Movie Channels
HBO wins plaudits in Asia; takes website to a new level
For the second successive year movie channel HBO has done well in Television Asia’s regional survey. Fans from India, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Hong Kong responded enthusiastically.
Some categories where HBO was the top dog include Programming, Sales and Marketing, Viewer Feedback and Most Popular Channel. HBO was runner up in Best On-Air Look and came in third in Best Value for Money.
President and CEO, HBO Asia, Dan Murrell had these remarks to make: “We are very pleased and honoured to once again be recognized No.1 by the industry. As the premium movie channel in the region, we will continue to work towards creating and delivering even more value to all our viewers and partners”.
In America, meanwhile, the channel is pulling out all the stops in a bid to connect with its viewer base. On hbo.com fans of OZ, a series which runs in America, can take a 360-Degree Virtual Tour through ‘Virtual OZ’.
The series examines the lives of the correctional officers and inmates at the Oswald State Correctional Facility which is a maximum-security prison. Film director Barry Levinson (Rainman) is one of the executive producers. The ensemble cast includes Ernie Hudson (Congo), Terry Kinney (Sleepers), Dean Winters and Kirk Acevedo.
It offers a ‘First Look’ at the prison set part of the OZ Web Site which has been redesigned. Viewers will be shaken up by the harsh difficulties prisoners have to face at the correctional facility.
HBO.com started five years ago. It is created and produced by Home Box Office, the premium television programming division of Time Warner Entertainment Company, L.P. HBO has exclusive licensing deals with Paramount, Sony Pictures Entertainment (Columbia/ TriStar), Universal and Warner Bros (including New Line Cinema).
Site visitors can “walk” in a virtual world through the penitentiary by using Apple Quicktime VR, Flash 5.0. They will also be enthralled by three dimensional animation features. They can explore the halls of the experimental “Em City” and experience the intense loneliness of solitary confinement.
All this is a clear attempt on the part of the channel to build up expectation before the series’ fifth season which starts on 6 January 2002 at 10pm ET on the channel.
Virtual OZ will also offer 40 360-degree photos and what the channel terms as “hot spots” that provide information and audio clips. This is aimed at familiarising viewers with the role that the locations they visit played during past episodes.
The information and audio clips will also delve into details about the characteristics of each OZ area and provide insight on past events at that particular location.
Another new site area is “Behind OZ,”. This aims at educating viewers about how the series was made. Cast and crew members will talk about their experiences making the series.
There will also be an exclusive “sneak peek” slide show of the upcoming fifth season. “Question of The Week” contests will bestow winners with OZ merchandise. A television schedule along with an episode guide will also be on display. OZ also has a newsletter and if fans can sign up receive for show and cast information.
Movie Channels
Zee5 launches five free FAST channels on Samsung TV Plus India
New genre-led channels bring comedy, drama, horror, classics and South films to Smart TVs.
MUMBAI: Zee5 just turned Samsung Smart TVs into a free entertainment buffet because when premium content costs nothing, even the remote control starts smiling. Zee5 has launched five curated free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels on Samsung TV Plus India, making high-quality, genre-specific entertainment available subscription-free to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners across the country.
The five channels now live are:
Zee Comedy Nation – Popular comedy shows and movies
Zee Dil Se – Compelling drama series
ZEE Horror Nights – Horror and supernatural content
ZEE Cine Classic – Timeless Indian films
ZEE South Flix – High-energy South Indian films dubbed in Hindi
All content is drawn from Zee5’s extensive library and programmed in a lean-back, always-on format ideal for large-screen viewing. This launch strengthens Zee5’s Connected TV strategy at a time when 64 per cent of its premium content watch time already comes from connected devices.
Zee5 chief business officer Siju Prabhakaran said, “At Zee5, we believe accessibility and scale will define the next phase of digital entertainment growth in India. Our presence on Samsung TV Plus strengthens our Connected TV strategy, enabling viewers to discover curated, genre-led content in a seamless, free, and premium environment.”
Samsung TV Plus India head of partnerships Kunal Mehta added, “Local partnerships are at the heart of how we grow Samsung TV Plus in India. Zee Entertainment is one of India’s most iconic media brands, and bringing their channels to our service means millions more Samsung Smart TV owners can enjoy premium local content, subscription-free.”
The channels are available directly through the pre-installed Samsung TV Plus app with no login or subscription required. This marks another milestone in Zee5’s CTV expansion and builds on its growing international presence, with Zee channels already available on Samsung TV Plus across Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
In a streaming world where paywalls often block the fun, Zee5 and Samsung have quietly opened the gates, proving that sometimes the best things in life (and on your TV) really are free especially when they come with a side of comedy, drama, horror, classics and South Indian blockbuster energy.
