Tata Teleservices: TV on the move

Tata Teleservices is trying its hand at mobile TV, though not on mobile phones. It is offering streaming TV content through its Internet wireless broadband — Photon Plus. While mobile TV is not news to technophiles, since mobile TV content has been made available by operators such as Reliance Communications as well as broadcasters like Star TV and handset makers such as Nokia on mobile phones, high speed wireless broadband will stream TV for the first time. So, even as mobile phones wait for quality content, Tata Teleservices hopes that Photon TV will fill the need gap on laptops.

“Carrying laptops is no more inconvenient. So, anyone who is experience-led will get automatically drawn to this service,” says Trivikram Thakore, Tata Teleservices’ head of marketing. “Photon TV is for someone who wants to get the most out of his time on the Internet, irrespective of whether he is mobile or not.”

Tata Teleservices will have a captive audience for the service — its existing Photon Plus users who are part of half-a-million user base for its Photon services (comprising three options: Photon Pro, Photon Whiz and Photon Plus). “As a product, the service would enhance our offering for our existing users; but for business acquisition, we are looking at new subscribers who will come on board because of Photon TV,” says Thakore.

Users can stream live TV feed (with a delay of 8 to 10 seconds) or watch recorded TV shows from its library, once they download a Photon TV application. While there is a spread of 40 channels, the company plans to up it to 90 in the next few months. Apalya Technologies is the content aggregator and streamer for the service.

To capitalise on its first-mover’s advantage in a fiercely competitive telecom market, Tata Teleservices is clear about its communication needs. “People have to experience the product,” says Thakore. On-ground activities will soon follow at places such as cafes where conversations can be struck and the audience’s curiosity tickled. There is also a TV ad that tries to encapsulate how addictive TV might get and a man’s efforts at lugging his TV set everywhere he goes. Photon TV would, of course, require you to carry a laptop or a netbook.

A single channel can be subscribed for Rs 4 per month, while 10 channels come for Rs 29 per month. The entire bouquet will stream on your computer if you pay Rs 75 per month, with approximate data usage being 1 to 2 MB per minute. Apart from the rentals, users will also have to pay for the data download as per their plan rates. For cricket matches or other special broadcasting events, users might be charged more.

Tata Teleservices’ challenge for now is cut out — removing the skepticism of early adapters.The meagre amount of channels for viewing (most of the general entertainment channels and quite a few of the sports channels are missing from the list, for example), interrupted streaming (despite it being a high speed wireless network) and the dilemma of downloading a lot of TV content and running a high subscription bill every month (especially if clubbed with the user’s regular Internet surfing) are some of the reservations users have pointed out.

How Tata Teleservices unravels these issues in the near term will decide whether Photon TV will be a trend-setter or be just another attempt at mobile TV which requires, perhaps, less squinting due to a larger monitor.