SMiT announced its strategic investment in iBoxpay

July 18, 2013, Shenzhen. SMiT, a global-leading operation platform provider for secure distribution of paid contents, today announced the completion of its strategic investment in Shenzhen iBoxpay Information Technology C0., Ltd (iBoxpay).

iBoxpay is the first payment company that pass Unionpay’s security certificate in China. Different from other third-party payment entrepreneurial companies, iBoxpay positions itself as as a technology provider for mobile payment. While iBoxpay integrates many payment types, its products such as personal mobile POS box and Money Box still maintains high level of security. As for now the number of transactions has exceeded a million times with overall amount more than a billion yuan.

 “We are glad to be able to receive strategic investment from SMiT. We firmly believe that iBoxpay will achieve greater progress with this investment.” Said Sen Han, the CEO of iBoxbay.

SMiT aims at bettering the industrial layout in pay TV and mobile internet through strategic investments. This will help to improve the competitiveness of its technology platform, and enhance the synergistic development with other projects. 

“We are glad to make our strategic investment in iBoxpay, such an outstanding company.” Said Hongyu Shuai, the President of SMiT. “As iBoxpay runs complementary business to SMiT, this investment will contribute to the completion of our industrial layout and thus create more value for operators and customers in secure transmission of contents.

About SMiT

SMiT is a global-leading operation platform provider for secure distribution of paid contents. In broadcasting industry, SMiT is a world famous provider for customized Conditional Access Module (CAM). Besides, SMiT is also an end-to-end platform provider for secure distribution of OTT paid contents in internet industry, offering operators and content providers flexible OTT-based solutions.

SMiT is founded in 2003 with its headquarter located in Hong Kong. It has branches in Shenzhen, Beijing, Munich, and Silicon Valley. Currently it has about 400 employees.

For more information, please visit http://www.smit.com.cn.

About iBoxpay

iBoxpay is an independently innovative mobile payment solutions and services provider. iBoxPay have independently intellectual rights  of Its worldwide initiative two-way audio communication technology and audio secure information encryption technology. It provides a new, convenient and secure mobile payment platform following Unipnpay’s specification, supporting online/offline personal payment business and merchants acquiring services by using bank card. 

Vodafone launches public takeover for KDG

Vodafone has officially launched a public takeover offer for Kabel Deutschland Holding AG.

The offer price is for €84.50 per KDH share in cash plus the payment of the proposed €2.50 dividend announced by KDH on 20 February 2013, delivering a total value of €87.00 per KDH share.

Vodafone Group Plc  has launched a voluntary public takeover offer for the entire share capital of KDH through its indirect wholly owned subsidiary Vodafone Vierte Verwaltungsgesellschaft mb following approval by the Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht.

The acceptance period ends at midnight CET on September 11, 2013.

As of today, Vodafone has purchased 3,750,462 KDH shares, representing approximately 4.2 per cent. of KDH’s total share capital.

----- From BroadbandTVnew.com 

http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2013/07/30/vodafone-launches-public-takeover-for-kdg/

No HD for Belarus 1sth DTT multiplex

HD channels will not be carried on the first DTT multiplex in Belarus but may appear on the second, according to Andrei Kudyrko, the director of the Belarusian Broadcasting Centre.

Quoted in the local media, he added that demand for HD services remains low in Belarus, as could be seen by the take-up of services provided by the cable operators Cosmos TV and MTIS. Kudyrko also said that channels on the second DTT multiplex would be offered on a commercial basis.

Belarus will undergo the first stage of ASO on August 1, with the transition due to be completed on June 15, 2015.

In a separate development, it has been reported in the Russian media that protests are planned in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, against a ban on the installation of satellite dishes without special permission.

Lybid TV is now in full commercial operation in Ukraine

The new Ukrainian DTH platform Lybid TV is now in full commercial operation, having signed a multi-year lease for two transponders on Eutelsat 36B.

Lybid TV is broadcasting up to 50 digital channels, including Ukrainian national services, among them the premium sports Football, Football+, Sport-1 and Sport-2, as well as well-known European and Russian brands such as Travel Channel, Tiji, Gulli, Universal Channel, Boets and Zagorodnaya zhizn.

A three-year subscription is being offered to viewers with homes equipped with 60cm dishes for $15 (€11.3).

Commenting on the launch, Nicolay Orlov, Eutelsat’s regional VP for Ukraine and Russia, said: “Satellite is one of the fastest routes to multi-channel viewing in the Ukraine which counts over 17 million TV homes. Eutelsat’s most recent audience survey recorded more than three million satellite homes at the end of 2012, up from two million in 24 months
.
“We are delighted to welcome this new platform to 36 degrees East, the neighbourhood of choice for key broadcasters in Eastern Europe’s vibrant broadcasting landscape. The launch of Lybid increases both quality and choice for Ukrainian TV viewers and sets the scene for faster adoption of digital services across the country.”

Lybid TV is headed by Vyacheslav Mordachov, who was formerly in charge of the leading Russian DTH platform Tricolor TV, and made its debut in April this year.

Hungary 's step by step ASO

The first stage of Hungary’s analogue switch off will take place this Wednesday (July 31) in central parts of the country.

According to the national transmission company Antenna Hungária, it will cover the Budapest, Györ, Kab-hegy, Szeged and Szentes transmitter regions, with six new low-power sites being launched on the following day.

These will ensure the MinDig TV and MinDig TV Extra DTT services, providing viewers with a total of 31 channels, are available everywhere in the switch-off area.

The second stage of ASO will take place on October 31, after which Antenna Hungária will put a further 19 digital low-powered transmitters, mostly in north-eastern Hungary, into operation at the beginning of November.

In total, there will then be 90 digital terrestrial sites.

Antenna Hungária expects the vast majority of analogue service users to switch to digital, resulting in up to one million homes using MinDig TV by the end of the year.

It also plans to expand MinDig TV’s channel line-up and add new services following analogue switch-off.

Russia’s second DTT multiplex should be known by the end of September

According to Kommersant, Roskomnadzor recently announced a competition for a slot on the multiplex vacated in April by TV Center, which is now on the first multiplex.

Although the initial tender for the second multiplex was oversubscribed, at least one of the failed bidders – Russia Today – will not participate in the new contest.

However, Profmedia, Komsomolskaya Pravda and O2TV are among those that will.

Once fully up and running, the second multiplex will cover 97.6% of Russia’s population.

T-HT buoyed by TV figures

The Croatian incumbent Hrvatski Telekom (T-HT) ended the second quarter with 374,294 TV customers, a figure representing 59.3% of its total fixed broadband customers base.

Its residential TV subscriber total stood at 352,323, which was 8.1% up on a year earlier and up 1.5% on the previous quarter.

The Croatian pay-TV market as a whole amounted to 642,770 customers at the end of the first quarter, or 5.8% more than a year earlier.

T-HT’s revenues in Q2 were €454 million, compared to €484 million in the corresponding period in 2012.

EBITDA was down by 17.8% to €180 million and net profit by 29.4% to €875 million over the same period.

Russian Sistema eyes Telefónica CZ

Russia’s Sistema is looking at a number of possible acquisitions including Telefónica Czech Republic.

Speaking to Bloomberg, Sistema (MTS) owner Vladimir Yevtushenko said that he is considering targets in various markets and doesn’t have any proposals pending.

He is also analysing growth opportunities in Russia, amongst them the acquisition of Tele2Russia, and in India, where his company already owns wireless operations.

Quoted by Kommersant, Sistema spokesman Oleg Gudin confirmed that the company is discussing the possibility of acquiring Telefónica Czech Republic, though no decision had yet been taken.

Telefónica Czech Republic’s capitalization value is currently around $4.7 billion (€3.5 billion).

Philips Net TV goes further

Philips has made a number of new apps available for its connected smart TVs.

New for Turkey is Kanal D, which offers series from Turkey’s most watched TV channel on 2012 and 2013 high-end TV’s only.

There are three new apps for the German language market (Germany, Austria and Switzerland). Stern.de, from Stern magazine, features a newsticker, top news , a video playlist with entertaining as well as informative videos and a picture gallery. The app is available on devices from 2011 and beyond.

Gesundheid TV offers tips on health and beauty, while Netzkino is a new video store available on all Philips Net TV devices, with free-to-view films. Adult material can only be played back after 11pm.

For Spanish viewers the new Leroy Merlin app offers over 100 videos on DIY and decoration techniques. Available on 2012 and 2013 high-end TV’s.

Public broadcaster TVE has a complete offer on the new RTVE.es A la Carta which offers RTVE programs, documentaries, series and TVE news directly to all Philips smart TVs. From the broadcaster also comes CLAN A la Carta offering children’s cartoons

Also for Spin is Eibt nahieran, a new portal from the basque language broadcaster, available on all Smart Philips devices.

The new FranceTV app is a combination of the ZouZous App (animation movies for children) and the “FranceTV 231″ app with News items. For 2012 and 2013 TV models.

Finally, Cinemagia is an application for Romania for devices from 2011.

4K trial in Czech

The Czech national transmission company Ceske Radiokomunikace (CRa) has been granted authorization by the Czech Telecom Office (CTU) to continue experimental DVB-T2 tests.

It will now trial both pay-TV and Ultra HDTV (4K), employing the Zizkov transmitter in Prague.

The tests will last for several months and be undertaken in cooperation with the public broadcaster Ceske Televize (CT), which will supply the content.

smart LNB from Eutelsat

Eutelsat has unveils ‘smart LNB’ for Direct-to-Home connected TV.

The satellite operator has announced that it has successfully completed the first phase of development of a ‘smart LNB’ for a DTH antenna that opens the door for broadcasters to operate their own ecosystem of linear television and connected TV services directly by satellite. The ‘smart LNB’ is now entering into the industrialisation phase in advance of commercial availability in 2014.

Designed by Eutelsat, the ‘smart LNB’ is a new-generation electronic feed connected to an antenna with an embedded transmitter for interactive applications such as HbbTV, pay-per-view, social networking, personal subscription management and live show participation (voting, comments, more).

It will transform mass market Direct-to-Home satellite services by enabling broadcasters and platform operators to bolt interactive value-added services onto their broadcast platforms, circumventing viewer dependency on terrestrial fixed and mobile networks. This new product meets increasing consumer expectation to manage and interact with content and also prepares the ground for machine-to-machine and home automation applications.

Fully compatible with existing consumer satellite equipment, the ‘smart LNB’ is based on open standards (DVB-S2, IP) and highly efficient protocols developed by Eutelsat for the connection link, combined with optimised use of satellite spectrum in multiple frequency bands (C, Ku, Ka). As an IP-based tool, it will also enable content to be viewed on mobile devices in the home (smartphones, tablets, laptops).

The proof-of-concept and first prototypes have already been tested over Eutelsat satellites and are now ready for validation with platform operators and partners. Eutelsat has launched the industrialisation process with the first manufacturers with the objective that this new product will be adopted by further hardware manufacturers and become a pillar of future television infrastructure.

Eutelsat’s ‘smart LNB’ will be showcased on the Eutelsat stand (Hall 1, Stand 1.D59) at IBC from September 13 to 17.

Türk Telekom makes Digiturk move

Türk Telekom has made a non-binding offer for 53% of pay-TV operator Digiturk, the company has confirmed.

The company was one of a number of firms within the Çukurova group that were seized by the state bank the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF).

Çukurova was said to be $450 million in debt.

Providence currently owns 47% of the Digiturk platform. Canal+ had been linked as a potential second bidder, as had DTH rival D-smart.

Philippines Cignal Digital TV targets to reach 1M subscribers by 2014

The Television arm of Philippines Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) and the subscription based DTH provider Cignal Digital TV , targets to reach at least 1 million subscribers by 2014. The satellite provider has reached out to 500000 subscribers after the roll out of affordable pricing schemes in January 2013.

Cignal Digital TV´s lowest price plans are offered for USD 9.11 per month and their premium plan is priced at USD 37.13 per month. The digital TV division was launched in the year 2009 and broadcasts DTH services both to households and commercial venues nationwide using direct broadcast satellite technology.

Philippines pay-TV penetration is only 14% of the GDP at the moment and is higher only against Indonesia´s 9%. Cignal is owned by MediaScape , a fully owned subsidiary of MediaQuest under PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund.

India´s Phase III digitization

India´s Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry is making efforts to speed up the digitization process in the country. The Ministry has initiated discussions with MSOs for rolling out of DAS mandate in Phase III towns. Phase III comprises of moffusil towns is supposed to complete digitization process by September 2014.

Ministry estimates that 77 million STBs would be required to digitize India´s Phase III and IV TV viewing homes. Government is encouraging domestic manufacturers for in house STB production. Domestic STB manufacturing opportunity has been identified as a growth driver for electronic manufacturing industry wherein the demand for STBs is valued around USD 12 billion globally.

The government is in discussions with MSOs regarding chip installation in STBs to record real time viewership of data. There are also initiatives taken to ensure that a credible TV audience measurement system is in place and hence the ratings are not tailored to suite advertiser´s interest but are fair and transparent.

Com: SMS Service

“SMS Service” works in market of mobile marketing since 2007, is the content and service-provider of the leader of the market - cellular operator “Azercell”. The basic directions of activity of the company: - Development and distribution of a mobile content (a media content – melodies and pictures, java-games for mobile phones, information-entertaining services, WAP-services); - Development, technical and user's support of  SMS projects and SMS services (realisation of the large-scale media integrated projects); - İnteractive SMS decisions for TV, printing editions, web-sites and radio; - Organisation and carrying out of SMS actions, interrogations and votings, SMS quizes, draws and competitions; - Corporate SMS decisions (SMS notifications, informing and many other decisions); - Mobile marketing (development and realisation various interactive advertising and promo-actions taking into account strategic and marketing goals of the client and specific features of business.) For two years the company with the irreproachable work has gained trust of many Azerbaijan and foreign partners. SMS Service is the exclusive provider of services of  Samsung Fun Club in Azerbaijan. Also in the list of partners of SMS Service such companies as a network of retail of mobile phones “Telephone” (Azerbaijan), “I-free” (Russia), “NOMOC Publishing” (Ukraine) and majors of mass media: newspapers, magazines, TV channels, web-sites and web-portals. We have created a powerful hardware-software complex which can be used for realisation of any SMS-projects and services. The company also has such ready services as SMS quizes, SMS votings, SMS informing etc.

Canal Digital DTH down 3k subscribers in Q2 2013

Telenor Group has reported results for the second quarter of 2013. The company finished the period with 934,000 subscribers to its Canal Digital pay TV services, down from 945,000 at the end of 2012 and down 3 thousand in the quarter.

Fixed operations

Telenor offers TV services over fibre and cable in Norway and Sweden.

TV subscriptions (in thousands):

                                                      Total
                             Change in  -------------------
                           2nd quarter   1st half year  Year
                          ------------  --------------  ----
                           2013   2012    2013   2012   2012
                          -----  -----  ------  ------  ----
Fixed (fibre and cable)
 Norway                     (1)      3     526     510   524
 Sweden                     (1)      2     289     264   284

Canal Digital

Revenues in Canal Digital DTH increased by 1% as higher average revenue per customer and currency effects was only partly offset by reduced hardware sales and effects of a lower DTH subscriber base.

Canal Digital DTH consists of revenues from Nordic DTH subscribers, households in SMATV networks and DTT subscribers in Finland.

TV subscriptions (in thousands):

                                                      Total
                             Change in  -------------------
                           2nd quarter   1st half year  Year
                          ------------  --------------  ----
                           2013   2012    2013   2012   2012
                          -----  -----  ------  ------  ----
Broadcast (DTH)             (3)    (2)     934     952   945

Conax

Revenues in Conax increased by 14% due to more smart card sales. EBITDA remained stable as operating cost increased and more sales in low price markets resulted in declining average price and gross margin per card.

Green light for ER Telecom to buy AKADO

The Russian cable operator ER Telecom has been given the go-ahead by the country’s Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) to acquire Moscow-based Akado.

The news was given to ITAR-TASS by Dmitry Rutenberg, the head of control of transport and communication at the FAS, though he declined to provide any specifics about the deal.

However, what is known from other sources is that two weeks ago ER Telecom filed a petition with the FAS to buy Akado for $1.01 billion (€765.3 million), including debt.

This was valuing Akado at $610 million net of debt, with financing for the transaction being obtained from VTB.

It currently claims a 10% share of both 10% the country’s broadband internet and cable TV markets.

South Africa: Platco Digital to launch new DTH service

Platco Digital, a sister company of the South African independent broadcaster e.tv, is to broadcast a new free-to-air service in South Africa, with future plans to expand across Southern Africa.

The broadcaster has signed a 15-year contract for two transponders with SES, with an option for additional capacity in 2014, will allow the DTH transmission of a new TV channel platform by Platco Digital to audiences in South Africa’s urban and remote areas.

SES will provide the satellite capacity on the SES-5 satellite at 5 degrees East, one of the company’s flagship orbital slots, which supports customers developing the Digital DTH TV markets in Africa.

Platco Digital and e.tv are owned by Sabido Investments (Pty) Limited, a South African media group with holdings in a variety of broadcasting, content, production and distribution businesses.

“This agreement is an important step for the growth of the major South African free-to-air broadcaster and the development of Direct-to-Home TV reception in Africa’s dynamic emerging markets,” said Ferdinand Kayser, CCO of SES.

“It shows that satellite can help broadcasters overcome the challenges of terrestrial coverage, reach large audiences and extend their services with free-to-air programmes. Based on our extensive experience in other parts of the world, SES is well established to provide broadcasters with the highest quality satellite capacity to build a high-value neighbourhood and grow DTH satellite TV across the continent.”

Sabido Investment’s CEO Marcel Golding said, “Platco Digital will offer local and international television businesses the opportunity to broadcast free-to-air channels on the DTH platform, in addition to the Digital Terrestrial Television and Mobile TV platforms. Sabido is excited about this new multi-platform initiative, which will provide South African and African viewers more entertaining, informative and educational programming for free.”

Blizoo: a progress report---from Broadband TV News

Bulgaria’s leading cable operator Blizoo has spoken exclusively to Broadband TV Newsabout the progress it has made to date and its plans for the future.

Acquired by the Swedish fund EQT V in October 2009, it underwent a huge restructuring in 2010/11 and today finds itself in a strong position in what is a highly competitive pay-TV market.

In that market, which by various estimates numbers between 2 million and 2.5 million homes, Bulsatcom, Blizoo and Vivacom occupy the top three spots, with 900,000, 400,000 and 200,000 subscribers respectively, M-Tel claiming fourth spot with 60,000.

According to Vassil Shtonov, Blizoo’s strategy and content officer, the operator currently offers its viewers up to 150 channels, 25 for which are in HD, but has the capacity to provide up to 300 channels. Although 86% of its subscriber base is digital, its analogue offer remains of a very high quality.

Blizoo’s network is also 92% DOCSIS 3.0-enabled, which is higher than any other network in Bulgaria.

While it offers internet access of up 150 Mbps to its broadband subscribers, in practical terms, due to limitations in reception equipment, most customers are not ready to receive more than 100 Mbps.

Shtonov added that Blizoo’s strategy is to focus on its basic offer; OTT (specifically by providing HBO Go); simple boxes, charging customers for some convenience; and catch-up.

Although Blizoo currently offers a limited form of catch up and the feature is supported by its STBs, the operator would like to launch a full service. What holds it back is TV rights, rather than the technology.

Commenting on the Bulgarian market in general, Shtonov said that the company has made a conscious decision not to enter the price war that is currently taking place between other pay-TV companies. The bundles it offers are the best and its subscriber base is growing.

Shtonov also said that Blizoo has managed to reduce its churn by a third. Its plans currently include the development of an app that will allow smartphones to be used as fixed phones at home.

Blizoo is also the leading cable operator in Macedonia, where its footprint reaches a third of the country and it has a 50% share of the pay-TV market. Within Bulgaria itself, Blizoo’s footprint is 50%.

Although the operator has a 15-18% pay-TV market share in Bulgaria as a whole, the figure rises to 34% in its footprint.

ISDB-T for Botswana

The Government of Botswana has decided to adopt Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting – Terrestrial (ISDB-T) as DTT standard.

“The adoption of the ISDB-T standard was the result of a thorough process of research and evaluation of available options, in order to determine the most appropriate DTT standard for our country as we move forward to meet our switchover target of 2015,” said Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration Mokgweetsi Masisi, reports Biztech Africa.

KPN TV business goes well

KPN has grown its TV market share in the Netherlands to 24%, mainly due to the success of its All-in-1 product.

The total number of TV homes was 1,885,000 on June 30, including IPTV, DTT and FttH homes.

During the second quarter of 2013, the Dutch incumbent added 82,000 new IPTV subscribers, bringing the total to 1,210,000 connected homes.

The All-in-1 product remains very popular and rose with 54,000 to 1,131,000. ), resulting in a 42% triple play penetration level, 12%-points higher compared to the same quarter last year.

FttH activations continued to grow by 30k net adds in Q2 2013, resulting in 429k homes activated.

The number of subscriber’s to the company’s DTT service Digitenne continues to decline and stood at 675,000 on June 30, 2013 – compared with 771,000 on June 30, 2012.

The trend is expected to continue, especially since KPN has increased the monthly subscription fee to Digitenne to €12.50, up from €9.95 a month.

Neotion DVB-T2 CAM for EvoTV in Croatia

 NEOTION has developed a new Cardless solution for evoTV, Croatian Post’s PAY TV service, a technologically advanced digital television service based on terrestrial digital video broadcasting.

NEOTION CAM is powered by Irdeto Media Content Protection on Cardless features and registered as a CI Plus 1.3 module.

evoTV CAM was developed accordingly to HP Produkcija d.o.o. technical requirements. HP Produkcija is a company wholly owned by Croatian Post. Croatian partner Chipoteka (Z-el d.o.o) also supported us locally during the entire project.

NEOTION CAM is to be bundled with DVB-T2 TV-sets – especially designed by Grundig for the evoTV offer. The whole package is from now on distributed across Croatia through Grundig local network coordinated by Alles d.o.o.

evoTV users can choose among seven thematic program packages – bouquets – and exchange them as they wish. In the first year, the users get a unique and valuable gift – the HBO and Cinemax bouquet. They can also watch all bouquets for 1 HRK during the first two months. evoTV is the only PAY TV on the market today that does not demand a contractual obligation for a set duration. evoTV is also the first PAY TV service that “travels” with the user, since it does not depend on telephone lines or an internet connection.

“The evoTV CAM represents the first step of NEOTION in Croatia with a customized product. We believe in the success of this recent DVB-T2 offer and have associated our know-how to develop a new Cardless CAM. Moreover the cooperation with Grundig and Chipoteka opens the door to the local distribution network with the aim to bring a ready to view package to evoTV users.” Quentin Hamard, Sales Manager at NEOTION.

Spanish pay-TV slow

According to data published by the regulator CMT, it stood at 3,926,844 as of the end of March, compared to 4,077,101 three months earlier and 4,369,849 as of March 31, 2012.

Canal+ was the leading provider of services with 1,691,281 subscribers, though its take-up was also down, for the fourth quarter in a row.

Second placed OnO also noted yet another quarter of contraction, ending March with 853,750 pay-TV subscribers.

Telefónica, GolTV and TeleCable were next up with 656,499, 260,098 and 132,852 subscribers respectively.

On the other hand, pay-TV revenues continue to hold up, with the total figure for Q1 amounting to €440.98 million, or slightly down from the €444.15 million posted three months earlier but higher than the €433.43 million in Q1 2012.

INDIA: Only 20% of Kolkata city is digitized

Telecom Regulatory authority of India (TRAI) has expressed concern over the slow implementation of mandate Digital Addressable Cable TV system (DAS) in Kolkata city. TRAI states that the overall implementation of subscriber management system (SMS) in the city is just 20% while other three metros registered at least 80% digital TV implementation.

MSOs have been directed to take immediate steps to ensure that the subscriber details and their choice of channels, bouquets and services are entered into the SMS. The Authority would watch the progress in this regard and would take all possible actions, including penal action as per the TRAI Act, to ensure compliance of its regulatory framework.

The regulator states that the cable TV subscribers are requested to cooperate and submit the Consumer Application Forms, complete in all respect, to the respective Cable Operator/ MSO at the earliest, to enjoy the full benefit of digitization.

Cable TV viewership in Pakistan reaches 64%

Cable TV viewership in Pakistan has reached 64% which is up from 55% reported in the year 2010. Cable TV viewership is much higher (85%) in urban areas, while rural regions hold 50% viewership. Though urban TV viewers are dominant, the overall viewership growth is contributed by 17% increase in rural spectators when compared to that registered in the year 2010. Overall, 51% of households in Pakistan possess a cable connection, which accounts to 13 million cable TV subscribers in the country.

There are 7.74 million cable TV connections in urban Pakistan and rural has about 5.4 million cable TV connections. It is evident that 16% of viewers do not have a direct access to cable TV in their home. These viewers either visit friend´s house, restaurant or any other place for watching cable channels.

Over the past two years, access to cable TV connection at household level in rural areas has increased from 19% to 30% with a 11% growth. As the rural TV audience base is growing, TV channels focusing on increasing their audience size will have to concentrate on this target segment. Urban TV viewership is not only stagnant but also heavily cluttered, reports Gallup Media Survey.

Inter Venezuela acquired TuVes HD

The Venezuelan cable operator Inter -which has 700 thousand subscribers-, announced the purchase of the shareholding control of the Chilean DTH service TuVes HD, which operates in Chile, Peru, Paraguay, Bolivia, Ecuador and Venezuela, now focused on providing wholesale Pay-TV services.

The president of Inter, Eduardo Stigol, assured that “increasing our participation in TuVes HD, we saw the opportunity of organically developing our business. And by taking control of this company we provided it with the necessary strength to become a strong DTH provider and a natural partner by the growth of cable operators of the region”. Since 2012 the Inter Group of Venezuela offers VOD and DVR which reaches 80 cities of Venezuela.

MTS go with NOKIA for LTE

Russia’s largest cellular operator Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) and Nokia Siemens Networks entered into a contract for roll-out and maintenance of an LTE network in the Moscow region and Central Federal District. The three-year contract value is $200 million. “We made a three-year frame contract”, MTS vice president and CTO Andrey Ushatskiy announced to the press, “which means we can alter it according to our needs in terms of deadlines and maximum amount.”

Contract value includes equipment and software supply, network roll-out costs and comprehensive functional support. The contract applies to the Central Federal District, Moscow and the Moscow region; it envisages installation of about 2,100 FDD-LTE base stations. MTS launched an LTE network in Moscow in September 2012 having replaced old equipment from Motorola with NSN. Today, there are about  TDD-LTE base stations in Moscow, ComNews was told in the company.

MTS is implementing single RAN concept in the Central Federal District and the Moscow region. It implies roll-out of networks of various standards: 2G, 3G and LTE TDD using a single infrastructure

Ziggo targets mobile and WiFi amid weak TV performance

Dutch cable operator Ziggo said it expects improved revenue momentum to come from further investments in WiFi hotspots and mobile, after reporting “limited growth” in digital pay TV.

Announcing its second quarter results, Ziggo said that the already-started rollout of Ziggo WifiSpots “will result in over 850,000 hotspots by the end of the third quarter and close to 1 million before the end of the year.”

It added that it would launch its mobile offering to existing customers in the second half of this year, offering a bundle of call minutes, SMS and mobile data combined with internet access through the Wifi hotspots. It is also investing in customer retention.

The news came as Ziggo reported this its total TV customers – analogue and digital – dipped 4.8% year-on-year to 2.818 million. However it said that digital TV subscribers increased by a slight 3,000 to 2.24 million.

“The number of TV-only subscribers decreased by 21.4% compared with the same quarter last year, to a total of 848,000 as at June 30, 2013. The decrease was mainly caused by the up-selling of the All-in-1 bundle to our TV-only subscribers as well as by churn among TV-only subscribers,” said Ziggo.

“Churn among TV-only subscribers was higher compared to last year as a result of the market moving towards triple-play and increased competition. Churn on all other product lines, and for All-in-1 in particular, is significantly lower compared to churn among TV-only subscribers.”

CEO Bernard Dijkhuizen added: “Our focus on sales of All-in-1 bundles and retention had an adverse effect on marketing initiatives for premium TV, contributing to a limited growth in digital pay TV this quarter.

Overall for the quarter, Ziggo’s revenues were up 1.4% year-on-year to €391.9 million. Net profit was up to €88.9 million, from €64.4 million in Q2 2012. The firm said it now anticipates 2013 organic revenue growth, excluding ‘revenues from other sources’, to be around  1%, whilst adjusted EBITDA is expected to be in line with last year.

Exset ties up with MSO Indian JK Media

Exset, said as a Netherland (but actually it is Russian company, backed by General Satellite and with same technology as DRE Crypt)based CAS, middleware and Digital Monetisation System (DMS) provider has tied-up with Jammu & Kashmir´s MSO JK Media for deploying more than 100000 STBs that are DMS enabled. The company will soon be releasing information on their association with a Andhra based MSO that will install over 50000 STBs.

Exset recently partnered with Madhya Pradesh based MSO MBAMP and has seeded STBs manufactured by China´s Digital Tele Media (DTM). MBAMP is expected to deploy 250000 boxes in the next two years. The firm is also working with Bihar based MSO Darsh digital which will likely seed around half-a-million boxes in the next three years.

Exset partnered with Bangalore based Maheshwari Electronics and Cable TV for providing DMS, CAS and Middleware to their cable operators and customers. This association is set to help drive governance, TV commerce, advertising and magazine services in a one-way environment that includes new services such as magazine, shopping and government apps. . Exset partners with PK Online, Teleshopping firm Naaptol, and various magazine content owners and other for their DMS service.

Rahul Nehra, Global Head of Sales and Marketing, Exset said that the company is targeting state level MSOs and plans to enter pan Andhra Pradesh , Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh soon.  The CAS player is also looking for expansion in other Asian countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand and Philippines.

Vietnam will issue digital TV standards soon

Vietnam´s Ministry of Information and Communications states that it will issue a set of digital TV standards in preparation for digitization of TV broadcasting. This move is in request from Japanese Business Association in Ho Chi Minh City that includes number of TV makers such as Sony and Panasonic.

This association said that a set of standards are required before making new digital TV sets and would take time for the making. Vietnam planned to stop broadcasting analog TV in five major cities by next year as digital TV will take over. During the transition, households would gain access to digital TV through existing STBs which they would have procured.

Vietnam’s state would help about 2 million poor families for purchasing STBs. TV companies will concentrate on developing content while other companies will take charge of broadcasting. The mandate digitization will happen in four phases and will be first carried out in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Da Nang and Can Tho. While second phase will be carried in 26 provinces which is due for completion by December 31, 2016. The third phase that focuses on 18 provinces and last phase will cover north and central region.

Ukraine Volia chooses Envivio for OTT

Ukrainian cable operator Volia has opted for Envivio transcoders for its new OTT internet services.

The latter, encompassing more than 130 channels, are available to more than 1.5 million households across its footprint of over 29 cities throughout the country.

Commenting on the development, Alexander Hnyduik, CTO of Volia, said: “We chose the Envivio Muse encoders to power the VOLIA Smart HD service because Envivio offered outstanding video quality and a flexible architecture based on software.

“This flexibility is important as we integrate our pay TV and OTT platforms and serve a larger number of viewers around the country who want to enjoy a more personalized, anytime, anywhere TV experience.”

Serguei Lakham, Russia/CIS sales director for Envivio, added: “Operators around the world choose Envivio software for a variety of video processing needs, including live and on-demand TV delivered in the home or on mobile devices.

“This deployment with an innovative operator is an excellent example of how our solutions are ideally suited for advanced video delivery to any screen.”

Traditional CAM(Conditional Access Module)

Traditional CAM(CA Module) is an electronic device, usually incorporating a slot for a smart card, which equips an Integrated Digital Television or set-top box with the appropriate hardware facility to view encrypted content that using a conditional access system.

The current main manufacture of CAM: SMiT, Neotion, SmarDTV

CAM with PVR(TimeShift)

PVR and TimeShift is normal for STB, but for CAM it is not easy,CAM with PVR or Timeshift functionality should be based on CI+ technology, and engineer must find enough space to store the recorded content.

Below design is from SMiT, traditional style CAM with slot for MicroSD, end user can choose its own MicroSD to store the recorded content. 

Of course the slot for smartCard can be closed based on operator's requirement for cardless CAS.

NEOTION produces VOD-capable CAM for Ziggo

 NEOTION and Quantis Electronics BV cooperate to launch a new advanced CAM for Dutch Cable operator Ziggo.

This CI Plus 1.3 product is a key milestone for CAM technology. Indeed NEOTION CAM is ready for Ziggo interactive offer launched late spring on their set-top boxes.

In combination with an advanced TV-set approved by Ziggo and adjustments in the Ziggo network they can also enjoy the VOD service without set-top-box.

All CAM ITV will be distributed by Quantis Electronics BV in The Netherlands.

NEOTION is a pioneer in this product deployment and keeps moving on its Innovation approach regarding advanced CAM – a commitment to allow pay TV operators such as Ziggo to extend their coverage while remaining user-friendly.

Liberty Media might acquire 25% stake in Airtel Digital TV

American Media and communication firm, Liberty Media is said to be in talks with Bharti Airtel for acquiring 25% of stake in the firm´s DTH satellite business. Market speculations states that Airtel might plan to sell its stake in its unlisted DTH business, as compulsory digitization and higher foreign ownership limit drives the firm to seek capital and market reach.

Bharti has been trying to unload satellite business that has 18% market share and it is said that the firm is keen on selling a larger stake at a higher valuation. Reliance Digital TV, a fully-owned subsidiary of Reliance Communications is also said to be in talks with Sun TV, DTH provider for selling 80% stake to the later.

Indian government´s  digitization mandate has brought in a double digit growth for the DTH players. Other key DTH players are looking to raise capital to support the digitization mandate. Videocon is planning for an IPO; Tata Sky has filed for the same to raise capital to fund their DTH business.

Videotron introduces multi-room PVR

MONTRÉAL — Cable television leader Vidéotron is making life easier for its customers once again by adding a new functionality to its illico TV new generation service: the multi-room PVR feature.

Television viewers throughout Videotron’s service area can now tape their favourite programs and watch them on any television set in the home that is equipped with a new-generation HD set-top box. It is therefore possible to record a show in one room and watch it in another.

“It is blazingly simple to use,” says Manon Brouillette, President and Chief Operating Officer of Videotron. “The multi-room PVR feature gives Videotron customers the best possible tech experience by allowing more flexible television viewing. Once again, Videotron is taking the television experience to another level and offering service tailored to our customers’ needs.”

Available across Québec

The multi-room PVR feature lets customers access content saved on an illico new generation PVR from any new-generation set-top box in the home. Customers can also pause and then resume play on a different television set in the home equipped with a new-generation set-top box.

To take advantage of the multi-room PVR feature*, Videotron customers need to have a new-generation PVR and another new-generation HD set-top box (available on lease). They can then access all their recordings from all their television sets, as well as a peerless selection of high-definition content supported by a powerful, evolutionary technological platform.

illico TV new generation is an exceptional entertainment showcase with a rich catalogue of more than 30,000 video-on-demand titles per year. It delivers the best possible technological and entertainment experience to more than half a million customers, day after day.

* This function requires installation by a technician. Videotron digital TV customers should first make sure that their set-top boxes are compatible or obtain one or more new-generation set-top boxes.

Indonesian DTH player GCN selects Viaccess-Orca´s smartcard CAS

Indonesia´s satellite TV provider Global Comm Nusantara (GCN) has opted Viaccess-Orca´s smart card conditional access system (CAS) for their upcoming interactive satellite based DTH service branded as ‘neotv’. GCN targets to reach more than 30 million viewers through their neotv service. neotv´s STBs will be supplied by Newland Communication and the SMS will be managed by DuoSoftware.

GCN plans to deliver educational and cultural contents to their subscribers that will enable them to support diverse number of commercial business models such as subscription based, pre-paid and pay-per-view models. Viaccess-Orca´s CAS enables advanced security features that include content redistribution management and extended STB protection. The platform also provides features such as personal digital video recorder, preview per channel and parental control.

François Moreau de Saint Martin, CEO, Viaccess-Orca. “This DTH project demonstrates GCN’s dedication to bringing the best TV technology to the Indonesian market. Working with our partners, STB provider Newland Communication and DuoSoftware for their subscriber management system, enables us to provide GCN with a totally integrated solution, giving them a strong roadmap to expand their customer base by adopting new content delivery mediums like OTT and TV Everywhere (TVE)”.

Cambodia´s pay- DTT One TV reaches 20000 subscribers

One TV, Cambodia´s first pay-DTT project on DVB-T platform reaches out to 20000 subscribers in a three- month period since its launch. One TV´s strategy of providing digital TV services at an affordable subscription fee, with flexible payment conditions through financing and leasing programs has helped them to boost their sales rapidly. The DTT platform´s digital signal services covers 9 major provinces in Cambodia with coverage of 70% of the population as of December 2012.

One TV offers 2 basic packages and one add-on package with minimum subscription fee starting from USD 4. Over all the packages comprises of 46% of International channels; 24% local channels in the native Khmer language and 30% of Asian language channels comprising of Thai, Korean and Chinese contents.

One TV´s STBs are supplied by Hyundai Digital Technology (HDT), a Korean based manufacturer and their CAS is provisioned by GS Group’s partner and a Holland based broadcast technology supplier, Exset. The project comprises of broadcasting networks at 9 sites with 54 digital DVB-T transmitters that are supplied by Rhode & Schwartz. One TV employs Harmonic’s headends and their billing solutions are provisioned by Comteza.

One TV is the first pay-DTT operator in Cambodia which was launched in partnership with Russia´s GS Group and the country´s Royal Group of company.  GS Group being a technical integrator of this project is also the main investor in the digital TV platform holding a 51% share. This Cambodian project is a part of the company´s next five-year technological and investment strategy.

In July 2012, One TV started the test broadcasting of 20 TV channels in digital with DVB-T standard in Cambodia’s capital city, Phnom Penh region. One TV commenced selling its digital services in the capital city of Cambodia in September 2012. Cambodia´s 80% of TV audience use cable connections while One TV was the first to launch digital TV services in the country. Over the past few months One TV has been giving a tough competition to the Cambodian cable TV community.

GS Group is planning to launch different broadcasting projects in Pakistan, Bangladesh and other Asian countries. The group is involved in launching digital TV platforms worldwide in partnership with local investors. GS Group is a technological partner for the Russian DTH operator, Tricolor and Ukrain´s DTH operator Lybid TV.

Time Warner Cable to offer TWC TV app for Xbox 360

TWC TV™ on Xbox 360 to Give Time Warner Cable Customers a New Entertainment Experience

NEW YORK — Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) today announced an agreement with Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) that will open the door to a new viewing experience for Time Warner Cable customers. In the upcoming months, the TWC TV™ app will be available on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system.

Time Warner Cable video subscribers who are Xbox Live Gold members will be able to watch up to 300 live TV channels through their Xbox 360. Customers can easily download the TWC TV app on the Xbox 360 and begin watching instantly.

“We are thrilled to partner with Microsoft in expanding the many ways our customers already connect to the content they love through TWC TV,” said Mike Angus, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Video for Time Warner Cable. “We look forward to introducing TWC TV to Xbox 360 and providing customers with this new viewing experience within the home. We are very excited about Microsoft’s vision for entertainment and the vast possibilities Xbox offers.”

“TWC TV is a significant addition to Xbox 360, bringing our customers their favorite entertainment in one place—enhanced TV experience, games, movies, music, sports and entertainment apps,” said Blair Westlake, corporate vice president, Media & Entertainment Group at Microsoft. “Our partnership with TWC enhances all that is available on Xbox 360 today, which will we continue expand. We’re thrilled to offer TWC TV to U.S. Xbox Live members and Time Warner Cable subscribers.”

The TWC TV app will be available for download at no additional cost in the Xbox Live Marketplace. Channel line-ups vary by market and depend on the video subscription package to which a customer subscribes.

ER-Telecom files application to buy into Akado

Russian service provider ER-Telecom has filed an application with the Federal Antimonopoly Service to acquire all or part of Akado, which is strong in the Moscow broadband and TV market, according to local reports.

A decision is expected in about a month. According to the reports, ER-Telecom is aiming to acquire 100% control of Akado.

The value of Akado has been estimated at between US$700-830 million (€535-635 million) including debt.

ER-Telecom, Russia’s number two broadband provider, has about 2.45 million revenue-generating units compared with Akado’s 770,000, which are, however, concentrated in the lucrative Moscow market where Akado is the number three player.

Akado posted revenues of RUB11.2 billion (€260 million) last year, with EBITDA of RUB4.22 billion.

Akado, majority-owned by Viktor Vekselberg’s Renova Media, has attracted interest from a number of other parties including, most recently, state railways-owned TransTeleCom.

Ziggo takes delivery of VOD-enabled CI+ modules

Ziggo has begun taking delivery of video-on-demand-enabled CI+ 1.3 conditional access modules from CAM manufacturer SMiT.

The CI+ 1.3 VOD CAM will enable Ziggo subscribers with advanced TV sets to view VOD without the need for a set-top box.

The SMiT CI+ 1.3 VOD CAM also has a built-in MHEG-5 application to provide smoother overlay display with less resource occupancy, according to SMiT.

6.1 million Pay TV subscribers in Germany in 2012

The Working Group Digital Pay TV Association of Commercial Broadcasters (VPRT) first proposed the study "Pay TV in Germany 2013", an overview of the pay-TV market in Germany and in German-speaking countries. Besides an overview of providers, each with its own organizer and transmitter portraits, the study documents the economic development of pay TV with selected market data: According to the pay-TV and paid video-on-demand (VoD) market reached over the past year sales of approximately 1.84 billion Euros in Germany or about 2 billion euros in the German-speaking. The number of pay-TV subscribers increased to 6.1 million in Germany and about 6.8 million in German-speaking and the use reached with over 9 million daily viewers alone in the German pay-TV new record levels. The number of registered in Germany pay-TV programs has increased from 26 programs in 2003 to currently 89 programs.The number of pay-TV programs in high-resolution HD quality has risen from 36 in 2011 to 57 today HD programming.