Samsung SUHD 55KS9000: Great all-rounder

Samsung SUHD 55KS9000: Great all-rounder

There was lava all around and it seemed the end of the world was near. Yet, at the very last moment, the captain expertly manoeuvred his ship to escape into the realm of the unknown - space. It was one heck of a voyage, and by the end of it, I was drenched in sweat. The air-conditioner was off!

Coming back to reality, I was watching an ultra-high definition version of Star Trek: Into the Darkness in my living room on the Samsung SUHD 55KS9000 (Rs 2.99 lakh) and I had managed to switch off the AC in my engrossed state. Surveying the stars in pitch black, I was startled when the camera suddenly panned to a shot within the spaceship - it was all so clear and brilliant, yet didn't hurt the eye.

The TV from Samsung's latest line is a stunner. Sporting a curved screen, it is practically devoid of a bezel; the smooth lines continue on the back - possibly the most aesthetic I've seen on a TV till date.

A few nights later, I was watching the Euro 2016 finals between France and Portugal. Minutes into the match, I watched Ronaldo in tears as he was carried out (and the moth consoling him) in vivid detail. As the match dragged on, I could watch minutely the frustration on the players' faces and the despair writ large on the supporters. In extra time, I could see the joy on the faces of the Portugal supporters and the tears of the French as they conceded defeat. And yes, I didn't miss the sideline antics of "assistant coach" Ronaldo. An added bonus that now it was much easier to access "Sports" mode on the TV.(more)

Disney's Jungle Book roars to Rs 100 crore in 10 days

Mowgli and his jungle friends are charting cinema history in India as Disney's The Jungle Book has entered the coveted Rs 100-crore club in only 10 days since its release. The film, which made its way to the Indian screens on April 8, a week ahead of its release in the US, has collected Rs 101.82 crore at the Indian box office.
It is only the second Hollywood import to do so, the first being last year's Furious 7, which collected Rs 106 crore in its lifetime in India.
Read more from our special coverage on "THE JUNGLE BOOK, DISNEY"

• Disneys on roll as Jungle Book premieres with $103.6 mn
• The Jungle Book gets over Rs 10 cr opening in India
• Disney goes gung-ho on Jungle Book as it sharpens focus on India

The Jungle Book was released in four languages in India - Hindi, English, Tamil and Telugu, across formats like 2D, 3D and 3D IMAX. For the Hindi dub, the studio roped in Bollywood heavyweights like Priyanka Chopra (Ka), Nana Patekar (Sher Khan) and Irrfan Khan (Baloo), apart from recreating the famous title song of the famous Doordarshan show - Jungle Jungle Baat Chali Hai… The strategy paid off well, as 54 per cent of the film's total collections have come from the Indian languages.
Amrita Pandey, vice-president - studios, Disney India, says, "We are thrilled that our conviction in the movie has paid off. Right from the call to release it in India a week before (the US), to the way it has been marketed, things have worked out fine. I think this sets a precedent on treating Hollywood films in India. Of course, not every film will lend itself so seamlessly to localisation but if you pick the right film, there is a lot of scope for Hollywood films in India."

She adds that having a robust voice cast for Hindi has helped widen the audience scope, and encouraged repeat viewing of the film. "Many people who have seen the film in English want to see it a second time in Hindi. The film has a deep connect with India not only because the story is set here, but also because entire generations have grown up watching Mowgli's adventures on TV. In fact, multiplex properties that usually do not run Hindi dub prints of Hollywood movies have started multiple shows, seeing the response to the dub versions nationally," says Pandey. Read More.

'Shocked' friends, industry condole death of Pratyusha

Expressions of shock and condolences poured in from friends and near ones in the TV industry over the alleged suicide of TV actress Pratyusha Banerjee, who was found dead at her suburban residence today.

"Sad sad sad. Nothing's worth ending your one beautiful gift called life for... My heart bleeds for the parents and family...," tweeted 'Bigg Boss 7" winner Gauhar Khan.

"The news is absolutely saddening. I know life is tough but why do you need to do this. She was so young, I don't know what happened. Lots of strength to her family during this time," Kushal Tandon, her co-contestant said.

The 24-year-old was found hanging from a ceiling fan at her flat in Bangur Nagar in suburban Kandivli, a police officer said.

However, no suicide note was found from the flat, he said, adding the exact cause of the death, which occurred around afternoon, will be known only after an autopsy is conducted. Read More.

I 'will be happy' to work with Sunny Leone: Aamir Khan

Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan on Wednesday spoke out in support of actress Sunny Leone, who was at the receiving end of harsh questions about her professional choices in a TV interview.

During the promotional TV interview with CNN IBN anchor Bhupendra Chaubey, Leone was asked that while she would like to work with Aamir Khan, would Aamir Khan like to work with her.

Leone faced it sportingly, and it is this spirit that has impressed Aamir.

“I think Sunny conducted herself with a lot of grace and dignity in this interview. I wish I could have said the same about the interviewer.

Three hit $1.6 bn US Powerball jackpot

Several people shared a bonanza of $1.6 billion (1.47 billion euros) Wednesday in the US Powerball lottery, officials and reports said, after millions tuned in to see the fate of the world-record jackpot live on TV.
The winning numbers were 4, 8, 19, 27 and 34, with a 10 as the so-called Powerball number.
Lottery fever gripped the country, with people frantically checking their $2 slips to see if they had won the world-record lottery.
"We have a winner in California! A jackpot-winning ticket was sold in Chino Hills. We're still awaiting results from other states," California Lottery tweeted.
Local television showed swarms of people, many cheering, descending on the Los Angeles convenience store where the California ticket was sold.

Netflix in India: All you need to know about getting started

US-based streaming video service Netflix has now launched services in India. The service will allow access to TV shows and movies, along with award-winning Netflix original series and documentaries.

The service has launched with three tiers of pricing available per month – basic at Rs 500, standard at Rs 650 and premium at Rs 800.

For those already excited about the services, here is a complete beginner’s guide to Netflix:

How does free trial work?




Netflix offers new users a month of free trial before they can subscribe themselves for regular services. Users can sign up for the service on the site by creating an account for themselves. The sign up will require users to share their credit/debit card details for future usage. Once an account is created, users will gain unlimited access to movies, TV shows and documentaries, which can be live streamed using the internet.