GECs
Insat 4A to launch on 22 December in French Guyana
MUMBAI: Final preparations are on for the liftoff of Indias telecommunications satellite Insat-4A and the European meteorological satellite 2 Meteosat (MSG-2) on an Ariane 5 G rocket from the spaceport of Kourou in French Guyana on 21 December (around 2 am on 22 December India time).
The heaviest satellite in the series, Insat 4A will be orbited by an Ariane 5 Generic vehicle on a dual-payload mission. Insat-4A is in the Kourou Spaceport’s S5 satellite preparation facility and is ready for launch following its recent fueling.
The massive S5 facility allows payloads to undergo their complete checkout cycle in one of its high-bay sections including hazardous operations such as the spacecraft fueling while additional satellites can be processed simultaneously in building’s other high-bay zones.
Insat 4 A is being deployed for direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasting. The Tata-Sky Dth service had already booked 12 ku band transponders that would enable entire India coverage.
Use of all the 12 transponders would enable the user to provide 150 channels to each DTH subscriber across.
It is pertinent to note here that Tata-Sky CEO Vikram Kaushik had earlier told Indiantelevision.com that Isro had intimated that Insat 4A, the first in a satellite series crucial to the future of the Tata Sky DTH venture, would be launched on 16 December.
Kalanithi Maran’s Sun Direct has booked four – six transponders in the initial phase on 4B or 4C. Insat 4B is likely to be launched in the second or third quarter of 2006, after the launch of 4C.
GECs
Samsung TV Plus launches Kings of Comedy channel
New free FAST channel brings iconic Hindi comedy shows to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners.
MUMBAI: Samsung TV Plus has just turned up the laughter volume and it’s completely free. The leading free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service in India has launched Kings of Comedy, a premium comedy channel featuring some of the country’s most beloved primetime shows. Available exclusively on Samsung TV Plus, the channel delivers back-to-back hits including Comedy Nights with Kapil, Khatra Khatra Khatra, and Comedy Nights Bachao, with no login or subscription required.
The launch marks a milestone for free streaming in India, offering audiences a dedicated comedy destination directly from their Samsung TV home screen. It arrives as Samsung TV Plus India celebrates its 5th anniversary, during which the service has grown its monthly active users by 42 per cent and more than doubled its total viewing hours. The platform now offers over 180 free channels across 14 languages.
Samsung TV Plus India general manager and head of business development Kunal Mehta said, “Comedy is the heartbeat of Hindi entertainment, and Kings of Comedy brings together the shows Indians already love, completely free on their Samsung TV. Our focus remains the same take the content people know and make it effortless to access.”
Globally, Samsung TV Plus has surpassed 100 million monthly active users across more than 4,500 channels, solidifying its position as one of the world’s leading free streaming services.
Kings of Comedy is now available on all compatible Samsung Smart TVs. For viewers seeking non-stop laughter without any cost, this new channel delivers a royal treat proving that sometimes the best entertainment really does come with no strings (or subscriptions) attached.
