GECs
HP, Dell defend Blu-ray DVD format; Paramount lends support
MUMBAI: As the war over the high definition digital versatile disc (HD DVD) format gets more fierce in the US computer firms and Blu-ray Disc Association members, Dell, and Hewlett Packard sought to defend the product that they have backed.
They also received a shot in the arm through Paramount which has announced that it is supporting Blu-ray.
For those not in the know there are two formats being developed for high definition DVDs which could well be the future in the fight against piracy. One of them is Blu-ray which has the backing of a lot of technology firms like Dell, Hewlett Packard, Panasonic, Sony and LG. The other format is HD DVD and Microsoft, Toshiba and computer chip giant Intel have thrown their weight behind that format. The catch is that these two formats are incompatible. This means that if you buy a Blu-ray DVD player it will not play discs made by HD DVD and vice versa. However both formats can play standard DVDs.
HP GM personal storage business Maureen Weber said, “From a PC end-user perspective, Blu-ray is a superior format. It offers 67-150% more storage capacity, higher transfer rates, slim-line notebook compatibility, broadband connectivity and a proven interactive layer with BD-Java. The technical merits and consumer benefits of Blu-ray Disc make it the ideal solution for HP’s customers.” The companies said that they were trying to set the record straight regarding what they termed erroneous comments made by Microsoft and Intel on the Blu-ray format.
Dell and HP state that on the capacity front Blu-ray Disc’s capacity is 50GB. This will be available at launch for BD-ROM, BD-R, and BD-RE. This is 67 per cent more than HD-DVD’s 30GB ROM capacity and 150 per cent more than its recordable storage capacity — a
critical issue for computer users.
Paramount has said that it would release films in the Blu-ray format. Interestingly earlier it had said that it would release films in the HD DVD format. It could well be the case that Paramount might release films in both formats. Fox and Disney have also supported Blu-ray though reports inidcate that they too may release DVDs in the other format as well. Sony’s next-generation PlayStation 3 game console will come equipped with a Blu-ray DVD player. This was a key factor behind Paramount’s support.
Sony’s PlayStation 2 console, which can play conventional discs, was a key driver of current-generation DVD sales.
Sony meanwhile insists that there will be no impact from Microsoft’s and Intel’s support of the HD DVD format. Analyst firm Gartner has predicted that DVD recorders and games consoles will be a major factor in determining the preferred format.
For the moment at least, Blu-ray appears to have public support. In a July poll in the US 58 per cent indicated that they preferred Blu-ray, 26 per cent were undecided, and 16 per cent preferred HD-DVD.
GECs
ZEEL overhauls sales structure to chase growth across TV and digital platforms
New structure sharpens digital push as viewing habits fragment fast
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. is reshuffling its sales playbook as it looks to keep pace with a fast-changing media landscape, where audiences are scattered, screens are multiplying and advertisers are following the data.
According to media reports, the rejig is anchored in the company’s push to build a more integrated, data-led monetisation engine, one that can straddle both traditional television and fast-growing digital platforms with equal ease.
At the heart of the move is a reworked sales architecture designed to deliver cross-platform solutions. With connected TV gaining ground and digital consumption surging, ZEEL is aligning its teams to move quicker, think broader and sell smarter.
The restructuring is being led by chief operating officer, advertisement revenue, Sandeep Mehrotra, at a time when the company says it is seeing tremendous growth. The idea is simple: match the right talent to the right opportunity in a market that is anything but static.
As part of the overhaul, several long-serving executives have been elevated to chief sales officer roles across regions and content clusters. Sanjoy Chatterjee will head the east market, while Gunjarav Nayak takes charge of the west along with high-margin verticals such as hmg, brand works, intellectual properties and digital sales. Rajnish Gupta will oversee bengaluru and chennai markets alongside the kannada and tamil clusters.
In other key moves, Divjyot Dhanda will lead hyderabad and kochi markets and manage zee tv, zee keralam and the telugu cluster. Roshan Vasu Kotian will supervise a diverse portfolio including Zee Marathi, &tv, Zee Punjabi, Zee Anmol, Big Magic and Zee Biskope.
The company is also strengthening its bench, appointing national sales heads across retail, regional clusters, digital and brand solutions. Ankur Kapila’s appointment to lead digital sales signals a sharper push into a segment that continues to outpace traditional formats.
Behind the scenes, dedicated strategy and operations roles have been carved out for both linear and digital businesses. Nitin Shetty, Rajkiran Shrivastav and Priya Nambiar will take on key responsibilities to ensure the new structure runs with precision.
The broader aim is clear. ZEEL wants a bigger slice of advertising budgets that are steadily drifting towards digital and connected TV ecosystems. By integrating its offerings, the company hopes to deepen client relationships while unlocking new revenue streams.
The new structure takes effect immediately, with Mehrotra continuing to report to chief executive officer Punit Goenka and steer the company’s advertising revenue strategy. Senior executive Laxmi Shetty will support the transition, with her revised role expected to be announced soon.
In a market where content is everywhere but attention is scarce, ZEEL’s latest move is less about rearranging the org chart and more about staying in the game.
