News Broadcasting
Tandberg Television brings IPTV video head-ends to Globalcomm 2006
MUMBAI: The Globalcomm 2006 to be held in Chicago this month will see Tandberg Television making its advances in the global standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD) IPTV video head-end market.
With the recent acquisition of SkyStream, Tandberg Television comes to Globalcomm with expanded compression capabilities. The acquisition combines two highly-complementary technology lines, providing Tandberg Television with increased encoding density and new transcoding solutions and expanding its premium SD video quality and HD AVC encoding. Thus, it is able to provide the industry with the broadest and most flexible IPTV video head-end solution set, informs an official release.
The expanded range of Tandberg Television IPTV products is designed to provide both large and small telcos with the necessary choice and flexibility to efficiently advance their IPTV service roll-outs. The enlarged product line, packaged in telco or broadcast chassis form factors, presents the industry’s widest selection of encoding and video processing technologies for streaming, transrating, transcoding, high density encoding and premium encoding with solutions that are shipping today for standard definition and high definition MPEG-2, MPEG-4 AVC and SMPTE VC-1, adds the release.
As a result of the acquisition, Tandberg Television’s Globalcomm booth will show fully operational SD and HD IPTV video head-ends with a number of new innovations including:
— Unified IPTV head-end control and management with Tandberg nCompass will provide integrated control for all Tandberg IPTV solutions, enabling telcos to save money through improved operational efficiency.
— Advancements in Picture in Picture (PiP) with the launch of SD PiP on the NEBS-certified, telco-designed Mediaplex and iPlex platforms, as well as SD and HD PiP on the Tandberg premium encoding range.
— Launch of a new HD encoder designed to meet the needs of the Tier 2 and Tier 3 Telco/IOC markets. Called the Tandberg EN5960, the HD platform has been well-received initially with several successful U.S. carrier deployments already completed. The EN5960 extends Tandberg Television’s market leadership in HDTV.
Tandberg Television will also continue its tradition of open integration by working with leading systems integrators, middleware providers and consumer device manufacturers to provide operators with complete systems. The Globalcomm booth will include live demonstrations with both Myrio TotalManage, Myrio Interactive and Microsoft TV IP-TV Edition middleware and leading set-top box vendors.
Tandberg Television EVP Jim Olson said, “Globalcomm will see Tandberg Television cement its lead as the IPTV compression powerhouse. Our unique offering of choice and flexibility enables operators to mix and match their head-end infrastructure investment to maximize utilization of existing network infrastructures (SONET, ATM and IP), to leverage increased bandwidth efficiencies and to select the most appropriate video compression performance and density to support picture quality requirements on a per channel/per program basis.”
“What’s more we will show telcos at Globalcomm how they can integrate our IPTV video head-end systems with our range of revenue-generating solutions for advanced IPTV services. These include Push/Pull video on-demand, interactive television, mobile TV and ad insertion, all of which will truly differentiate a telco’s offering from standard cable services in the Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets,” he added.
HD and SD Picture-in-Picture
According to the release, Tandberg Television is showcasing its latest developments in Picture-in-Picture (PiP) technology that increase operator options for real consumer benefits, such as enabling second channel live viewing, advanced video mosaics, next-generation video programming guides, user configurable multi-view screens and the simultaneous delivery of content to mobile, handheld or web streaming devices.
Tandberg Television will launch SD PiP on both the iPlex and Mediaplex video head-ends. These carrier-class platforms are complete head-end systems in a single chassis that enables a new level of converged services over any last mile access infrastructure (xDSL, FTTx, and CATV). The Mediaplex and iPlex video platforms are the industry’s first fully-integrated switched digital video head-ends to deliver MPEG-4 AVC encoding, MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 AVC transcoding, PIP encoding, transrating, remultiplexing and routing. With flexibility, and highly-dense capacity of up to 48 MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 AVC encoders or transcoders, Tandberg Television’s Mediaplex and iPlex platforms can distribute hundreds of high-quality video channels in multiple formats and rates to millions of subscribers simultaneously.
In addition, HD PiP capabilities will be shown on the Tandberg premium HD platform. Delivering outstanding quality and 3-in-1 resolution choices, the Tandberg EN5990 encoder is able to output MPEG-4 AVC HD main video (either 720p or 1080i), “HD-PIP” which is user selectable with resolutions from 192×192, SIF through to full resolution SD running between 256Kbit/s -> 5Mbit/s and “Micro-PIP” with 96×96 (PAL) / 96×80 (NTSC) resolution. This ability to deliver a full resolution SD version of the HD channel opens up several possibilities for broadcasters and operators and enables a number of HD user multiview applications. With HD source in and both HD and SD versions of the same channel out, SD only subscribers would get a chance to see the HD channel content. Tandberg Television has been shipping SD PiP in its premium EN5920 and EN5930 MPEG-4 AVC and VC-1 encoders since last year.
News Broadcasting
Induction cooktop demand spikes 30× amid LPG supply concerns
Supply worries linked to West Asia tensions push households and restaurants to turn to electric cooking alternatives
MUMBAI: As geopolitical tensions in West Asia ripple through global energy supply chains, the familiar blue flame in Indian kitchens is facing an unexpected challenger: electricity.
What began as concerns over the availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has quickly evolved into a technology-driven shift in cooking habits. Households across India are increasingly turning to induction cooktops and other electric appliances, initially as a backup but now, for many, a necessity.
A sudden surge in demand
Recent data from quick-commerce and grocery platform BigBasket highlights the scale of the shift. According to Seshu Kumar Tirumala, the company’s chief buying and merchandising officer, demand for induction cooktops has risen dramatically.
“Induction cooktops have seen a significant surge in demand, recording a fivefold jump on 10 March and a thirtyfold spike on 11 March,” Tirumala said.
The increase stands out sharply when compared with broader kitchen appliance trends. Most appliance categories are growing within 10 per cent of their typical demand levels, while induction cooktops have witnessed explosive growth as households rush to secure an alternative cooking option.
Major e-commerce platforms including Amazon and Flipkart have reported rising searches and orders for induction stoves. Quick-commerce apps such as Blinkit and Zepto have also witnessed stock shortages in major metropolitan areas including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
What was once considered a convenient appliance for hostels, small kitchens or occasional use has suddenly become an essential addition in many homes.
A crisis thousands of miles away
The trigger for this shift lies far beyond India’s kitchens.
Escalating conflict in the Middle East has disrupted shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy corridors. Nearly 85 to 90 per cent of India’s LPG imports pass through this narrow waterway, making the country particularly vulnerable to supply disruptions.
The ripple effects have been swift.
India currently meets roughly 60 per cent of its LPG demand through imports, and tightening global supply has already begun to affect domestic availability and prices.
Earlier this month, the price of domestic LPG cylinders increased by Rs 60, while commercial cylinders rose by more than Rs 114.
To discourage panic buying and hoarding, the government has also extended the mandatory waiting period between domestic refill bookings from 21 days to 25 days.
Restaurants feel the pressure
The strain is not limited to households. Restaurants, hotels and roadside eateries are also grappling with supply constraints as commercial LPG availability tightens under restrictions imposed through the Essential Commodities Act.
In cities such as Bengaluru and Chennai, restaurant associations report that commercial LPG availability has dropped by as much as 75 per cent, forcing many establishments to rethink their kitchen operations.
Some restaurants have reduced menu offerings, while others are rapidly installing high-efficiency induction systems, creating hybrid kitchens where electricity now shares the workload with gas.
For smaller eateries and roadside dhabas, the shift is less about sustainability and more about survival.
A potential structural shift
The government has maintained that there is no nationwide LPG crisis and has directed refineries to increase production to stabilise supply.
Nevertheless, the developments of March 2026 may already be triggering a longer-term behavioural shift.
For decades, LPG has been the backbone of cooking in Indian households. However, recent disruptions have highlighted the risks of relying on a single fuel source.
Increasingly, households appear to be hedging against uncertainty by adopting electric cooking options to guard against price volatility and delivery delays.
If the current trend continues, the induction cooktop, once viewed as a niche appliance, could emerge as a quiet symbol of India’s evolving kitchen economy.
