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Rostelecom Updates on Interactive TV Subscribers in Russia [Professional Services Close - Up](Professional Services Close - Up Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Rostelecom OJSC, Russia's national telecommunications operator, on July 9, announced that its Interactive TV1 subscriber base has increased by over 40 percent and reached 1 million households since the beginning of the year. According to a release, Pavel Zaitsev, Vice President and Commercial Director at Rostelecom, commented: "A new platform solution has allowed us to significantly improve the functionality of our pay TV offering, which has led to substantial growth in our subscriber base. Our product has a bright future and we expect the number of our Interactive TV subscribers to increase to approximately 1.5 million by the end of the year." Based on a SmartLabs platform, this interactive subscription service is now available on Rostelecom's media portal, ZABAVA.ru, as well as through a standard TV set-top box. Subscribers can start watching a film or a TV show on their TVs and continue viewing on their PCs or laptops using the ZABAVA.ru media portal. The Company is currently developing applications for Apple iOS and Android operating systems, which will enable customers to use the interactive subscription service on their tablet devices in the near future. Based on their personal preferences, Interactive TV users can either choose one of six specially designed thematic TV packages, such as "Popular", "Sport", "Education", "Music", "Films", and "Children", or subscribe to as many packages as they want. The Company offers up to 180 DTV channels and 17 HD channels in the majority of the Russian regions. The basic package price starts from RUB 170 per month, which varies depending on the region and options selected by a customer. "A user-friendly TV menu, an innovative system that recommends shows and an extensive video rental library have already contributed to a substantial increase in content viewings. This has also had a positive impact on our financial performance. Although we are still developing the product, this is already the most unique Interactive TV service currently available in the Russian TV market." - noted Andrey Kholodny. Kholodny, Director of the Media Products project at Rostelecom, added: "Our subscribers are going to like our carefully designed set- top box. Our video library includes new film releases and it is very easy to find your favourite show or a similar programme, record it or mark it as a favourite. The packages are conveniently designed for users, so they can watch what they like, without wasting time switching channels and searching for their desired show." More information: www.rostelecom.ru ((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected])) (c) 2012 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |