It’s almost the beginning of July 2006. The Direct to Home (DTH) scene in India is getting ready for the mother-of-all battles. The Subhash Chandra owned Dish TV is going to have a competitor in the Rupert Murdoch backed TATASKY DTH platform soon. Though TATA owns seventy odd percent in the venture we all know where the technical expertise is going to come from.

Newscorp via STAR TV will no doubt be building a strong product for Indian households. Let us not forget that they own and operate BSKYB in the United Kingdom where they are almost considered untouchable in both quality of service and reach. DISH TV too is not sitting still. Only a few months from their launch, they started offering services like Movie On Demand and of course the more recent announcement of the inclusion of extra channels including SONY on their DTH platform.

STAR having stayed off the DISH TV platform with only STAR UTSAV making a token appearance, have made their intentions clear. This year promises to be an all out exciting one for television viewers in the country. Both the players are known to be aggressive. They are not going to pull any punches and surely aren’t taking any prisoners. When BSKYB launched to a lukewarm reception in the UK, SKY started giving the set top boxes free, they also bought all the exclusive football rights for an astronomical amount to bring in the viewers. Free set top boxes plus the only place to watch their football the Brits bought into BSKYB big time making it a thundering success. ZEE on the other hand back home is constantly updating their services portfolio. The latest addition to their list is Mobile DISH TV. Yes, that’s right you will be able to watch all their channels on the move in a car or a bus. They have a year’s head start over TATASKY and are looking to consolidate their lead.

TATASKY on the other hand has deep pockets and a vast library of content to dish out on their platform. It’s too early to tell who will win this fight but signals are out there that the fight will be long and fought hard. Especially now since SONY has joined DISH TV the lines are drawn. Like I mentioned some time back, people do want all the goodies that a DTH service brings but how many will want two different boxes at home is the question? Maybe it will lead to the mother-of-all mergers…the TATASKYDISH TV Network!

Media has evolved a lot. Modern media depends on Technology to send information or gather them at a faster speed. The following are the characteristics:  

Speed: The information reaches at a faster speed.     

Reach: The information must have mass reach.  

Preventing Calamities: Modern media broadcasts 24 hours. So high technology is used to beat natural calamities.     

Constant Transmission: Technology is used for constant transmission.  

The following tools of technology is used to achieve the aforesaid targets:  

 

Use of Satellites: Satellite Technology is used to ensure constant transmission. A satellite hardly  gets affected by climatic conditions.     

Use of Video Conferencing: It is used to get live and personalized feedback without physical presence.  

Use of Television Conferencing: It is used to get audio inputs from far off places.  

Use of Internet: Internet is being relied upon for information.  

Use of high end Computer Technology: Computing and high speed processors are used for fast and able data processing.  

Use of Mobile Satellite Vans for News Coverage: Satellite vans are used for high mobility and anytime coverage.    

Use of high end Audio visual equipments: Use of high end audio visual equipments have emerged that leads to clear sound and picture. Tape recorders and high end video cameras are used by media persons to take interviews fast and transmit news ina proper and efficient manner.    

Thus these are the characteristics of Modern Media Technology that has made media more fast, accurate and improved and has made it an indispensable tool for protecting the  largest democracy of the world named India by making it more transparent and accountable to people. Hence these are the characteristics of modern media technology.  

Because there are typically a number of package choices it may be a good idea to have a good guesstimate of what a person is looking for before making the decision. There are so many combinations that customers can purchase and even add on additional channels to their likening. Programming generally depends on the amount of monthly costs that a subscriber is willing to pay. The more the package the larger number of channels, even additional movie, adult and sports channels. These may include premium packages that are not a part of the regular or lower package deals provided by the satellite company.

The type of programming that is needed is solely dependent on a couple of factors. First, the types of shows, movies and events that are desired will help the consumer make the determination of which to pick from. There are the most basic packages that simply give subscribers channels such as local, regular programming and the bare necessities. Then there are those that have premium channels and allow the ordering of movie events, NFL Sunday tickets and much more. The nice thing about the choices is the fact that there are so many different needs and desires when it comes to television programming. These vast packages allow everyone from single individuals to families with children to decide the type of package that they will have.

Members can also choose between the different pay-per-view and subscription features that are offered by most satellite providers. The pay-per-view is generally those that are ordered on a one time basis. It may be a particular movie or sporting event that the viewer wishes to see, but there is just the onetime fee, not an ongoing one. This pay as you go is very popular because it doesn’t lock the viewer into any recurring monthly charges and gives them the freedom to choose which programs that they want to see for additional costs. If there is a particular channel or programming that the subscriber watches often, then they may consider a monthly subscription. This allows them to watch that channel on an ongoing basis without incurring any additional costs. Sports channels, adult channels and movie channels are all examples of this type of subscription services.

For most satellite providers there is some necessary equipment that allows their customers to choose the type of programming that they receive. Just like the ordering of movies or other paid events must have a box or other equipment to send the signal and purchase the event. It is important for the member to ensure that they have a package that allows for the viewing or paid services so that they can order when they wish. Nothing is more aggravating than preparing to watch an event or movie and find out that it is not allowed because the appropriate programming or equipment doesn’t exist. Prepare early to ensure that the best programming and services are available before being disappointed. There are many programming choices to view and sign up for, the best way to determine the best for you is to review the choices and find the best fit!

Online video marketing is increasingly the chosen option of businesses to establish their online presence. One of the most effective video marketing strategies is the use of social media to widen and diversify audience reach. There are many ways to create a social media presence but statistics show that the use of video is the most popular way. There is no question about video’s popularity by now as its claim to popularity is fully backed by impressive statistics.

Another important thing to remember about videos is that it can work well with various forms of social media. For example, a YouTube video that viewer like can be shared with other Facebook accounts, blogs as well as other social media sites. It will be the viewers themselves who will make the video go viral for the following reasons:

1. Easy to Share

If you have a fun, exciting and informative video, viewers will not only ‘like” or click a thumbs sign, they will share it with other people so that they can talk about it later. It’s a natural tendency to share something that makes one excited, sad, happy or inspired. The same thing will happen to those who were affected by the shared video because it only takes a click to share.

Even news videos now have links to share with various social media platforms. Viewers usually want to share videos with controversial topics. Eventually, if more sharing recipients like the video, it will go viral. Videos are not only easy to share, they are the type of content people would like to share. Generally, videos are easier to understand than text.

2. Billions of Potential Video Viewers

You can’t share if there’s nobody to share with, right? But there are hundreds of millions of users in the top social media sites. Facebook alone has over 1 billion users. In 2013, eMarketer forecasts social networking users to reach 1.43 billion, an increase of 19.2% from 2012.

Targeting social media users is like targeting a captive audience for your videos. That’s why it’s one of the most considered video marketing tactics to promote brand awareness.

3. Extended Accessibility

TV commercials are played only based on how much air time you bought. It’s not something that’s available if you want to see it. For example, a friend can only tell you about an impressive TV commercial. You have to watch TV and hope it will be shown. On the other hand, online videos are continuously available unless you delete them.

For instance, Justin Bieber’s music video “Baby” with over 756.4 million views has been continuously available at YouTube since April 25 2010. Until now there are still viewers without the need to buy more air time. It’s the same with the popular Volkswagen advertisement with over 53 million hits and counting. If the Justin Beiber video was shown only on a music site like MTV, it would have been taken off after a few months to give way to newer releases. It couldn’t have been viewed at least 756.4 million times.

If you are not using online video marketing strategies to establish your social media presence, you could be limiting the reach of your online marketing efforts.

Starting a social media campaign for your business is like entering into a relationship. For it to succeed over the long term you must be committed to it and have realistic expectations as to what you’ll get out of it.

Current statistics show that that 73% of Twitter registrants have posted fewer than 10 messages and one third have posted none at all.

The majority of Facebook fan pages give visitors no incentive to “like” the page. As well, they rarely develop ongoing communication campaigns catered to their fans.

These trends are a clear indication that both people and businesses are participating in social media with either no plan, no goals, or no idea why.

So before you make your first tweet, create a Facebook fan page, or start searching for Linked In connections, ask yourself these questions. The answers may help you better focus your time, resources, and better understand how to include social media into your company’s marketing program.

Why do I want to participate in social media?

With social media “experts” declaring that any business not tweeting or without a Facebook fan page is losing business to competitors, many entrepreneurs feel compelled to participate out of fear. This just leads to frustration when time and money is spent on setting up accounts and custom pages, only to not see any measurable results. The fact is that social media is like any other marketing tool and may not be right for every business. Even so, it must still be used effectively, perhaps as part of a bigger campaign, for any benefits to be seen.

Do I have the time and resources?

Unlike conventional marketing such as ads in a newspaper, direct mail, or even a web site, social media requires continuous attention. Depending on your business, this could range from a few minutes a day to over an hour. Do you have the time, desire and patience to make regular and relevant tweets or update your Facebook page? And while you could have a staff member or virtual assistant do this for you, that means allocating resources and money that you may or may not be able to afford, or could better be used elsewhere.

Can I continuously come up with great content?

Unlike a blog where you can post content on your own schedule, making social media work means posting interesting and relevant content on an ongoing basis. Depending on which guru you listen to, this can mean a few tweets a day to more than 10 per hour. Can you keep up this pace? And do you really have enough to say? Even sharing a mix of personal anecdotes, relevant links, retweets, and business information can only go so far before you start getting mentally exhausted – and frustrated.

What are my goals?

Unless you’re involved in social media for purely social purposes, it’s likely that you are hoping to get some form of financial return out of it. The goals of attracting more clients and more sales is what drives most businesses to social media in the first place. So let’s be realistic – from a business perspective, followers, friends, fans and connections are really nothing more than lists. And if the names on those lists are not the kinds of clients you would like to attract, then you may be preaching to the wrong crowd. The best thing to do is decide what your goals are from the start. For many businesses, clients can come from any geographic area or be any demographic, so social media may be ideal. Think about if you’re trying to create awareness for your company, product, or just you

What are my alternatives?

Social media is just one of hundreds of ways to reach people. Depending on your goals you may find some old fashioned methods produce better results with less resources. Trade shows, direct mail, email, seminars, networking events, newspaper ads, or publicity stunts can still garner the kinds of result you may be looking for. Many companies have successfully used social media to build word-of-mouth “momentum” that originally started from a conventional marketing campaign. Remember the old spice guy? That campaign started as just a television commercial and went on to become the most successful social media campaign ever.

Do people really care?

The open forum concept of Twitter, Facebook and Linked In groups allows for huge numbers of people to talk about common interests. But let’s be honest here. Is your business worthy of discussion? A client of mine who is a self employed dental hygienist was disappointed when her tweets and Facebook postings garnered little response. While they were quality posts, it seemed teeth cleaning was just not a big draw for online discussion. It can be tough to hear, but sometimes the world does not share your passion about your product or service.

How do I measure success?

While many web designers and consultants will point to Google Analytics when asked about return on investment, the fact is that ROI can only be measured in dollars and cents. Your time and resources are worth something, so you must put a value to them and factor that in when developing your social media campaign. If you make $80.00 an hour doing what your core service is, then investing 10 hours in social media will cost you $800.00. If you don’t make that money back in a reasonable period of time, then you will have a negative return. Factor in other costs such as a graphic designer or marketing consultant, and your costs will be even higher. Success should be defined by a set of criteria before you begin your campaign – social media or otherwise.

Think of social media as just one tool in your marketing toolbox. And the most effective marketing campaigns come from knowing what tools to use and when to use them, either alone or in combination.

Web 2.0 is an open source for all netizens to exercise their democratic rights without misuse. To me, the constitution of web 2.0 reads, ‘We, the people of e-space, having solemnly resolved to constitute the cyber world into sovereign, secular, democratic, republic, and to secure to all its netizens”

In plain, web 2.0 is a netizens/Internet users driven world. It has following features:

Network as platform

User driven/controlled contents

A rich, interactive, user-friendly interface based on AJAX technology

Social networking Aspects

1:1 Connection Between Mobile and Website

Any website based on web 2.0 concept has lots of scope for users. In short, democracy is the main feature of web 2.0. Thus, Web 2.0 is ‘For the People, Of the People, and By the People’.

Web 2.0 implies Netizen journalism. As web 2.0 popularizes Neitizen journalism and more people are becoming ‘public writers’, there is a fear that journalism as a distinct profession is becoming harder and harder to sustain. The boundaries between ‘professional’ and ‘amateur’ performance are breaking down

Until web 1.0, Internet was more or less treated like print media in digital form. But the technological advancement has made it possible to unleash the full potential of the Internet. Today, Internet is recognized as the most powerful medium, even more powerful than newspapers and TVs. According to a study, majority of youngsters surf Internet for a long time than sitting silently in front of the ‘Idiot Box’. Why?

• Internet is one stop place for both motion pictures (TV) and literary texts (Newspapers)
• Internet offers a place for 1:1 interactions
• Internet Today offers lots of spaces for users’ to participate (web 2.0)

In short, Internet serves everything you wish for! Under these circumstances, one can never undermine the scope of Internet at time when the wave of web 2.0 is floating across. It’s high time to recognize the potential of Internet as important media, which seems to be dominating print and visual media (TVs). While TVs continue to grow at their own pace, print media (newspapers, magazines, etc.) may likely to face a tougher challenge from Internet.

I cannot predict how long newspapers will remain. But I do feel confident in predicting that the Internet will continue to demolish the printed world. And with the advent of new technologies (WEB 2.0 AJAX), creating multimedia advertisements inside web pages will make online marketing closer to the highly effective television and radio market strategy. Flash and JavaScript have added visual interactivity–and scripted database functions fill the web with more possibilities than even TV and radio.

DirecTV vs. Dish Network and Satellite TV vs. Cable TV

With so many satellite TV providers competing for your business, how do you know who to choose from? Let’s take a look at two of the more popular satellite TV service providers, DirecTV and Dish Network for an apple to apples comparison.

Dish Network

Dish Network Satellite is the nation’s second largest provider of satellite TV. Does that mean that Dish Network offers better service? Not necessarily.

Dish Network does provide most of the satellite TV resources other providers do, including a satellite TV guide, free satellite TV dishes, free dish network deals and more. Dish Network also offers customers the option of purchasing HDTV equipment and service packages, giving viewers access to 8 high definition channels, a bonus for consumers with high definition TV sets.

In addition Dish Network does have a slightly larger channel selection that DirecTV which is a benefit to some customers.

Here is a summary of the major services offered by Dish Network:

• More than 180 channels
• HDTV for up to 8 channels
• More than 30 sports dedicated networks including subscription options to NBA League Pass, and NHL Center Ice
• Foreign Language Programming in many languages
• More than 103 local channels available
• Monthly cost generally less than $100
• Available in all 50 states

DirecTV

DirecTV is the nation’s largest provider. Like Dish Network, DirecTV is available in all 50 states. DirecTV’s claim to fame is that they offer more channels dollar for dollar than other satellite TV providers.

So how do you know whether DirecTV or Dish Network is right for you? Let’s look at some of the specifics of DirecTV. DirecTV does offer fewer overall channels than Dish Network satellite (but not much fewer) but it does feature exclusive sports packages including NFL Sunday Ticket, which are a bonus for avid sports fans.

DirecTV also offers a high definition package including four feature high definition channels. DirecTV also offers many of the same freebies Dish Network does, including free Direct TV receivers, free satellite TV dishes and satellite TV resources.

A summary of the benefits of DirecTV is as follows:

• More than 150 channels
• More than 30 sports networks including special and exclusive sports package deals
• Foreign language programming in Spanish and Chinese
• Up to 8 HDVT channels
• Approximately 126 local channels
• Monthly costs less than $100
• Available in all 50 states

DirecTV or Dish Network Satellite

So, with an apple to apples comparison, you can see that you get most of the same benefits regardless of which provider you choose. There are some subtle differences between the two, Dish Network offers slightly more overall channels and a larger foreign language programming selection. DirecTV offers some exclusive sports networks and greater access to local channels. DirecTV Tivo is an added benefit for DirecTV consumers, which providers channel recording capability to consumers.

Which provider you select may depend on your location. Some may offer better deals or service in some areas than others.

Satellite TV vs. Cable TV

The question of satellite TV vs. Cable TV is an age old one. How do you know which to choose?

Thus the two also deserve a comparison.

Cable TV

• Equipment – Requires a TV set top box in order to access digital services
  Transmission – Usually Analog but consumers have the option of upgrading to digital for a higher premium. Analog channels don’t convert to digital in this situation.
• Programming – Supports more than 260 channels and offers options such as pay per view, where viewers can buy movies for a small fee. Usually cable TV offers more local channel options than satellite. Offers fewer HDTV services
• Pricing – Cable is usually more expensive, in part due to additional costs added onto monthly premium, which may include fees, taxes, pay per view and equipment

Satellite TV

• Equipment – Requires use of satellite dish and receivers. Many providers offer free satellite TV systems, free satellite TV dishes to entice customers.
• Transmission – Satellite TV services are all digital, which consumers usually translate to mean better quality reception. TV reception can be subject to interference during inclement weather, but this happens with cable service too.
• Programming – Usually offers 200 or more channels, including more international and sports channels than cable. High definition channels are more easily accessed through satellite
• Pricing – Satellite TV can be less expensive than cable particularly if equipment is thrown in for free. Local channel packages are usually extra with satellite, but over time the expense is less.
  So which do you choose?

For many it’s a matter of price, and satellite TV seems to be at an advantage here. Both cable and satellite offer similar channel line ups, though if you plan on watching a lot of foreign or international films you might opt for a satellite provider such as Dish Network or DirecTV.

That said most consumers just end up getting whichever is convenient at the time they are setting up home. No matter your choice, you’ll end up with decent service and a wide channel range which is all most consumers are looking for in the end. Buyer beware, you should know that cable TV fans are very strictly cable, and satellite TV fans very strictly satellite.

You could literally cause an argument between two otherwise friendly neighbors simply by asking them to rate satellite TV vs. cable. That said, you’ll probably find that once you make your selection, you too begin an avid supporter of one vs. the other.