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NXT DIGITAL HITS Station Powered by Thomson Video Networks Will Boost Thomson’s Market Share and Presence in South East Asia and Beyond.
India is currently going through a government-mandated digitisation program and it is expected that over 110 million homes in cities, towns, and municipalities outside of the top 42 cities will make the transition from analog to digital over the next 17 months.
Working with media and entertainment consultancy Castle Media Pvt. Ltd (GIL), the Hinduja Group, which also owns and operates a pan-Indian cable network with over 8 million subscribers, determined that satellite would be the most reliable mode of delivery to these markets because it can meet last-mile delivery challenges and is the fastest way to reach and support network operators at the far interiors of the country. GIL selected HITS technology to deliver programming to local cable operators via C-band satellite.
“We designed our HITS platform to deliver best-in-class picture quality with a robust architecture and the highest level of uptime. To make that design a reality, we needed a world-class digital delivery platform to reach the network operators across India from a centralized location, and Thomson met our requirements,” said Tony D’Silva, managing director of Grant Investrade Ltd. “NXT DIGITAL is here to help the distribution community in analog markets make a smooth and timely transition to digital, and we are hopeful it will help write what could perhaps be the biggest chapter in the ‘Made in India’ story.”
“Thomson Video Networks’ compression technology with advanced statmux features will give us pristine broadcast picture quality at lower bandwidth consumption. The solution is flexible and future-proof, and Thomson Video Networks has a strong local presence, which is an important requirement of the project,” said Vynsley Fernandes, executive director at Castle Media, the consultancy tasked with providing program and project management from design to delivery and technology implementation of the HITS project.
NXT DIGITAL is scheduled to roll out pan-India services in 2015, and tests of various components of the business are underway.
“The Hinduja Group is one of the leading business houses in India and one with a global footprint,” said Eric Louvet, vice president, worldwide sales, Thomson Video Networks. “GIL’s selection of our compression chain will increase Thomson Video Networks’ market share in the satellite segment in India, push the company to among the top compression vendors in the region, and also boost overall market share substantially. This significant project will further strengthen our presence in Southeast Asia.”