Binge, Bangladesh’s first IPTV, diving deep into Bengali original video content

Binge, the country's first internet protocol TV (IPTV), is now coming up with Bengali original video content, buoyed by the tremendous response in the first three months of its launch.

The video content, which would be a family- and thriller-oriented telefilm and four dramas, would be released this month.

And to facilitate customers to watch the content, Binge has cut down the price of its Android smart devices by Tk 1,000 to Tk 3,999.

"We have a big and brilliant content creating team and our main emphasis is now making Bengali crime thriller, drama, comedy, video content based on real-life crime and many more," Noor E Tazrian Khan, marketing lead of its parent company Red.Digital, told The Daily Star yesterday.

The dramas can be viewed in higher definition on both big and small screens (smart TV and mobile handsets), Khan added.

One of the shows on the platform, which came at launch in May, called August 14 was a smash hit.

The series is inspired from a true incident of 2013, when a police officer and his wife were brutally murdered by their daughter.

"Our first such real life-based was a hit and everyone appreciated the quality of the content. So, we will bring more such web series," Khan added.

Red.Digital, a subsidiary of Robi Axiata, the country's second-largest mobile operator, rolled out the Binge Android smart device and streaming platform -- both of which were developed by local Genex Infosys -- at a time when the demand for video content hit the roof as people stayed home to flatten the curve on coronavirus that was tearing through the country at a breakneck speed.

Subsequently, in just over three months, it has logged in 1 lakh subscriptions.

Powered by the internet, the Binge Android smart device, which resembles a set-top box, lets one can play more than 150 live TV channels, more than 3,000 series, films, exclusive originals and many more digital entertainment contents.

Dubbed the future of video entertainment, the IPTV differs from the regular cable or satellite TV in that instead of transmitting content via light pulses in fibre-optic cable or radio waves from a satellite, it sends shows and movies through the standard internet connection.

In case of regular cable or satellite connection, broadcasters send out signals and viewers receive them, meaning one is only able to watch what is being broadcasted. Unless there is some sort of recording device, one does not get to dictate what's on when. You just tune in when you can and watch what's available.

But most IPTV uses video on demand (VOD) or time-shifted media instead of broadcasting a range of shows on a specific schedule.

The subscription fee for the Binge streaming platform, which can only be accessed through the device, is Tk 399 per month.

"Bringing all classes of viewers to this platform is our ongoing plan," Khan said, adding that it is also making content for children.

Red.Digital also has global domination in sight: it plans to take Binge to the Bangladeshi and Bengali-speaking diaspora spread all over the world.