Movie Channels
Kalasa to encode movies in-house
MUMBAI: Chennai-based Kalasa Entertainment Media Private Limited (KEMPL) which is into digital delivery of movies in Tamil Nadu will soon receive its own GDC encoder.
This was announced by GDC Technology CEO Dr. Chong in Chennai while attending a demonstration on Kalasa’s seventh digital theatre implementation. Singapore-based GDC Technology supplies digital servers to KEMPL.
“Dr. Chong announced that Kalasa will be receiving its own GDC encoder which will allow us to encode films here in Chennai. This will be delivered and installed by mid-March,” says KEMPL CEO Ramesh V Subramaniam.
When queried if Kalasa will discontinue its present arrangement with Mumbai-based Adlabs for encoding movies, Subramaniam said it would go on.
“We will be using the Adlabs service also. The new system is to meet the excess demand and it will be used as a back-up system as well. Producers, who are reluctant to send their film prints out of the state for encoding, can make use of the in-house system,” he said.
Subramaniam refused to divulge cost details of the new GDC encoder. He said it would be a different version of the GDC encoder Adlabs has been using.
Kalasa currently has a chain of seven digital theatres in Tamil Nadu. The company, which earlier set a target of 60 digital theatres across Tamil Nadu by June 2005, is currently going slow.
The demo was also attended by actor-producer Kamal Haasan, Tamil Nadu producer’s council president Thyagarajan and some of the prominent members of the Tamil film fraternity.
Kamal will be releasing his latest venture Mumbai Express in the digital format. The film will also released in analogue format for theatres without digital projectors
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.
