotstar, Ditto TV, ErosNow, Netflix and the upcoming VOOT and ALT are now focusing more on developing original content as compared to just providing catch-up content.

Moreover, there are only a handful of major players in the market presently, which signifies the need for more platforms to come up for the ecosystem to grow.

“The transition to internet TV, with its greater consumer satisfaction, will mean growth for many internet TV services,” the Netflix spokesperson says. But given the low cost of cable subscription in India, can OTT video players put a compelling cost benefit proposition for mass adoption?

Because, many DTH (direct-to-home) players like Tata Sky, Dish TV and Videocon d2h are also giving competition to OTT platforms by launching their own mobile TV services or other unique content offerings.

Having said that, India is a unique market and many experts believe that comparing the Western market with India on video consumption would be unfair. “While the West moved from desktop to mobile, India has been predominantly mobile and will continue to be so,” says Milind Pathak, chief operating officer, Madhouse.

At the same time, the geographical expansion of large OTT video portals such as Netflix and HOOQ is an endorsement of the fact that India is ripe for multi-screen streaming options. “Netflix’s entry will change the Indian market where people will have legal access to premium exclusive content across multiple digital screens,” says Dave Maan, EVP·video solutions, TO THE NEW Digital.

Gaurav Gandhi, COO, Viacom18 Digital Ventures, says there is a robust growth in video consumers, with over 80 million users already streaming video and around 85% of internet consumption being done through mobile devices.

SVoD has been a very successful business model adopted in developed markets by players such as Netflix and Hulu. On the other hand, VoD players in India have adopted advertisement-backed and subscription-based revenue models. Ad rates for VoD are one-tenth of that of live television. Hence, recovering costs for licensed content becomes a challenge. Subscription-models, on the other hand, have had limited success on account of viewer unwillingness to pay.

Even with better 4G internet speeds, affordable data packs and increase in smartphone penetration, OTT players who create exclusive original content that plays seamlessly on all four screens (smartphones, tablets, laptops and televisions), with high quality streaming options (like HD and ultra HD) and all at the right price-point, will be the winners of tomorrow.

India’s online ecosystem remains devoid of necessary infrastructure, coupled with dismal broadband speeds.
Payment wallets for subscription services are just beginning to see the light of day. In the OTT space, India is still struggling to come up with a viable business model that enables returns


Resource :http://www.financialexpress.com/article/industry/companies/online-video-gets-an-ott-push/204986/

The next big thing

The Indian digital space has largely been governed by YouTube thus far and unlike other developed countries where digital commands a major share of viewership, the space is still very small in India. Having said that, the mindset of audiences is increasingly seeing a shift from ‘what is on TV’ to ‘what do I feel like watching on digital’. Infrastructure changes, with a promise of 4G and improved bandwidth speeds, are only making the OTT space a business for everyone to look at.

OTT, defined as video, television and other services provided over the Internet rather than through traditional service providers, has witnessed the entry of several new players over the past few years, the most recent entrant being global giant Netflix. The company became the talk of the town over its sudden entry and its ‘highly priced’ subscription packs. But a lot more needs to be done. A Netflix spokesperson says, “We need to acquire rights for TV shows and movies in individual markets, localise services, ensure we can move video data around the world seamlessly to meet demand, establish a plan for customer service and establish clear methods for payments.”

As things stand, India’s online ecosystem remains devoid of the necessary infrastructure, coupled with dismal broadband speeds. Payment wallets for subscription services are just beginning to see the light of day. While the US is a subscription-driven market and China follows an advertising-led model in the OTT space, India is still struggling to come up with a viable business model that enables returns. What, then, is attracting broadcast networks, content companies and even big overseas players like Netflix to India? Is the market mature enough to satiate the appetite of all players?

To pay or not to pay

Presently, there seems to be a very small ratio of pay subscribers. “One report states that there are 25 million OTT subscribers in the market today, of which pay subscribers would be less than 5%,” says Sony Pictures Networks India EVP and head of digital business Uday Sodhi.

Platforms are targeting early adopters, typically younger audiences who are willing to experiment and have high spending power. If one looks at the consumption pattern presently, over 70% would fall in the age group of 20-35 years.

Although the young target group possesses disposable income making it the perfect monetisation target for OTT services, Uday Reddy, founder and CEO YuppTV says that you cannot provide premium content for free, but you also cannot charge a high premium because OTT platforms are more like a complementary service today.

Moreover, the price-point referencing for any subscription OTT service is of cable TV and these subscription video on demand (SVoD) price-points don’t seem very attractive for the mass market presently. One has to also keep in mind that a majority of the VoD consumption is happening on mobile and consumers are already paying for high data charges and therefore, it is a challenge if content is also priced high.

As a result, OTT platforms like Sony LIV, NexGTV, Hotstar, Ditto TV, ErosNow, Netflix and the upcoming VOOT and ALT, are now focussing more on developing original content as compared to just providing catch-up content.

People love TV content and still watch over a billion hours of linear TV eachday. What they don’t love is being required to watch shows at a certain time on certain devices.

There is a large audience on the net who is used to payment mechanisms which will enable platforms to drive consumption for their products. The basic plot is putting exclusive volume on and then testing the price-point.

“It is important for the VoD players to ensure that they build a robust library of local content, besides providing international content to the viewers, at an affordable price-point,” explains Nachiket Pantvaidya, CEO, ALT Digital Media Entertainment. “It will be interesting to see how OTT players stock up their local library while maintaining equilibrium between quality and price.”

The quest for sustainability

There are many challenges that OTT players will have to tackle if they are to survive. Gaurav Gandhi, COO, Viacom18 Digital Ventures, says there is a robust growth in video consumers being seen with over 80 million users already streaming video and around 85% of internet consumption being done through mobile devices.

“With a majority of Indian homes being single TV households, mobile devices have become personal video screens for everyone. The challenge for a lot of players will be sustainability,” says Gandhi. One needs to create a quality product, find the right monetisation model, take on the challenge of creating/aggregating differentiated engaging content, bear the cost of marketing the service and manage technology and streaming costs. “It’s a tough business,” he adds.

Moreover, there are only a handful of major players in the market presently which signifies the need for more platforms to come in and grow the ecosystem. Because the entertainment market is so broad, multiple brands can be successful.

“Many people will subscribe to several services (including Netflix) since we have different, exclusive content. The transition to internet TV, with its greater consumer satisfaction, will mean growth for many internet TV services,” the Netflix spokesperson says. Given the low cost of cable subscription in India, can OTT video players put a compelling cost benefit proposition for mass adoption? Many DTH (Direct to Home) players like Tata Sky, Dish TV and Videocon d2h are also giving competition to OTT platforms by launching their own mobile TV services or other unique content offerings. NexGTV COO Abhesh Verma states, “Competition is always good from the consumer perspective as they get more variety. However, all of us will be vying for the same eyeballs.”

Industry experts believe that no player has yet found the magic formula for monetising free OTT services. But there is hope; India has a bright future for online video services driven by the growth of connected devices, large internet enabled mobile user-bases, increasing internet penetration and growing consumer appetite for on-demand content services.

Beyond Indian shores

India is a unique market and many experts believe that comparing the Western market with India on video consumption would be unfair. “While the West moved from desktop to mobile, India has predominantly been mobile and will continue to be so,” says Milind Pathak, chief operating officer, Madhouse.

Also, in the Western OTT markets, digital video life cycles have evolved in a way that creating, consuming and paying for high quality digital video content is already a big trend. Indian OTT is only just picking up with the original digital content being produced. The Indian OTT market is still primarily driven by premium movies, live channels, quality short webisodes, cricketing events etc.

However, the geographical expansion of large OTT video portals such as Netflix and HOOQ is an endorsement of the fact that India is ripe for multi-screen streaming options. “Netflix’s entry will change the Indian market where people will have legal access to premium exclusive content across multiple digital screens,” says Dave Maan, EVP—video solutions, TO THE NEW Digital. This will eventually benefit the existing OTT players by bringing more premium digital content that can be monetised at higher price-points within the SVoD model.

“Though ours is a price sensitive market, Indian consumers will go with the players which not only suit their taste but at the same time offer value for money,” highlights Jyoti Deshpande, group CEO, Eros International.

Survival of the fittest

SVoD has been a very successful business model adopted in developed markets by players such as Netflix and Hulu. It allows for a digital access to the full library of the platform’s video content for a monthly subscription fee. When it comes to live streaming of sporting events, ‘pay per view’ has proven to be successful. These are strong revenue generating models which enable VoD players to recover the licensing cost of distributing the content.

On the other hand, VoD players in India have adopted advertisement-backed and subscription-based revenue models. Ad rates for VoD are one-tenth of that of live television. Hence, recovering costs for licensed content becomes a challenge.

Subscription-based models, on the other hand, have had limited success on account of viewer unwillingness to pay. This indicates the move towards a more freemium-type model, with premium content on subscription and free content on ad-funded models. VuClip has been practicing this model. “This enables us to gain viewers,” says Arun Prakash, COO, VuClip.

Even with better 4G internet speeds, affordable data packs and increase in smartphone penetration, OTT players who create exclusive original content that plays seamlessly on all four screens (smartphones, tablets, laptops and televisions), with high quality streaming options (like HD and ultra HD) and all at the right price-point, will be the winners of tomorrow.

With many homes in the country being single TV households, mobile devices have now become personal videoscreens for everyone. The challenge however for a lot of players in this sector will be sustainability.
GAURAV GANDHI
COO, Viacom18 Digital Ventures

Though the market in our country is a very price sensitive one, the Indian consumer will only choose to go with the players in this sector which not only suit her taste but at the same time offers her value for money
Jyoti Deshpande
Group CEO, Eros International

It is important for the VoD players to ensure they build a robust library of local content, besides providing international content to viewers, at an affordable price-point
Nachiket Pantvaidya
CEO, ALT Digital Media Entertainment
Resource :  http://www.financialexpress.com/article/industry/companies/the-next-big-thing/205543/