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China Digital TV reports low smart cards sale in Q2
MUMBAI: China Digital TV Holding, the provider of conditional-access-systems (Cas) to the country‘s digital television market, has announced that it has shipped 2.13 million smart cards in its second quarter, ended 30 June. The company had earlier expected to ship around 2.35 to 2.55 million smart cards. |
The company is blaming consolidation in the cable industry among the other reasons for the low sales. Says China Digital TV president Dong Li, “Shipment of smart cards during the quarter was lower than anticipated. Some cable operators have chosen to delay digitisation projects due to uncertainties resulting from the ongoing consolidation in the cable industry and the lack of mature value-added services for digital TV platforms presently.” Also, there may not be a fast growth considering the fact that some operators may maintain a wait-and-see attitude towards digitisation. |
However, Li has shown hopes of improved condition in the near future as government has mandated full digitisation by 2015. “We are confident that China Digital TV‘s experience in providing CA (conditional access) solutions for large and complex projects, stable financial position, existing partnerships with more than 200 cable television operators and leadership in value-added services development will position us to play a leading role in China‘s ongoing digital mass migration and beyond,” he adds.
The company has entered into 12 out of a total of 18 new contracts to install CA systems in China in the second quarter of 2009.
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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
