Star India gets mobile with new 'mobisodes'

Viren Popli, senior vice-president, interactive services, Star India, said: "With convergence, next-generation distribution platforms are evolving, thereby allowing wider viewing choices with flexibility and convenience. " However, as mobile networks in India are still not equipped for video streaming, Star India has had to re-edit and re-format its clips in order to be viewable by the user. Content will be updated daily. "Comedy content or similar genres are best suited for such a platform. The user doesn't need to download something to follow-up what's next," said Popli, adding that there was no set target for take-up of the video-clip service. TGILF, a reality show about finding the funniest man in India, aired during primetime on the channel earlier this year. Based on the on-air content, Star has created mobile products in the form of video clips, which can be downloaded for US$0.22 per clip on both GPRS and Edge-enabled handsets, audio clips for $0.13 for those who don't have either -- or don't know how to use them -- and jokes in the form of ringtones (charged at $0.68 per month by the mobile operator), according to Popli. Popli said that Star and Hutch had signed a licensing deal, whereby Star delivers content as per the required format for the platform, on a revenue-sharing agreement. Hutch is also the title sponsor of the show, but Popli said the mobile entertainment deal was not related to the sponsorship.