IPTV - THE NEXT BIG THING

Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) is rapidly becoming reality. According to California-based analyst firm Infonetics Research, revenues will soar to more than $44 billion in 2009 and 53 million households worldwide will be watching TV via broadband. IPTV will revolutionize the content delivery model. Personal Video Recorders (PVRs) are already an indication of the transformation. Consumers no longer have to view content at set times as dictated by the networks or subscribe to 120 channels in order to gain access to a few that they really wish to watch. The ability to skip through commercials spells the end for so-called prime time advertising. IPTV will change things dramatically and consumers will be able to view anything at any time in high definition (HD) quality.

HITS IN THE FIRING LINE

Last month, TRAI sent their recommendations on HITS to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Perhaps, the pace of reaching these recommendations was made the shortest, just two months and twenty days for reasons best known to TRAI. Sending these recommendations in such a hurry, making HITS as another competing technology baffles many experts in the Industry. The very purpose of HITS as its name suggests, is to act as a satellite based head-end to the Cable Operators on the ground rather than be a stand alone technology for television delivery that needs to have a level playing field with DTH, as suggested by TRAI.

HITS IN THE FIRING LINE

Last month, TRAI sent their recommendations on HITS to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Perhaps, the pace of reaching these recommendations was made the shortest, just two months and twenty days for reasons best known to TRAI. Sending these recommendations in such a hurry, making HITS as another competing technology baffles many experts in the Industry. The very purpose of HITS as its name suggests, is to act as a satellite based head-end to the Cable Operators on the ground rather than be a stand alone technology for television delivery that needs to have a level playing field with DTH, as suggested by TRAI.

DTH on ‘C-Band’

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has sent its recommendations to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting on certain issues relating to Direct to Home (DTH) service last month. A consultation process was earlier initiated by the Authority by issue of a Consultation Paper on “Issues Relating to DTH” on March 2, 2007. The consultation paper covered interconnection issues, quality of service issues and other regulatory issues relating to DTH services. The Authority subsequently held an open house discussion in Bhubaneswar on May 18, 2007 on the subject. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had also sought recommendations of the Authority on Technical Interoperability of Set-top Boxes (STB) as well as to examine the possibility of allowing DTH operators to provide signals to cable operators in KU-Band. Accordingly, the Authority has communicated its recommendations as follows:

WAR CLOUDS ON THE DTH HORIZON

Last monthTata Sky, the much hyped DTH venture of Tatas and Star TV redueced their hardware price to half i.e Rs 1499 from the earlier Rs3000/- . People in the industry feel that it was a reaction to Dish TV’s restructured prices to a level of Rs 3150 to Rs 4990 for its various packages a little while ago.

Even the services are being enhanced with value additions. Dish TV has announced mobile antennas and VGA set-top-boxes for PC, whereas TataSky has announced the launch of Digital Video Recorders(DVR). In fact, battle clouds are gathering on the DTH front before just the launch of Big TV, DTH venture of Reliance. Big TV has already announced having ordered 2 million set-top-boxes and plans to provide 1000 STBs to Reliance employees all over the country for the initial seeding. In the DTH market, considering the situation on the ground where already three players are in action, this is not a mean task.

HITS IN THE FIRING LINE

Last month, TRAI sent their recommendations on HITS to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Perhaps, the pace of reaching these recommendations was made the shortest, just two months and twenty days for reasons best known to TRAI. Sending these recommendations in such a hurry, making HITS as another competing technology baffles many experts in the Industry. The very purpose of HITS as its name suggests, is to act as a satellite based head-end to the Cable Operators on the ground rather than be a stand alone technology for television delivery that needs to have a level playing field with DTH, as suggested by TRAI.

IPTV-THE NEXT BIG THING

By Col K K Sharma 

Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) is rapidly becoming reality. According to California-based analyst firm Infonetics Research, revenues will soar to more than $44 billion in 2009 and 53 million households worldwide will be watching TV via broadband. IPTV will revolutionize the content delivery model. Personal Video Recorders (PVRs) are already an indication of the transformation. Consumers no longer have to view content at set times as dictated by the networks or subscribe to 120 channels in order to gain access to a few that they really wish to watch. The ability to skip through commercials spells the end for so-called prime time advertising. IPTV will change things dramatically and consumers will be able to view anything at any time in high definition (HD) quality. 

IPTV DEMANDS NEW REGULATIONS

IPTV is a product of convergence on the back plane. The same Digital Content seamlessly transcends different access Networks be it Telecom Network or Cable Network. In IPTV environ IP content in packets are delivered to different screen be it TV, PC or mobile devices with the help of a gateway / STB. Thus, we see a total convergence scenario in the back plane and the front end, which is the STB/ gateway which may be connected to any reception device. 

The regulator has to keep in mind the converging scenario and formulate a simplistic, technology agnostic regulation whereby only the content gets regulated. Thus regulations should facilitate- Technology Agnostic Approach

-IPTV-THE NEXT BIG THING-

Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) is rapidly becoming reality. According to California-based analyst firm Infonetics Research, revenues will soar to more than $44 billion in 2009 and 53 million households worldwide will be watching TV via broadband. IPTV will revolutionize the content delivery model. Personal Video Recorders (PVRs) are already an indication of the transformation. Consumers no longer have to view content at set times as dictated by the networks or subscribe to 120 channels in order to gain access to a few that they really wish to watch. The ability to skip through commercials spells the end for so-called prime time advertising. IPTV will change things dramatically and consumers will be able to view anything at any time in high definition (HD) quality.

-Delivering Quadruple-Play Services -

With convergence coming is place soon, IP seems to be the best way forward. The best thing about IP Network in India in they that can be built by Telcos, ISPs, WiMax operators as well as Cable TV Operators. This article explains the basic concept and methodology of building an IP Network Services for Quadruple-Play. 

Charles Dickens once wrote, "Change begets change. Nothing propagates so fast... and what rock was before becomes but sand and dust." Although Dickens could never have imagined what the world would look like 150 years after he wrote those words, the sentiment must ring especially true to the present-day service providers who are seeing their industry transform virtually before their eyes.

LIVE DEMO BY Convergence India 2008, 23-25 March, Pragati Maidan

NDS creates the security and enabling technologies as well as the interactive applications that allow operators to generate revenues by delivering digital content to TVs, set-top boxes (STBs), Digital Video Recorders (DVRs), PCs, mobile phones, portable media players (PMPs), removable media, and other devices. 

NDS will be showcasing a range of products including a live demo at Convergence India in booth no D-51. 

-IPTV DEMANDS NEW REGULATIONS -

IPTV is a product of convergence on the back plane. The same Digital Content seamlessly transcends different access Networks be it Telecom Network or Cable Network. In IPTV environ IP content in packets are delivered to different screen be it TV, PC or mobile devices with the help of a gateway / STB. Thus, we see a total convergence scenario in the back plane and the front end, which is the STB/ gateway which may be connected to any reception device. 

The regulator has to keep in mind the converging scenario and formulate a simplistic, technology agnostic regulation whereby only the content gets regulated. Thus regulations should facilitate-

HITS IN THE FIRING LINE

Last month, TRAI sent their recommendations on HITS to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Perhaps, the pace of reaching these recommendations was made the shortest, just two months and twenty days for reasons best known to TRAI. Sending these recommendations in such a hurry, making HITS as another competing technology baffles many experts in the Industry. The very purpose of HITS as its name suggests, is to act as a satellite based head-end to the Cable Operators on the ground rather than be a stand alone technology for television delivery that needs to have a level playing field with DTH, as suggested by TRAI.

-DTH on ‘C-Band’-

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has sent its recommendations to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting on certain issues relating to Direct to Home (DTH) service last month. A consultation process was earlier initiated by the Authority by issue of a Consultation Paper on “Issues Relating to DTH” on March 2, 2007. The consultation paper covered interconnection issues, quality of service issues and other regulatory issues relating to DTH services. The Authority subsequently held an open house discussion in Bhubaneswar on May 18, 2007 on the subject. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had also sought recommendations of the Authority on Technical Interoperability of Set-top Boxes (STB) as well as to examine the possibility of allowing DTH operators to provide signals to cable operators in KU-Band.

Delivering Quadruple-Play Services

George Tupy

IPTV Marketing Manager, Cisco Systems

With convergence coming is place soon, IP seems to be the best way forward. The best thing about IP Network in India in they that can be built by Telcos, ISPs, WiMax operators as well as Cable TV Operators. This article explains the basic concept and methodology of building an IP Network Services for Quadruple-Play. 

March 2008

Sunday, March 02, 2008 -- UTV software communication approved to issue 9.35 million equity shares to the Walt Disney Company.

Digital is the Buzzword

These are interesting times in the industry. In every segment there is hectic activity and an increasing sense of competition giving rise to new strategies, innovations and technology upgrades. Digital is the buzz word everywhere. Existing DTH players are facing the heat of technology changes from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4. The new players are adopting MPEG-4 to provide more number of channels and better services including HDTV. Also, there is a race amongst the existing players to grab the viewers before the new ones catch them. Rates have been cut down to half and free subscriptions are being doled out.