iWorld
Eros Now Partners with Dish TV India
KOLKATA:Eros Now today announced its partnership with Dish TV, the leading direct-to-home (DTH) offering the best of online entertainment. As part of the association, Dish TV & D2H users can access Eros Now's massive content library including 12,000 plus movie titles, original shows, short-format content Quickie, music through their android set-top boxes – Dish SMRT Hub & D2H Stream, respectively.
Online content consumption is increasing rapidly as consumers access streaming services from their home. This partnership further deepens Eros Now's reach by providing seamless access to Dish TV India's vast number of consumers in the country. DishTVAND D2H users can avail free access to Eros Now on the first month's subscription after which users can pay as per their subscription plans. The inclusion of Eros Now in DishTV and D2H set-top box, SMRT Stick and SMRT Kit with Alexa services enhances consumers' streaming experience.
Dish SMRT Hub’ and ‘d2h stream’ are internet-based Android-based HD Set Top Boxes and offer a host of features including built-in Google Assistant, Chromecast, Google Play and access to all popular apps. Coupled with the ease of using voice commands via Google Assistant, these Android-based set-top boxes are compatible with any television set and available for Rs 3,999 for new subscribers and Rs 2,499 for existing subscribers.
Commenting on the partnership, Eros Now CEO Ali Hussein said, "Eros Now has a vast movie catalogue that features cult classics to modern, new-age films. The massive content library offers high-quality experience to the consumers who can consume the content from their homes on smart TVs, at their convenience. This transformation of OTT consumption moving from personal, private devices to television sets in the living room, is a growing trend with movies and other long-format content being consumed on large screens. Eros Now's endeavour has always been to present the best of online streaming content and provide seamless access to consumers across markets as well as different mediums. The association with Dish TV's innovative services keeps its vast consumer base glued to the television sets with the inclusion of Eros Now's content that offers premium OTT experience."
Commenting on the association, Executive Director and Group CEO, Dish TV India Ltd executive director and group CEO Anil Dua said, “In our endeavour to provide the best of both the linear and online entertainment options, we have recently introduced a whole range of connected devices including Android STB’s and streaming sticks. We are happy to partner with Eros Now and this partnership will enable our customers to have access to their vast online content library across both our Dish and D2H platforms. Dish TV India is committed to delivering the best TV viewing experience while offering unique content options to its customers and this partnership is another step in the same direction.”
In addition to Android STBs, Eros Now is also available on Dish SMRT Stick & SMRT Kit and will be soon available on D2H magic & D2h Magic Voice-Enabled.
iWorld
X launches XChat messaging app on iOS with calls and encryption
Standalone app marks shift from “everything app” vision, adds E2E messaging.
MUMBAI: From one big app to many small chats, X seems to be splitting its ambitions. X has rolled out its standalone messaging app, XChat, to iOS users, opening up a new front in its evolving product strategy. The app allows users to connect with existing X contacts through private and group messages, file sharing, as well as audio and video calls. The launch follows a limited beta phase, where the platform tested the product with a smaller user base to refine the experience. Now available publicly, XChat marks a notable pivot from earlier ambitions championed by Elon Musk to turn X into a single “everything app” combining messaging, payments, commerce and more.
Instead, the company under xAI ownership and backed by SpaceX appears to be building a suite of standalone applications, each targeting specific use cases while expanding its broader ecosystem.
At launch, XChat includes end-to-end encrypted messaging, PIN-based access, disappearing messages, and features such as message editing, deletion for all participants, and screenshot blocking. The company has also said the app is free from advertisements and tracking mechanisms, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative in a crowded messaging space.
However, security claims around the platform are likely to face scrutiny. Earlier iterations of XChat drew criticism from experts who argued it fell short of established encrypted platforms like Signal. With the wider rollout, the app is expected to undergo fresh evaluation to assess whether those concerns have been addressed.
Beyond messaging, XChat will also house X’s Communities feature, which is being discontinued on the main platform due to low usage and spam concerns. Migrating these users could provide an early boost to adoption, effectively turning XChat into both a communication and community hub.
The move underscores a broader recalibration at X less about cramming everything into one app, and more about spreading bets across multiple touchpoints, one message at a time.
