Actor Allu Arjun-backed Telugu and Tamil OTT platform aha has launched a 4K Ultra HD and Dolby Audio-supported version aha GOLD to offer better sound and video quality, joining major streaming platforms who are investing in technology to enhance the viewing experience, especially as people are back on the move again.
“We have observed that the Telugu and Tamil speaking viewers are very discerning in the quality of streaming they consume. This is our endeavour to give them an enriching experience on their TVs, through 4K Ultra HD and Dolby Audio,” aha’s CEO Ajit Thakur had said at the launch. The subscription, priced Rs 699 a year, allows viewers ad-free access to all of the streamer’s content in both Telugu and Tamil.
Now, it’s important that OTT platforms play content well, both on TV and mobile devices. “OTT is no more a mobile phenomenon post-Covid-19,” Thakur had told Business Today earlier, adding that their tech and analytics budget is almost similar to their marketing budget. He had also said that their focus was to keep the interface simple, keep the back-end running smoothly and have a great recommendation engine so that people don’t have to search what they want to watch and it will be automatically given to them.
As viewers have become spoilt for choice in a market with around 60 video streaming apps offering content across a dizzying array of formats, technology becomes a key differentiator. But it’s also where the Indian apps lag behind global giants Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
The lack of a smooth viewing experience is a barrier for many subscribers, according to consultancy Ormax Media’s Founder and CEO, Shailesh Kapoor. “A lot of apps still have issues on how the content plays. If you come back two days later, can you start from where you left? You can’t be spending crores on content and giving sub-optimal user experience.”
It’s an expensive and time-consuming endeavour, but the streamers are pulling up their socks to get it right. Disney+ Hotstar recently launched Dolby 5.1 surround sound on its platform to enhance its ‘cricketainment’ offering, while SonyLIV also introduced tech such as 4K viewing and Dolby sound on its apps. Voot is focussing on improving live streaming of sports and reducing latency, while MX Player has upgraded its video compression technology to halve data usage.
Meanwhile, aha also plans to quadruple its user base to at least eight million by getting into non-Hindi languages. It forayed into Tamil originals in April and plans to launch Malayalam next year, and two more languages thereafter. Also, in the works are an AVOD service, gaming and live news content for the Telugu audience. “For the 100 per cent local ecosystem, we are like the super app. You will get news, gaming, AVOD, SVOD and we’ll keep expanding [into other] languages,” Thakur had told Business Today earlier.