Enjoy first day, first show of latest movies at home

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Indian movie buffs may soon be able to watch the latest movie first day, first show in the comfort of their homes. US-based media solutions company, DG2L Technologies, plans to launch one of the first HD (hi-definition) interactive media services through an advanced set top box (STB). The company would launch its services under BOX Networks in the first quarter of 2008. The company would invest about Rs 300 crore to launch its hi-definition services in India.

DG2L Technologies chief executive officer Ankur Sheth said, “ In the first phase, our MPEG4 set top boxes would offer Bollywood content on demand. In the second phase, we would source live cricket content on hi-definition.” The company is initially looking at tapping about 1.8 million subscribers in metros.

“We are in talks with several top Bollywood content makers to be able to release their movies on our interactive hi-definition services. We are also looking at getting a strategic investor which would be a content maker in our company,” he said.

Besides launching its own hi-definition media services, DG2L Technologies is also looking at tying up with operators for live hi-definition content.” We are already providing our set-top boxes to WWIL and are in talks with several DTH operators,” he added.

The company is working on a subscription model. Besides selling individual STBs , the company has also tied up with Panasonic Plasma TV and will bundle its STBs. Currently, DTH and MSO operators offer pay per view services on digital cable.

Under this model, a consumer can watch a movie at a particular time and pay for the number of times he/she watches it. In video-on-demand , the consumer can pay for a movie and own that content for 24 hours and pause, forward and rewind the movie.

Last year, the digital media solution company had entered into a joint venture with UFO Moviez for end-to-end digital solution. The company has already digitised about 1,000 screens pan-India.