Distribution
Reliance Jio launches smart TV OS for Indian market
MUMBAI: Three days from today and a whole new bunch of TV sets with a new type of operating system are slated to launch. Reliance Jio, the technology arm of Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries, has unveiled JioTele OS, a new operating system for affordable smart televisions, which will hit stores on 21 February.
The platform, designed specifically for Indian viewers, will debut through partnerships with television manufacturers Thomson, Kodak, BPL and JVC. Jio says the system will offer artificial intelligence-powered content recommendations and support multiple Indian languages.
The company’s president of technology claims the platform will deliver lag-free 4K streaming and seamless integration of television channels, streaming apps and cloud gaming services. A unified remote control will manage all content sources.
This launch follows Jio’s recent merger of JioCinema with Disney+ Hotstar to create JioHotstar, expanding its streaming content library. The platform is expected to integrate JioGamesCloud, allowing users to access high-end games without requiring powerful hardware.
The announcement comes amid growing demand for connected television services in India, with approximately 35 million households currently using smart TVs. Jio plans to roll out regular software updates to maintain compatibility with new apps and enhance security features.
Additional television manufacturers are expected to adopt the platform later in 2025, though specific pricing details remain under wraps until the official launch next week.
New Delhi: Prasar Bharati has thrown open applications for fresh capacity on DD Free Dish, signalling a timely opportunity for broadcasters looking to expand reach without long-term lock-ins. The public service broadcaster has issued a dual notice for its 95th and 96th online e-auctions, aimed at filling vacant MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 slots on a pro-rata basis for February and March 2026.
The two auctions are tentatively scheduled to begin on January 27, with allotments valid from February 1, 2026. Applications for both auctions close on January 21 at 3 pm, giving channels a narrow window to get their bids in.
The 95th e-auction will cover vacant MPEG-2 slots, while the 96th will focus on MPEG-4 capacity. Participation is limited to satellite television channels holding valid downlinking and uplinking permissions from the ministry of information and broadcasting. International public broadcasters cleared by the ministry are also eligible.
As with previous rounds, channels have been grouped into buckets based on genre and language, with sharply differentiated reserve prices reflecting reach and demand.
For the MPEG-2 auction, Hindi and Urdu general entertainment channels sit at the top of the pile. The starting reserve price for bucket A+ in the first round is Rs 2,63,48,000. Movie, music and sports channels in Hindi and Urdu follow in bucket A at Rs 2,10,14,000. Bhojpuri channels and other Hindi and Urdu genres, excluding devotional content, fall under bucket B with a reserve of Rs 1,78,62,000. Hindi and Urdu news channels in bucket C start at Rs 1,33,27,000, while bucket D, which includes regional language channels, English news and devotional or spiritual channels, begins at Rs 1,13,96,000.
The MPEG-4 auction comes in at a far leaner price point. News and current affairs channels in Hindi, English or pan-India languages, grouped under bucket G1, start at Rs 13,41,000. Non-news genres under bucket G2 have a reserve of Rs 8,80,000. Regional languages such as Marathi, Punjabi and Gujarati in bucket R2 begin at Rs 4,84,000. Southern language channels in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, grouped under bucket R1, start at Rs 81,000, the same reserve price set for other scheduled 8 regional languages in bucket R3.
Prasar Bharati has underlined that compliance will be closely watched. Broadcasters must ensure that at least 75 per cent of their monthly programming, excluding advertisements, aligns with the declared genre and language. Any deviation could trigger show-cause notices or even removal from the DD Free Dish platform.
For channels chasing reach in a crowded market, the message is clear. The window is brief, the prices are set and the audience is waiting. On DD Free Dish, visibility still comes cheap, but only for those ready to move fast.
