iWorld
The rise of Playflix OTT app
Mumbai: One Take Media, the global content producer, syndication and distribution company has entered the OTT space with its app Playflix. Playflix is a wholesome entertainment app – and a true one-stop destination for Korean dramas in Hindi and other regional languages. Besides, its library also boasts of Hollywood movies, kid’s animated shows and movies, and many more.
Amid the rise of the OTT wave globally, Playflix has crossed millions of downloads in the past one year. One of the strongest content forces the app has is its popular Korean dramas. One Take Media founder & CEO Anil Khera said, “Our Korean dramas are carefully curated keeping the Indian audience in mind. The fact that they are dubbed in regional languages like Hindi, Tamil and Telugu make it an exciting offer for the diverse viewers of India.”
Even before the SVOD trend started in India, OTMC strongly believed in the SVOD model and Playflix has always been a subscription-based app. The recently released FICCI-EY Media & Entertainment report 2023 says that the number of households paying for at least one subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service will rise up to 52 million by 2025 from 45 million currently. Adding to its already rich library, Playflix boasts of popular K-dramas like ‘Cyborg Mom, ‘Shopping King Louie’, ‘20th century Boy and Girl’, ‘Lucky Romance’, ‘Money Flower’ and many more. Playflix has also started a content feature called ‘Korean Paathshala’ where avid Korean viewers can learn the Korean language as well as know more about Korean culture through Indian Korean teachers and presenters.
Playflix is determined to curate popular Korean dramas and Korean movies for the diverse Indian diaspora. Besides Korean content, Hollywood movies, kids animated shows cooking content can also be accessed on Playflix. Playflix app can be also be subscribed as a bundled app with Tata Binge, Airtel Xtream, or downloaded via Amazon Firestick or from app stores.
iWorld
X launches XChat messaging app on iOS with calls and encryption
Standalone app marks shift from “everything app” vision, adds E2E messaging.
MUMBAI: From one big app to many small chats, X seems to be splitting its ambitions. X has rolled out its standalone messaging app, XChat, to iOS users, opening up a new front in its evolving product strategy. The app allows users to connect with existing X contacts through private and group messages, file sharing, as well as audio and video calls. The launch follows a limited beta phase, where the platform tested the product with a smaller user base to refine the experience. Now available publicly, XChat marks a notable pivot from earlier ambitions championed by Elon Musk to turn X into a single “everything app” combining messaging, payments, commerce and more.
Instead, the company under xAI ownership and backed by SpaceX appears to be building a suite of standalone applications, each targeting specific use cases while expanding its broader ecosystem.
At launch, XChat includes end-to-end encrypted messaging, PIN-based access, disappearing messages, and features such as message editing, deletion for all participants, and screenshot blocking. The company has also said the app is free from advertisements and tracking mechanisms, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative in a crowded messaging space.
However, security claims around the platform are likely to face scrutiny. Earlier iterations of XChat drew criticism from experts who argued it fell short of established encrypted platforms like Signal. With the wider rollout, the app is expected to undergo fresh evaluation to assess whether those concerns have been addressed.
Beyond messaging, XChat will also house X’s Communities feature, which is being discontinued on the main platform due to low usage and spam concerns. Migrating these users could provide an early boost to adoption, effectively turning XChat into both a communication and community hub.
The move underscores a broader recalibration at X less about cramming everything into one app, and more about spreading bets across multiple touchpoints, one message at a time.
