DTH
Panasonic & IBM to showcase GenNext digital entertainment models at National Association of Broadcasters Conference 2006
MUMBAI: Panasonic, the brand by which Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is best known, and IBM Corporation has demonstrated for the first time a collaborative environment which enables next generation digital entertainment models at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Conference 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The companies have been working together to develop a standards-based ecosystem that will facilitate the implementation of “download and burn” entertainment models to consumer electronics devices that are SD Memory Card-enabled.
This technology demonstration combined leading-edge Panasonic digital entertainment devices and world-class IBM technology to showcase Content Protection for Recordable Media (CPRM) opportunities throughout the world.
In an official statememt, Panasonic is considered by many to be the leader in CPRM consumer devices throughout Japan, and is collaborating with IBM to build worldwide support for CPRM adoption.
The showcase includes new models that enable consumers to burn digital entertainment content obtained via the internet on physical media like SD Memory Cards; the ability to download and play content on SD Memory Card-enabled devices like mobile phones, TV’s with SD Memory Card capability, and other SD Memory Card-enabled devices; and IBM’s Media Hub framework that establishes a rich Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) ecosystem that helps clients take smart, evolutionary steps toward implementation of their SOA strategy in order to meet their business needs.
“Through this demonstration, Panasonic wants to focus on showing a total approach toward achieving an excellent mobile entertainment solution for the customer, and CPRM is an essential part of that,” said Tetsuro Homma, general manager, SD Solution Group, Panasonic AVC Networks Company, the Matsushita Electric divisional company that is responsible for plasma TV, digital cameras, personal computers and other digital products.
“IBM has the combination of technology, service experience, research and consulting know-how to help build worldwide support for CPRM adoption, ” said Homma.
“This joint initiative is consistent with Panasonic’s worldwide insistence on the highest quality in the customer’s entertainment experience, whether in HD Plasma TVs, where we are the US market and technology leader, or in the mobile entertainment experience that will be demonstrated by Panasonic and IBM at the NAB Show,” added Panasonic Corporation of North America VP and chief technology officer Dr. Paul Liao.
For the demonstrations at NAB 2006, Panasonic has been given access to IBM DMTS (Digital Media Transaction Services), a web service plug-in that enables the flow of entertainment content protected by CPRM technologies. In addition, IBM was given access to Panasonic’s broad line of SD Memory Card-enabled devices, some of which use SD-Audio and SD-Video specifications, in addition to new SD Memory Card-enabled devices, currently being evaluated for the use of CPRM functionality.
“IBM is building on our commitment to an open digital media framework. By working together with Panasonic on this type of advanced enterprise CPRM technology, we will enable people to leverage content in new and exciting ways,” said IBM Media & Entertainment, Digital Media general manager Dick Anderson.
DTH
DD Free Dish e-auction revenue dips to Rs 642 crore as slot sales fall
Revenue dips as revised norms reshape bidding in 94th round
NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati’s DD Free Dish has closed its 8th annual, and 94th overall, e-auction for MPEG-2 slots with total collections of Rs 642 crore for the period April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027.
That is lower than last year’s Rs 780 crore haul, with 55 slots sold compared with 61 in FY25–26. The softer topline reflects both a slimmer inventory and a recalibrated auction framework.
This was the first auction conducted after amendments to the e-auction methodology, including tighter eligibility norms and a revised reserve price structure for MPEG-2 slots. The stated aim was greater transparency and more serious participation. The immediate outcome appears to be more measured bidding in certain categories.
Day one set the tone. Eight slots were sold, six in the premium Bucket A+ and two in Bucket A. The strong early action in A+, which typically houses Hindi GECs and movie channels, reaffirmed the enduring appeal of mass Hindi programming on the platform.
Among the broadcasters securing slots in the initial rounds were Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Sony Pictures Networks India, Viacom18’s Colors network, Sun Network and Shemaroo Entertainment. Their continued presence signals that, despite the pull of digital platforms, Free Dish remains a strategic must have for legacy networks chasing scale in price sensitive markets.
The final bouquet of 55 channels leans heavily towards Hindi news, movies, devotional fare, Bhojpuri and regional programming.
In Hindi news, familiar heavyweights such as Aaj Tak, ABP News, India TV, News18 India, Republic Bharat and Zee News made the cut. Entertainment and movie offerings include Colors Rishtey, Star Utsav, Dangal TV, Sony Pal, Shemaroo TV, Goldmines, B4U Movies and Zee Biskope. Devotional viewers will find Aastha, Sanskar and Sadhna Gold among the selected channels.
Regional representation includes Sun Marathi, Fakt Marathi, PTC Punjabi and GTC Punjabi.
Equally telling were the absences. Broadcasters such as Big Magic, Filamchi Bhojpuri, India News, Bharat Express, Movieplex Maithili, TV9 Marathi, Shemaroo Marathibana, Zee Chitra Mandir and Satsang did not participate. The pullback is particularly visible across Marathi, Bhojpuri, Maithili and spiritual programming. Industry observers point to the revised reserve prices, tighter eligibility norms and a reassessment of commercial viability as possible factors.
DD Free Dish continues to beam into over 40 million homes, largely in rural and semi urban India. For advertisers and broadcasters alike, it offers efficient access to Bharat markets where pay TV penetration remains uneven and OTT subscriptions are limited.
The moderation in revenue this year may be read as a pause rather than a retreat. Fewer slots, a reworked auction playbook and evolving broadcaster strategies have clearly shaped outcomes. Yet premium Hindi entertainment retains its pull, and the platform’s mass reach remains hard to ignore.
As the FY26–27 line-up settles in, the mix of winners and walkaways will define the private satellite channel landscape on DD Free Dish for the year ahead.
