US based Cable Television Laboratories Inc has adopted the middleware software developed by Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB), for advanced OpenCable digital set-top boxes that are being deployed throughout North America from mid November.
CableLabs is the technology consortium for cable system operators in North and South America and is now the point organization for continuing cooperation with DVB, which has established a special middleware task force group to coordinate this effort.

The DVB platform called Multimedia Home Platform (MHP) will be part of the OpenCable Application Platform (OCAP) that is the middleware software portion of OpenCable. Cable connected households will be able to access both digital broadcasting and interactive digital applications through the OpenCable box.

The DVB Project an industry-led consortium, was formed in 1993, and comprises of over 300 broadcasters, manufacturers, network operators, software developers and regulatory bodies. With members in more than 35 countries, the project is committed to designing global standards for the delivery of digital television and data services. The DVB standards cover all aspects of digital television from transmission through interfacing, conditional access, and interactivity for digital video, audio, and data and their objective is to create unity in the march towards global standardization, interoperability, and future proofing.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) will get its latest generation satellite Insat-3C into space in early 2002, 16 Januaryy 2002, to be exact, if one goes by a press release from Arianespace, its satellite launch partner.
Insat 3C will be sent into orbit using an Ariane-4 rocket, which may surprise satellite enthusiasts because Isro and Arianespace had initially agreed to an Ariane-5 launch vehicle (flight 143), which had been scheduled for a July blasttoff, but was postponed when a prior flight (Flight 142) ran into trouble.

Flight 142 had a dual satellite payload which did not make it to proper orbit in July, and hence further Ariane-5 missions were aborted until corrections could be made. A committee was appointed to inquire into the mission failure. The enquiry panel had stated that that the malfunction was due to the combustion instability at the ‘EPS‘ upper stage ignition due to the abnormally high pressure gradient in the combustion chamber.

The Arianespace press release adds that: "The recovery plan approved in August is on track towards its goal of resuming Ariane 5 launches in early 2002. All mandatory tests have approved Ariane 5 for launch. Resumption of Ariane 5 is on schedule for late January 2002. The complete recovery plan will increase the fiability and enhance quality of the launcher.

"Ariane 5 is the only new generation launcher which is available, qualified and operational today. It is already adapted to the evolution of the market and to the satellites of the next generation : Ariane 5 ESC-A will reach 10 tons performance mid 2002.

"The Ariane 5 return-to-flight program achieved a major milestone on 10 November when the first Aestus engine ignition test was performed on the modified P4-2 test bench in Lampoldshausen, Germany. Modifications to the Lampoldshausen test bench were undertaken to better simulate the flight conditions during ground tests with the Aestus engine. "The test firing phase clears the way for the continuation of the test program as defined for the action plan‘s next phase. Objectives of the next phase are improvement and qualification of the Aestus engine‘s ignition sequence. "Arianespace conducted the first phase of the next launch campaign (Ariane 511/Flight 145) during late September and early October. The heavy-lift launcher‘s two solid booster stages were mated to the core cryogenic stage, and the vehicle equipment bay was installed atop it. An EPS upper stage was temporarily modified stand and digital models will be used in an attempt to duplicate the conditions which led to the Flight 142 malfunction in July. The P4-2 stand will subsequently be used for acceptance firing tests of the Aestus engines for the upcoming Ariane 5 launchers, as well as for tests to qualify the new ignition sequence."

Star India has finally found the desi answer to Anne Robinson, the tough-as-nails host of the popular game show The Weakest Link, which is to be launched in mid-January on Star Plus. And she is Neena Gupta, who has marked herself as an independent woman both in her personal and professional life.

Neena Gupta is Star India‘s answer to Anne Robinson (R)

Star opted for Gupta after considering the likes of celebrity journalist and writer Shobha De, actress-turned politician Shabana Azmi and Miss Universe turned actress Sushmita Sen.

India‘s numero uno Hindi entertainment channel recently signed a licensing agreement with BBC Worldwide for the format of - The Weakest Link (TWL) - the game show hugely popular in the UK as well as the US. TWL is expected to follow on the heels of earlier successful game shows on Star Plus such as the Aman Verma-anchored Khullja Sim Sim, and further buoy Star‘s position in the ratings charts.

Star had a hard time zooming in on a host. Several well known personalities were tried and tested, including Sushmita Sen. Sen did a pilot but was found too warm to host such a nasty show. Gupta is believed to have done a brilliant job in the pilot and Star plans to commence shooting shortly with her.

The show reportedly has a prize budget of Rs 250 million.

Whether viewers will take to it or not remains to be seen, but Nair is quite clear Star has made the right choice for the anchor.

"Neena‘s been around for a long time, she‘s known as the firebrand woman. She‘s costing us a good deal, but she‘s the ideal choice," says Nair. Nair says even Synergy, the production house that produced KBC for Star, is more than geared up to take on the challenge of TWL.

"The production house has scaled up substantially and is more than equipped to cater to Star India‘s programming requirements. It has emerged as a large production house," he says.