America Online partners with The Latin Recording Academy for Latin Grammy awards
America Online and the Latin Recording Academy have announced that AOL Music will be the exclusive online partner fo
MUMBAI: In the ongoing debate on the efficacy of set top box systems that will finally enable implementation of CAS, DALVI, a six-year-old encryption systems company that‘s looking to be a major player in the CAS market in India, has refuted the charge that all analogue systems are less secure than digital systems. Pointing that no single solution will be the best for all in the Indian scenario, DALVI‘s business development manager Lewis Zimbler says that security methodology is the same in all systems whether analogue or digital. "The video signal is ‘scrambled‘ and a control data stream is simultaneously transmitted to authorise the set top box. It is not true that all analogue systems are less secure than digital systems. Analogue encryption systems have been in the market for many years and range from the older and less secure sync manipulation versions through to state of the art video processing offering excellent security," says Zimbler.
While DALVI currently operates only for analogue systems, digital systems are also being simultaneously developed, he says. The company has tied up with Catvision Products for distribution and is already in discussions with partners for setting up its own STB manufacturing facility in India, he adds.
The proposed CAS legislation leaves the system implementation choice to the MSOs but offers a variety of choices including digital, analogue, wireless, a hybrid DTH/cable proposal and many others. While security of the system is important as it stops unlawful viewing of the channels, Zimbler says the security methodology is the same in all systems whether or not they are analogue or digital. Digital systems are based on MPEG video encoding and will hence offer a wide range of security, he says.
"The Indian market is not unique in its requirements. It needs secure, reliable and easy to operate set top boxes at an affordable price. Almost every other market in the world asks for these attributes. What makes India special is the unique operating conditions, the potential volume and the expertise of the Indian nation," points out Zimbler.
While the implementation of CAS will start the Indian cable TV business on the road to legitimacy and profit, Zimbler avers that while the government should introduce the necessary legislation it should not mandate the technology to be used to implement it.
MUMBAI: After venturing into untested waters with a religious band on Sundays, Star Plus is now ready with a weekly college romance and a weekday kids‘ fantasy serial to begin telecast early next month.
Neena Gupta, whose last offering on Star, Saans, achieved near cult status, is back on the channel with Kyun Hota Hay Pyarr, a show around three collegians and their quest for love. Slotted in the Thursdays 8 pm time band in place of Kundali, KHHP deals with the lives of small town girl Nikki, college heartthrob Adi and flamboyant Ash as they make their way through crushes and heartbreaks on campus. According to Gupta, Kyun Hota Hai Pyarrr, is for the youth, by the youth and of the youth. My entire cast and crew - actors, director, scriptwriter - are very young. To get the real feel of this generation, of today‘s youth, I needed to work with this young team."
![]() Neena Gupta returns to Star with Kyun Hota Hai Pyarr |
The first campus series on Star Plus, KHHP is produced by Neena Gupta and Anumpam Kalidhar and directed by Nupur Asthana.
![]() Shaka Laka Boom Boom - kids‘ fantasy will take the place of daily comedy on Star Plus |
Hum Saath Aath Hain, the comedy show in the 7.30 pm weekdays slot, will from 19 August make way for Shaka Laka Boom Boom, a kids‘ fantasy. SLBB is about a young boy who discovers a pencil endowed with magical powers, that can bring to life anything that is drawn with it. Sanju‘s escapades with the pencil, his confrontations with the anti heroes and his magical journeys make up for this series, produced by UTV and directed by Ankush, Glen and Suraj Rao.
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