Sun Direct - India's First MPEG-4 DTH Service

Sun Direct, A DTH arm of Sun TV Ltd is planing to provide India's First MPEG-4 Format Video Quality DTH Service.

By incorporating Harmonic's video delivery solutions, it has become the first carrier in India to offer up MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) direct-to-home broadcast service.

As it stands, 120 standard-definition channels are currently available to subscribers, and it is planning to add an undisclosed amount of HD channels in the near future.

Sun Direct, will offer 75 TV channels and 15 radio channels. Both the dish and set-top box would be free, but the company will collect one-time installation charges of Rs999 with a monthly subscription of Rs75, excluding taxes.

Sun Direct is a 80:20 joint venture between Sun TV’s core promoters Kalanidhi Maran, his wife Kaveri Maran and Malaysia-based Astro Group.

DTH Market - The Indian scenario:

Dish TV and Tata Sky, the country’s two direct-to-home (DTH) companies ( Besides Prashar Bharati's DD Direct ), are expected to post losses in excess of Rs 1,400 Crore for 2007-08 in their quest to expand the market by offering set-top boxes at subsidised rates. The companies have over five million subscriber homes across the country collectively.

Tata Sky will soon cross the 2-million DTH subscriber mark, while its rival Dish TV recently went past the 3 million user mark. For 2008-09, analysts project a DTH customer base in access of 8 million.

Apart from Sun Direct, Two big players all set to enter the DTH sector this year (with new technology offerings), the companies expect losses to go up further this financial year. Big TV (Reliance ADAG) and Bharti AirTel also plan the similar type MPEG 4 set-top boxes, which provide higher quality pictures.

Both Big TV and Bharti are expected to bundle a number of value-added services such as Movie-on-Demand, Games, Internet and Telephone Service.

Recently Consumer Durables heavyweight, Videocon is making a pitch for the direct-to-home (DTH) market through its media arm Bharat Business Channel.

The industry expects the DTH market to hit the 10 million subscriber base mark by the end of this financial year. According to experts, DTH players will take five to six years to break even.

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Adlabs Plans India's First Megaplex Chain

Adlabs Cinemas, An Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group promoted Cinema Exhibition Company plans to bring in the concept of megaplexes in India & Plans to build 12 such megaplexes in the next five years.

Megaplexes would have 11-15 screens ( Unlike 5-6 screens in a multiplex ) and a seating capacity for more than 4000. Apart from the movie auditoriums, the megaplexes would offer Gaming Zones, Kids Zones, Food Courts and other Value Added Services.

As per Adlabs Cinemas COO Tushar Dhingra, Adlabs has carefully chosen the locations keeping in mind the high spends by consumers in these catchments areas.

In addition, the Adlabs is in the process of signing up seven more locations for building such megaplexes. The exhibition company is in the process of sourcing hi-end digital technology from overseas partners.

It has signed up five massive locations to build large megaplexes. Two of them would be located in Mohali, one each will come up in Delhi, Lucknow & Hyderabad.

Adlabs Cinemas expects its turnover to touch Rs 166-167 crore for the fiscal ended March 2008. The multiplex player currently operates 151 screens in 43 cities across India.

Reliance Entertainment ( Adlabs' parent company ) under its Brand Name Big, in the process of launching some multiplexes in US.

It has recently signed up three properties in Mauritius keeping in mind the huge Indian population in the country.

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BigFlicks joins with Raj TV for Video-on-Demand

Reliance -ADAG own Movie rental service BigFlicks, has partnered with the media and Chennai based Entertainment & Televison company Raj Television Network for its video-on-demand division, BigFlicks.com Broad Band.

According to BigFlicks.com, the alliance will enable its users to access the content of Raj Television for free viewing. BigFlicks has already partnered with channels like NDTV, Zoom, Star TV, and 7 Star Care to allow its website users view the programs of these channels for free. Kamal Gianchandani, COO, BigFlicks, has said, “Raj Television Networks is one of the largest media and entertainment houses in India with a very strong and niche content base down south. We are very happy to tie-up with Raj Television to make available all content on our platform for free viewing.”

S.Swaminathan, head of distribution unit of Raj Television Network, has said, “Today online media plays a very pivotal role in every ambitious company’s growth plans. We, at Raj Television Network are growing at a fast pace with regards to access and reach of our content and partnering with BigFlicks will help us cater to a wider audience not only in India but also the NRI audiences present across the globe.” Source: alootechie.net

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TV Channel running by Bihar Villagers

In a major example of women empowering themselves, a team of five girls from Bihar are running a news channel, set up by a self-help group. Class IX students hailing from Chand Kewari village in Muzaffarpur district are being assisted in running the channel by Mission Eye International. "People living in nearby villages do not get to know what is happening in our village. We want to inform people in other villages about the problems of our village," said Khushboo, a newsreader.

These girls visit various areas in their village as well as nearby areas on bicycles carrying a tripod, camera and other necessary equipment to cover news. "Girls are making news. We feel good on seeing this. We get news relating to our village and other villages. This is good for poor people like us," said Madina Khatoon, a viewer.

Titled 'Appna Samachar' channel went on air from December 6, 2007 and the girls pitch in for everything including reporting, editing and news reading.

Villagers gather at a common place and watch the news bulletins with keen interest. And there is praise from the villagers for the excellent coverage of news.

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Big TV DTH test launch

RCom to test-launch DTH service Big TV this week .
Expects One lakh customers before commercial launch in March. Reliance Communications (RCom) is all set to test-launch its direct to home (DTH) services Big TV this week, before a full commercial launch in March this year. Subhash Chandra-controlled Dish TV and Tata Sky will face a tough competition.

The company through the soft launch, which is targeted for its employees, is expecting to get one lakh customers even before the commercial launch. Big TV is launching with over 200 channels. It plans to ramp up to 250 odd channels prior to the commercial launch. The channels would include some niche channels that are currently not available in India.

The company plans to woo its employees with an attractive offer, an upfront payment of Rs 1,000 (compared with Rs 2,500 by others) and Rs 325 per month with Rs 100 of pay TV time bundled in the package free.

Reliance Big TV has tied up with most of the broadcasting companies for carrying their feed on RCom’s top-of-the-end MPEG 4 platform, two generations ahead of the MPEG 2 platform being used by existing DTH operators Dish TV and Tata Sky.

Big TV is a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Communications. When contacted RCom’s spokesperson declined to comment on the development. He merely said: “DTH services are among the future growth drivers for Reliance Communications. The fully-Digital DTH Services would be launched by end of this financial year.”

RCom is buying its set-top boxes from multiple manufacturers in Korea, Taiwan and China. The range of set-top boxes to be launched simultaneously include models with Digital Video Recording (DVR) facility.The DVR enabled set-top boxes will include integrated recording and playing facilities, and are expected to make a dent on the DVD player market in the country in the coming years

Have a look on BIG TV Website

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