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BSkyB offers subscribers free downloads of films, sports
MUMBAI: British DTH broadcaster BSkyB has launched a service that allows its consumers to legally download movies and sports packages from the Internet.
The service, ‘Sky over Broadband’ enables Sky sports or movies subscribers to download clips or full-length features to their PCs without any extra charge to their monthly subscription.
About 200 Hollywood films, including Spiderman 2 and The Day After Tomorrow, along with more than 1,000 sports clips will initially be available free to subscribers to Sky’s premium satellite package.
The Sky by Broadband service is being launched alongside Sky by Mobile, which gives customers access to entertainment, sports, news and weather on mobile phones with internet connections. The service is already up and running for customers on Vodafone’s 3G network.
As programme-makers and film studios are anxious to protect their rights and to prevent video piracy, the service will be extremely limited.
The subscribers will be able to watch only downloaded videos on a single computer or laptop and will not be able to transfer them to DVDs, portable video players or iPods.
Although the movies can be watched repeatedly, they will be wiped from the computer after a month. Some of the sports packages will be deleted after a few days.
The service also works only with computers running Windows, not those with Apple or Linux. But the offer is restricted to only those who subscribe to at least two premium channels.
In the meanwhile, Tescom Software Systems Testing Ltd, which deals in quality assurance (QA) and software testing provider has won a contract with BSkyB to become their principal supplier for testing across the UK.
The contract will initially run through to September 2006. Tescom will use its knowledge and expertise working alongside BSkyB’s existing team to augment and enhance its testing services across the board. The team will ensure that the entertainment company is able to meet its ambitious project plans in the coming months, states an official release.
The company will provide services that are in alignment with current capability and therefore allowing them more scope for new systems to be developed. It will also provide a flexible resource model in order to expand BSkyB testing capability and have already started work on some of the companies critical projects.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
