IOL Broadband has launched India's first IP-based on-demand television service using software, servers and middleware from SeaChange International.

Leveraging the networks of India's government-owned Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd. (MTNL), IOL Broadband offers an on-demand line-up including Bollywood and Hollywood hits and music videos in Mumbai. Other IOL Broadband IPTV services include interactive gaming, video conferencing, an "e-education" channel and live financial data from the Bombay Stock Exchange.

IOL Broadband relies on the SeaChange VOD System, which utilizes the Axiom on-demand infrastructure software to automatically manage growing content libraries, streaming resources and other operations aspects. IOL Broadband's electronic program guide and content browser is based on SeaChange's IPTV middleware platform, which includes capabilities such as delivering complete DVDs in a single on-demand stream.

"Economic expansion, advertising growth and a surge in demand for pay television is increasing the value of the Indian media market and it is clearly on a path to emerge as Asia's most lucrative within a few years," said Vivek Couto, executive director of Media Partners Asia, a leading media research firm. "By 2010 the country will have over 100 million pay television households. Growth here is rapid and is fueled by new consumer options including IPTV."

"We've set out to revolutionize the television experience in India and SeaChange's comprehensive technology platform and expertise has helped make it possible for us to attain that goal," said Siddhartha Srivastava, president, IOL Broadband. "On-demand enhances IOL Broadband's IPTV service by giving our subscribers exactly the kind of content they want most with the convenience and control they demand."

IOL Broadband is the latest SeaChange rollout to use H.264 video coding to deliver high-definition video streams – in less than half the bandwidth required by MPEG-2 – over a variety of networks, including DSL and wireless.

Visit SeaChange and On Demand Group at IPTV World Forum London, March 5-7.