Applications
Harris supports first 3DTV trials in Australia
MUMBAI: Harris has announced that a range of its 3DTV-compliant broadcast equipment is being used by Nine Network and SBS to support Australia’s first 3DTV trials.
The trials will include coverage of this year’s Harvey Norman State of Origin Series rugby showdown — the world’s first sporting event to be broadcast live in 3D on free-to-air TV — and the 3D screening by SBS of selected football matches from South Africa.
Nine Network and SBS jointly applied for a test broadcast license for the 3DTV trial, which commenced on 19 May and concludes on 19 July.
The sporting events will be broadcast in 3D in Australia’s five major metropolitan centers — Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth — as well as in Wollongong and Newcastle. Viewers with access to 3DTV digital receivers will be able to watch history in the making.
During the trials, Harris X50™ frame synchronizer/converters are being used to ensure synchronous transport of the 3DTV signals in a side-by-side HD frame-compatible format from the stadium to Nine Network’s 3D master control facility. There, the content is processed through the Harris IconMaster™ master control switcher, where bugs and watermarks are laid down and presented live to air.
Demonstration and replay content is also being recorded onto a Harris Nexio sever for playout at times when live events are not scheduled. The X50 signal processors will also be used by SBS for side-by-side signal generation before on-passing to their playout facility.
Harris provided additional support by fast-tracking two DVB-T digital transmitters into Australia in conjunction with Broadcast ONE, who also supplied their engineering services for the transmission installation and commissioning process.
The Harris transmitters included in these 3DTV trials are the Maxiva 5.5 kW ULX solid-state liquid-cooled and the Maxiva 1kW UAX air-cooled transmitters — both incorporating the Harris PowerSmart® technology for best-in-class power density and efficiency.
Nine Network Australia network manager, broadcast technology Charles Sevior says, “We are very excited about these trials and what they mean for the future development of 3DTV in the coverage of live sporting events not only in Australia, but also the rest of the world.
“Our collaboration with Harris shows the pioneering spirit of both companies to drive forward the implementation of new technologies that will, over time, revolutionize our business and keep consumers engaged with the broadcast television platform”
Given the limited availability of 3DTV receivers across Australia, it is expected that the audiences for the initial 3DTV trials will be largely found in key retail venues. Additionally, material captured during these live sporting events will be recorded and replayed on the 3D trial broadcast to assist retail outlets in demonstrating 3DTV displays to interested consumers.
Harris president Harris Morris says, “Studies indicate that more than 20 million TV homes globally will be watching 3DTV within five years, with 4.6 million of those expected to be in Asia Pacific. We are proud that our technology is playing an integral part in these trials by Nine Network and SBS, which should help improve the consumer experience and drive global acceptance of 3DTV.”
Whether a broadcaster is building a facility from the ground up or adding 3DTV capabilities to an existing operation, Harris delivers a complete 3DTV workflow — from content contribution to processing to distribution. Harris is also an active participant in industry-wide 3DTV standardization efforts.
Harris offers products, systems and services that provide interoperable workflow solutions for broadcast, cable, satellite and out-of-home networks.
Applications
Inshorts Group chief Deepit Purkayastha joins IAB video council for Southeast Asia and India
The co-founder and chief executive of the short-form content platform has been inducted into the IAB SEA+India Video Council, giving India a stronger voice in shaping digital video frameworks
NOIDA: India has long been the world’s most chaotic, multilingual and mobile-first digital market. Now, one of its most prominent short-video executives is getting a seat at the table where the rules are written.
Deepit Purkayastha, co-founder and chief executive of Inshorts Group, has been selected as a member of the IAB SEA+India Video Council for 2026. Run by the Interactive Advertising Bureau, the council brings together senior leaders from Southeast Asia and India to shape standards, best practices and measurement frameworks for the fast-evolving video and digital advertising ecosystem.
The timing is pointed. According to the IAMAI-Kantar Internet in India Report 2025, over 588 million Indians are now consuming short-video content, with growth increasingly driven by rural and non-metro audiences. India’s active internet user base has crossed 950 million, with 57 per cent of users now coming from rural markets. Yet the frameworks that govern how video consumption is measured and monetised were largely designed for single-language, Western markets and have struggled to keep pace with the scale, diversity and complexity of India’s digital landscape.
Purkayastha is no stranger to these debates. He already serves on the AI Council at Marketing and Media Alliance India and as co-chair of the Digital Entertainment Committee at the Internet and Mobile Association of India. His induction into the IAB SEA+India Video Council extends that influence into the global video standards arena.
Inshorts Group sits squarely at the intersection of these forces. Its flagship product, Inshorts, India’s highest-rated short news app, reaches 12 million active users with 60-word news summaries. Its sister platform, Public App, reaches 80 million monthly active users across more than 700 districts and 12 languages, serving communities that most global platforms barely register.
Purkayastha said the opportunity was about building something more representative. “India today sits at the centre of the global video ecosystem, but the frameworks that define how value is created and measured have not always kept pace with the realities of our market,” he said. “Being part of the IAB SEA+India Video Council is an opportunity to contribute to a more representative and future-ready approach, one that accounts for diversity in language, context, and user intent.”
As a council member, Purkayastha will contribute to shaping regional standards across video advertising, measurement and platform governance, with a focus on frameworks that are native to India’s multilingual, mobile-first ecosystem rather than imported from global benchmarks designed elsewhere.
For years, India has been content to play by rules written for other markets. Purkayastha’s induction is a signal that it is done waiting to be consulted and ready to start writing them.
