MxMIndia

Tag: shruti pushkarna

  • Shruti Pushkarna gives you a few options of low cost HD cameras that can come in handy for journalists on the move, especially if you carry the tag of a 'multimedia journalist'

    The Anchor: 5 low-cost HD cameras that come in handy for journos

    Gone are the days of bulky camera units…now any reporter can move around with slick video gear that doesn’t require a whole crew to function around with. Here are a few options of low cost HD cameras that can come in handy for journalists on the move, especially if you carry the tag of a ‘multimedia journalist’.

     

    1. Kodak Zi8:

    An easy to carry pocket size full HD camera. It’s a great combination of superior video quality and a reasonable price. It comes with an attached foldable USB which you can easily plug into your computer to upload videos. A step up from its previous model, Zi8 records full 1080p HD video. And it also has other video mode options like, 720p/60fps, 720p/30fps or a WVGA mode. You can also shoot stills at 5 megapixels. Another big plus is an external mic jack which helps you attach an external mic to get great sound quality. There are hardly any product offerings at this price that come with an external audio jack. The design is simple, it looks almost like a phone which you can easily slip into your pockets. It also features a few interesting tricks like face detection and digital image stabilization.

    http://store.kodak.com/store/ekconsus/en_US/pd/Zi8_Pocket_Video_Camera/productID.156585800

    Price: Rs. 8000 approx.

     

    2. Flip Ultra HD:

    Another pocket size camera that records HD quality. Flip pretty much kick-started the pocket camcorder trend. The Flip, like the Zi8 comes with built-in software for uploading straight to YouTube, Twitter or Facebook. Using the side-mounted flip-out USB connection you can plug it straight into a PC or Mac to either copy your files over or upload them directly from the device. Like the Zi8, this too comes with a HDMI connection if you want to plug it directly into a TV. It comes with an internal storage of upto 8GB, enough for 2 hours of recording. In terms of battery, the Flip Ultra offers the best of both worlds: rechargeable battery pack, or the option of regular AA batteries if it runs flat and you can’t charge it. It has added features like image stabilization, and its low light performance is impressive as well.

    http://support.theflip.com/en-us/products/ultrahd

    Price: Rs. 9000 approx.

     

    3. Kodak Playsport:

    A shockproof, dustproof and a waterproof camera that records full HD video. If you want to record video outdoors, at the beach, or anywhere else there’s water, Kodak Playsport is a top choice. It can withstand drops up to 5 feet, and it’s as waterproof as ever, with the ability to shoot up to 10 feet deep. Unlike the Kodak Zi8, it does not come with an external audio jack or a built-in USB connector. You have the option to record in high-definition 720p at 30 or 60 frames per second or at 1080p at 30 fps. Videos are recorded as MP4 files which can be uploaded directly into YouTube and Facebook for sharing.

    http://store.kodak.com/store/ekconsus/en_US/pd/PLAYSPORT_Video_Camera__Zx5/productID.221644700

    Price: Rs. 7000 approx

     

    4. Creative Vado:

    A pocket camcorder that can record 720p high-definition video. It scores over other camcorders for its solid video quality and feature set. Unlike other camcorders, it comes with a wide-angle lens that lets you capture wider scenes and more action in your videos. Like the other pocket camcorders, the Vado HD has an integrated USB connector that you plug into a PC to offload your footage and charge the camcorder. The integrated 8GB of storage holds up to 2 hours of 720p high-definition video in HD+ mode, up to 4 hours of footage in HD mode, and up to 8 hours of standard-definition VGA video. Like Kodak Zi8, the Vado HD includes an external microphone port for recording better audio, and it doubles as a headphone jack for listening to playback on a pair of headphones. The Vado has a superior low-light performance and a manual exposure control.

    http://in.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=833&subcategory=834&product=18108

    Price: Rs. 8000 approx.

     

    5. Sony Webbie MHS-PM 1:

    The Sony Webbie resembles the Creative Vado. What helps it stand out of the pack of camcorders is its inclusion of five different shooting modes. Apart from its 1080p recording, it can also shoot decent 5 megapixels stills. It also offers convenient uploads to YouTube and sharing sites via USB cable, although it lacks an integrated USB connector like in the Zi8 or the Vado. It comes with a rechargeable lithium ion battery and a tripod mount. The other key feature is the Webbie’s swiveling, fixed focal-length lens that provides some shooting flexibility and lets you record yourself while looking at the sharp 1.8-inch LCD. A few shortcomings, you cannot charge the battery in the camera, you have to remove it to charge it. Also, it lacks the HDMI connector found on other competing models.

    http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&partNumber=MHSPM1

    Price: Rs. 9000 approx.

     

  • Only 100 days to go for digitization and the ground reality does not look too promising at this point. MxM India spoke to a cross-section of stakeholders in distribution to get a clearer picture of the ground reality from the cable operators' end.

    100 Days to D-Day…but where are the Set-Top Boxes?

    By Shruti Pushkarna

     

    Only 100 days to go for Digitization Day and the ground reality does not look too promising at this point. There is a mammoth requirement of set top boxes, Digital Addressable System (DAS) licences have not yet been issued to operators and several other issues remain unresolved as of now.

     

    To get a clearer picture of the ground reality from the cable operators’ end, MxM India spoke to Roop Sharma, President, Cable Operators Federation of India. Speaking of the ground level scenario, Ms Sharma said, “No DAS licences have been issued to the operators still. Until and unless the operator has the license, he can’t get a bank loan and unless the operator has the license, he will not want to order equipment which is worth no less than 1 crore. And more importantly there is no consumer demand for digital. This is only government’s demand because they want to curry favour to the broadcaster. There isn’t any incentive from the government either. They are only forcing a technology on consumers by mandating it.”

     

    But more than anything, the biggest problem as pointed out by Ms Sharma is the sheer unavailability of Set Top Boxes (STBs) in the market. She told MxM India, “You need a Set Top Box to go digital and where are the STBs? First there was talk of importing them from China but that will also take atleast four to five months. Now there are some vendors in India but for that too, the chip has to be imported from outside. There is a requirement of 30 lakh STBs for Delhi alone and this is counting only one TV per household. Also, where is the manpower to deploy all these STBs?”

     

    Another industry source told MxM India, “As per the declared number, there is a requirement of 10 to 12 million STBs but my experience says that the actual total count will be no less than 20 to 22 million, because they have only counted 1 TV per household. The boxes are just not there.”

     

    Ms Sharma feels that the government is pressurizing the smallest guy in the entire value chain, which is the cable operator. Talking of other unresolved issues, she said, “Even if the cable operator gets the STBs and gets the license, the government has not assured that every operator who gets the license will get the content. How can the operator make such a huge investment when there is no assurance of content? The government is only pressurizing the smallest guy in the value chain, they can’t pressurize the broadcaster, not even the MSO.”

     

    MxM India also spoke to Mr Neeraj Sanan, EVP- Marketing and Distribution, MCCS to learn of the state of readiness of channels and industry as a whole. Mr Sanan said, “In principle, the entire fraternity of MSOs, LCOs and DTH friends are united in supporting the lead taken by TRAI. In my view, Delhi and Mumbai are slightly ahead of Kolkata in digitization. Being a country where examinations to appraisals to income tax, everything happens at the last minute I see two things:  a huge last minute rush (that too provided TRAI holds it grounds) which will put operational pressure in implementation. I still hope that, in the larger interest of the community, that we see the sunrise of Digitization. Already we have taken a lead in creating consumer pull through tickers which have been running on MCCS’ three channels for a month now and if all players in the value chain do the same I am sure we can see a successful June 30 sunrise.”

     

    But as per another industry source June 30th seems quite unachievable, “There is a lot of resistance from LCOs and cable operators’ end. Their business is fragmented, that’s how they make their revenues, and digitization will put a stop to that. And moreover, none of the MSOs are really prepared because this requires a capital investment of 30 to 35 crore and they don’t have that kind of funding. The sheer size and the volume of the business is so large that you cannot do it even by December 31st. One thing is certain, it will create unforeseen situation on ground.”

     

    Ms Sharma feels that the deadline might seem possible only if STBs are made available. Listing out all issues that need to be addressed before June 30th, she said, “First and foremost, tariff needs to be in place. DAS licenses have to be issued. Interconnection agreements have to be in place. Revenue share has to be specified. STBs have to be made available in the market. And there have to be fiscal incentives given to the operators. Also, we need to have many consumer awareness programmes. All these problems have to be addressed if the deadline has to be achieved by the notified date.”

     

    She also added that the TRAI had only done one open house recently in Delhi but since the June 30th deadline applies to all the four metros, TRAI should have done an open house in each of these cities.

     

    What’s your view on Digitization? Do you think the four metros can meet the deadline? Email us at shrutip@mxmindia.com and editor@mxmindia.com.