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The Centre is looking to complete the third phase of digitisation of cable television by 2015. Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Information and Broadcasting, <keyword id="119642" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prakash-Javadekar">Prakash Javadekar</keyword>, has said that the Indian <keyword id="1099185" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="cable-TV-digitisation">cable TV digitisation</keyword> is the biggest such exercise in the world. "It will change the face of Indian television," he added. 
 
The fourth phase of digitisation is likely to start in 2016. Around 12 to 15 crore of TV sets are expected to be covered under this exercise. 
 
On the question of whether consumers should pay for a channel and still bear with advertisements, Javadekar said: "Why should consumers pay?... This isn't done. We'll resolve this." However, he also added that the free-to-air channels will not have to stick to 12-minute advertisement cap.

Fourth Phase Of Cable TV Digitisation Likely To Start In 2016

For tech enthusiasts and gadget lovers, the New Year always kicks off with some fabulous stuff, on display at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in <keyword id="2390" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Las-Vegas">Las Vegas</keyword>. A range of <keyword id="2018943" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="TV-innovations">TV innovations</keyword> at this year’s CES caught our attention and left us wondering if the <keyword id="2018944" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Thin-tube">thin tube</keyword> can actually bring the traditional <keyword id="257036" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pay-TV">pay TV</keyword> back into our life as the key source of prime time <keyword id="4578" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="entertainment">entertainment</keyword>. 
 Surprised? Although we may find it difficult to accept, some industry insiders insist that our living room big screen, the ubiquitous pay <keyword id="6355065" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="tv">TV</keyword>, is already dead and <keyword id="124571" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="digital-media">digital media</keyword> is gradually taking over. So we decided to delve into the matter and tracked as many as 5 key factors that could spell the demise of the popular gadget as a dominant communications medium. 
 
What’s happening in India? According to the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2011, all <keyword id="669722" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cable-TV-operators">Cable TV operators</keyword> must transmit TV signals in an encrypted format, through a <keyword id="1031670" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Digital-Addressable-System">digital addressable system</keyword> (<keyword id="6368348" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Das">DAS</keyword>). Digitisation across the country is expected to be completed by December 2014. That’s undoubtedly a huge switchover, affecting some 150 million-plus homes and empowering consumers to more number of channels and high quality viewing through Direct-to-Home (<keyword id="6411255" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="DTH">DTH</keyword>) services or digital set-top box (<keyword id="300874" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="STB">STB</keyword>). 
 
Will that put India on par with global technology practices – in line to experience the so-called re-invented televisions displayed at the CES this year? Well, at least it is the first step towards the global direction and may soon witness a mass scrapping of the age-old analogue TV sets. So why are we sceptic about our good old pay TV? Let us take a closer look. 
 
 
 
New TV hardware not worth the expense Average Indians are already gunning for the ‘flat’ experience and those in love with new tech toys could be looking beyond. After all, news from <keyword id="1997485" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="CES-2014">CES 2014</keyword> says that ‘flat’ is out and ‘curved’ is in, essentially offering viewers a left-to-right concavity. 
 But a <keyword id="2019006" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Curved-TV">curved TV</keyword> doesn’t enhance the viewing experience per se and unless you are sitting directly in front of the screen and pretty close to it, you don’t get the field-of-view benefits. <keyword id="6358540" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sony">Sony</keyword>, on the other hand, has thrown in a ‘<keyword id="893646" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="wedge">wedge</keyword>’ or tapered design in the mix (Bravia X9 line), presumably to fit in a better sound system, but that’s about all. Overall, the new technologies are nothing to get super excited about. You have already experienced the standard benefits and may not be willing to spend lakhs on incremental values. 
 Too many new concepts have already made their way to our living room and left as the novelty value faded. For instance, <keyword id="91626" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="3D-TV">3D TV</keyword> has totally gone out of fashion at the CES this year and key manufacturers are now pushing their ultra high-definition 4K televisions. 
 But is there a future even in 4K? 4K is all about pixel count and extremely high-resolution screens, but we already have some good quality and cheaper HD sets in place that won’t cost a fortune. Moreover, 4K also suffers from lack of content, so much so that Sony’s latest 4K range (KD-55X9004 and KD-65X9004) comes with X-Reality Pro video encoding that upscales any video to match the 4K resolution of 3840x2160p. In case you are looking to stream some over-the-top (<keyword id="1245953" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="OTT">OTT</keyword>) video content from service providers like <keyword id="128682" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Netflix">Netflix</keyword>, you may require a 15 MBPS <keyword id="6357247" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Internet">Internet</keyword> connection to watch it on your <keyword id="2019007" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="4K-curve">4K curve</keyword>. In contrast, watching TV shows via smartphones, tablets and other gadgets cost very little and offers big perks. 
 
 
 
Fly free from TV sets – OTT is super convenient If the new hardware is not alluring enough, the next thing up on the agenda should be Convenience – an area where traditional <keyword id="6395218" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cable-TV">Cable TV</keyword> is losing out. Now that we have digital media, you need not miss a show ever again. You can watch live TV online or on your <keyword id="6354485" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="mobile">mobile</keyword>, thanks to <keyword id="13744" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="IPTV">IPTV</keyword> (Internet Protocol television). Otherwise, watch any movie/TV show through a bunch of OTT apps/services such as <keyword id="10879" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="YouTube">YouTube</keyword>, Netflix, Amazon, <keyword id="191565" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Hulu">Hulu</keyword> and more. Plus there are homegrown platforms such as <keyword id="1622863" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ditto-TV">Ditto TV</keyword>, <keyword id="1376756" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="BoxTV">BoxTV</keyword>, <keyword id="1093031" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="EvoTV">EvoTV</keyword> and <keyword id="2019018" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="YuppTV">YuppTV</keyword> that offer <keyword id="605632" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-TV-channels">Indian TV channels</keyword> and <keyword id="2019019" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="On-demand-video">on-demand video</keyword> content to consumers – on their preferred devices. That means you can view your fav programmes on mobile, tab, <keyword id="13723" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Laptop">laptop</keyword>, <keyword id="154909" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Desktop">desktop</keyword> and even entertainment box. Can the living room big screen offer that much of privacy, mobility and flexibility? 
 
Why miss the <keyword id="6354632" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Social-media">social media</keyword>? Thanks to high-speed wireless Internet, viewing experience can be more interactive and far more sharable. But unless you are using a Smart TV/connected TV that comes with Internet and Web 2.0 features, your tweets and posts about the programme can’t reach your network in real time, nor can you follow your connections. That’s definitely a big let-down in the age of social media. Integrating social apps could be another solution for shared TV viewing but the experience is never as smooth as watching a YouTube video and interacting with your group at the same time. <keyword id="1377728" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="traditional-TV">Traditional TV</keyword> viewers try and stay connected via other screens like PC or <keyword id="28168" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Smartphone">smartphone</keyword> or tab. But that leads to <keyword id="2019023" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Screen-time-sharing">screen time sharing</keyword>, the next malady on our list. 
 
<keyword id="2019024" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vampire-media">Vampire media</keyword> killing Cable outing Now you know what vampire media is – it’s your PC or laptop or tab or even your mobile that grabs a large chunk of pay TV time. According to an <keyword id="6370971" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Accenture">Accenture</keyword> study on consumer viewing habits, 62% of TV viewers are simultaneously using a computer or a laptop and 41% are using a mobile phone, messaging friends about a sitcom joke or fact-checking politicians’ claims. So it’s not really surprising that <keyword id="2019025" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cable-subscriptions">Cable subscriptions</keyword> in the US are poised to drop below 40 million for the first time in over a decade. According to a Business Insider report, top research firm eMarketer states that between 2009 and 2013, the amount of time Americans spent on TV (versus other forms of media) dropped from 45% to 38%. Meanwhile, mobile – including mobile video – exploded from 4 to 20%. It may not be a quick death for pay TV yet, but the indications are, indeed, grim. 
 
 
 
The ultimate integration – <keyword id="2019021" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="YouView">YouView</keyword> can be the future You can’t access it here in India, but the UK-based <keyword id="2019026" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Internet-TV-service">Internet TV service</keyword> called YouView is considered to be the ultimate in the digital media ecosystem. It combines free-to-air digital channels with on-demand content and delivers it free of cost through a single, consistent, intuitive user interface (integrating on-demand, catch-up and <keyword id="2019027" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Broadcast-TV">broadcast TV</keyword>). All you need is a set-top box that integrates IP and broadcast TV. 
 Set up in 2012, YouView is backed by a consortium of seven partners, including 4 broadcasters (<keyword id="60684" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="BBC">BBC</keyword>, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5), and provides access to a vast array of content sources. Better still, you get a central catalogue for global content search, an electronic programme guide (EPG) and a platform that supports predictive recommendations generated social media data analysis. YouView is getting quite popular and the service will be launched on smartphones, tablets and smart TVs as well. Some researchers expect that 3 million UK homes will have YouView by 2015, giving us a broad picture about the future of broadcasting. 
 
Bottom line: You are now spoilt for choice At the end of the day, you can take your pick from a wide range of options. It can be an inexpensive pay TV with good-looking display and solid features; a hardware wonder like a 4K curve that requires an equally expensive digital media infrastructure; a moderate gadget with multiple add-ons (you can attach Internet streaming devices such as <keyword id="163880" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Apple-TV">Apple TV</keyword>, <keyword id="1764047" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="google-chromecast">Google Chromecast</keyword>, <keyword id="260928" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Roku">Roku</keyword>, and videogame systems like <keyword id="6536570" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Xbox">Xbox</keyword> and <keyword id="6532" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Playstation">PlayStation</keyword>) or a ubiquitous Internet TV service like YouView that most <keyword id="2019028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cord-cutters">cord cutters</keyword>, <keyword id="2019029" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cord-nevers">cord nevers</keyword> and digital nomads will love. 
 
But one thing is for sure. With so many choices around, more people will stay away from traditional TV sets and opt out of subscription-based pay TV domain. More households will turn into zero-TV homes because they will opt for streaming alternatives on other gadgets. Unless a significant re-invention happens (how about an interactive TV that allows us to move seamlessly from live World Cup soccer final to online prosumer content to an advertiser’s product), traditional TV may very well perish – slowly but surely.

What’s Killing Your Good
Old Pay TV? Check Out Here

The <keyword id="6354977" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Supreme-Court">Supreme Court</keyword> has ordered the renewal of <keyword id="3230582" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="phase-III-license-of-Red-FM">phase III license of Red FM</keyword>, a unit of <keyword id="3230583" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Digital-Radio-Broadcasting">Digital Radio Broadcasting</keyword>, which is an associate company of <keyword id="109468" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sun-TV-Network">Sun TV Network</keyword>. This has provided a much needed break, one that was long anticipated by the media company based in the southern India. 
 
In the coming future, this renewal could lead to a potential re-rating of the company's stock. 
 However, before being loyal to <keyword id="56013" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sun-TV">Sun TV</keyword>'s stock for a long time, there are two main factors that investors need to keep in mind. First of all, several facts about the company's operations reassure that its financials are healthy, with its revenues and net profits’ continuous growth of 11% and 41% to Rs 568 crore and Rs 218 crore, respectively, in the September 2015 quarter. Good advertising and subscription revenues had a major role in this growth. 
 
Second thing, it would potentially benefit from Indian government’s digitisation. As per the estimates, digital cable subscriptions had a major part in Sun's subscription revenues growing nearly 20% on the average in the past three years. 
 
Also, in south India, approximately 25 million cable homes are not digitised, and since Sun TV network is dominant there, it will surely see reasonably good growth in the subscriptions revenues. 
 
<a href="https://yt3.ggpht.com/-ezSEqUxkKyo/AAAAAAAAAAI/AAAAAAAAAAA/HVMAbOF_6lI/s900-c-k-no/photo.jpg">Image source</a>

Supreme Court order would further strengthen Sun TV’s dominance in south India

With Amazon Prime Video launching in India, earlier today, it's official. <keyword id="559549" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="video-streaming">Video streaming</keyword> services are the way forward. Consuming content has moved almost completely online and it's upto key players like <keyword id="2739840" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Hotstar">Hotstar</keyword>, <keyword id="1526354" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Spuul">Spuul</keyword>, <keyword id="128682" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Netflix">Netflix</keyword>, Voot and Amazon Prime Video to make the most of it. 
 To get a better understanding of the scenario, we caught up with Rajiv Vaidya, CEO, <keyword id="3735729" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Spuul-India">Spuul India</keyword> and asked him to reveal the top 3 video steaming trends for 2017 
 
Here's what he said: 
 
 
1. Let’s go regional: 
 
With increased competition between the video on demand apps, regional content that appeals to particular states will be the key to capture user share. According to the Akamai &amp; NASSCOM report on the future of internet in India, about 75% of the new internet users consume content in local language. The real trick in winning the market is to capture the Tier III towns and the rural areas. This is evident by the fact that we have seen a lot of growth in regional content on the video on demand apps, fuelled by demand from both local viewers and the international diaspora. According to Internet and Mobile Association in India (IMAI), the Internet user base will cross 500 million by 2018, with rural Internet users alone being almost 210 million. 
 
2. Micro transactions &amp; cashless transactions: 
 According to the Frost &amp; Sullivan report there are 66 million unique connected video viewers in India, of which 1.3 million are paid video subscribers. Online video subscription numbers fluctuate dramatically every month. The number of unique online video viewers will grow from 66 million in 2015 to 355 million in 2020. The country is heading for a cashless economy with a colossal change in the way netizens make their day to day transactions. E-payments and mobile wallets are getting more popular among the millennials in the country. Digitisation of cash will accelerate over the next few years. Noncash payment transactions, which today constitute 22% of all consumer payments, will overtake cash transactions by 2023. Digital payments instruments will drive the growth in non-cash payments, according to the <keyword id="6355629" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Google">Google</keyword> BCG Report. Micro-transactions will form a substantial portion of the industry, with over 50% of person-to-merchant transactions expected to be under INR 100 the study said. The report predicts that the value of remittances and money transfer that will pass through alternate digital payment instruments will double to 30% by 2020. 
 
3. Cord Cutting: 
 Today’s viewers have a choice of a host of viewing platforms to choose from, including digital television, internet, tablets and smartphones. Revolutionary app-powered devices like Roku, <keyword id="163880" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Apple-TV">Apple TV</keyword>, Chromecast and other streaming devices lets viewers watch their favourite shows across a variety of screens. According to the Akamai &amp; NASSCOM report on the future of internet in India, the mobile video content will grow at an 83% CAGR in next 5 years. Every major television manufacturer now offers “smart” television sets, with integrated internet features that provide access to a host of on-demand streaming media directly. OTT has not only arrived, it is here to stay, and the advent of 4G and improved bandwidth speeds have only re-enforced this. This surging popularity of OTT platforms has challenged the exclusivity that linear television enjoyed till quite recently. Broadcasters have begun witnessing the market trend of “cord cutting”, with a sizeable segment of viewers tuning out from cable subscription and completely switching over to OTT platforms. Infact the millennials have grown up watching shows online, and will possibly never subscribe to paid television services due to multiple streaming options now available and multiple generations that are accustomed to on-demand services.

Attention: Here the top 3 video-on-demand trends that will rule 2016

Finally! Not the re-runs but some new shows to watch on the telly, which will air right after they are relayed in the US. Star India network has brought to life a new channel that many youngsters and American TV watchers are appreciating in India. At the moment, the new TV channel is only available on the <keyword id="94550" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Tata-Sky">Tata Sky</keyword> network to their HD users. The viewers need to pay a premium of Rs 60 per month, along with the existing package and HD charges. Users can also pay an annual charge of Rs 500 for the channel. 
 New shows like Marvels Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, The <keyword id="238148" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Michael-J-Fox">Michael J. Fox</keyword> Show, The Blacklist and The Goldbergs, along with new seasons of Homeland, Castle, Revenge, <keyword id="543198" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="white-collar">White Collar</keyword>, <keyword id="828465" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="40" keywordseo="Modern-Family">Modern Family</keyword> and <keyword id="6483447" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="40" keywordseo="The-Simpsons">The Simpsons</keyword> will be aired on this channel. In total, 26 latest episodes of new and returning shows will be transmitted. A move like this from the Star Network shows the popularity and demand for new international content. Also, the younger generation wants to move away from the usual saas-bahu and rona-dhona soaps, and are maturing to the international content. 
 As more and more homes get access to DTH systems across India and the wave of cable digitisation sweeps the nation, additional channels like the <keyword id="148199" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="star-world">Star World</keyword> Premiere HD might just emerge. This shift spells a win-win for the viewers and the broadcaster. But until the broadcaster gets a big bunch of spectators, current audience might have to pay a larger sum to access channels like Star World Premiere HD.

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Fourth Phase Of Cable TV Digitisation Likely To Start In 2016

BI India Bureau

What’s Killing Your Good Old Pay TV? Check Out Here

Sanghamitra Mandal

Supreme Court order would further strengthen Sun TV’s dominance in south India

BI India Bureau

Attention: Here the top 3 video-on-demand trends that will rule 2016

Poulomi Das

Star World Premiere HD Is The New Must-Watch TV Channel

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