GECs
Tandberg TV & Microsoft ink deal for IPTV collaboration
MUMBAI: Tandberg Television and Microsoft Corp. have announced that they have entered into a development and cooperation agreement to integrate Tandberg TV’s encoding technologies with Microsoft TV’s award-winning Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) Edition software platform.
As a further demonstration of the collaboration between the two companies, Tandberg Television will enhance its EN5900 range of advanced video encoders that has been integrated with the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition software platform by incorporating picture-in- picture (PIP) generation functionality into the encoder itself.
The enhanced solution marks the next step in Tandberg TV and Microsoft’s long- term relationship and demonstrates the companies’ commitment to collaborate on ways to propel the IPTV industry forward.
Enabling PIP functionality without requiring additional hardware-based tuners in the set-top box is one of the unique features of Microsoft TV IPTV Edition. By incorporating PIP capabilities into the encoding solution, Tandberg TV and Microsoft TV are looking at maximising system efficiencies, because PIP encoding is handled at the encoder. This eliminates processing demands on the acquisition server, which otherwise would need to decode and re-encode the PIP stream, thus reducing the overall cost of the solution and improving the user experience.
The PIP stream will be generated from the same video source and will consist of a lower-resolution version encoded at a much lower bit-rate than the main stream. Resolution reduction is achieved within the encoder and no additional external components are needed. This solution provides the ability to offer very efficient system design including reliable and effective fail-over to ensure high availability of the TV channel.
At Supercomm in Chicago, Tandberg TV will have a live, fully integrated IPTV demonstration combining the Tandberg EN5290 standard definition encoder for Windows Media® 9 Series (proposed SMPTE VC-1) with Microsoft TV IPTV edition. This demonstration will showcase the outstanding video quality produced by Tandberg TV’s superior advanced encoding combined with the next-generation user experiences enabled by the Microsoft software platform.
“To deliver on the promise of IPTV, network operators need to not only give their subscribers the most compelling and competitive digital TV offerings, but also maintain high service quality and low operational costs,” said Tandberg Television director of strategic development Tim Sheppard. “By adding PIP capabilities to our encoding solutions, Tandberg Television continues to innovate and offer more advanced digital TV technology while keeping the needs and priorities of service providers in mind.”
“Our long-term collaboration with Tandanberg TV is the result of our shared passion for IPTV,” said Microsoft TV Division , director of worldwide partner development Phil Corman. “By adding PIP functionality to Tandberg’s real-time encoders, Tandberg Television and Microsoft TV take another step toward advancing the next-generation television capabilities of IPTV.”
Microsoft TV IPTV edition is a software platform that allows broadband service providers to deliver compelling digital TV services using their existing IP networks. Leading service providers worldwide — including Bell Canada, BellSouth Corp., Reliance Infocomm Limited, SBC Communications Inc., Swisscom/Bluewin and Telecom Italia — are conducting trials or planning to deploy IPTV services based on the Microsoft TV IPTV edition platform.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
