ZEE secures US patent for immersive entertainment technology for all five senses

New Delhi: ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) took a major step in the field of immersive entertainment technology recently by securing a US patent for a platform developed in the Silicon Valley which offers an immersive entertainment experience and caters to all five senses of viewers.

Developed at ZEE Media Lab, the unique platform is built on robust and state of the art technologies like 3D Audio, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Digital Scent, Holograms and touch. It stems from the Vedic culture of offering an immersive experience to viewers at home, satisfying all five senses. Apart from offering a unique viewing experience in delivering extraordinary entertainment and information-based content, the platform will also enable the viewers to touch, feel, smell and experience products, with a seamless transaction (e-commerce) ecosystem.

Be it immersive entertainment content, or informative education-based solutions, or gaming, or e-commerce; this comprehensive technology platform is built to cater to every single need of the viewer.]

Immersive Entertainment - The platform is empowered with 3D Audio, AR, VR, Digital scent, holograms and touch, to transform the viewers' living rooms into an immersive mode, be it a serene beach or an action-packed fight scene. 

Immersive Education - The platform is capable to not just educate the viewers about a given topic, say an internal combustion engine, but is also equipped to offer an immersive journey for the viewer right into the cylinders of the combustion engine, taking the learning experience to an altogether different level. 

Gaming - The platform will not just offer a 3D gaming experience but will also give the players a unique experience to feel the heat of an ongoing combat with the opponent, and even experience the smell of the battlefield.

Entertainment Commerce - The platform will enable the viewers to order any product which they witness being consumed or used by the lead protagonist on the screen, at the touch of a button. Viewers will be able to smell the perfume worn by their favorite actor/actress on screen and purchase the same within seconds. If the viewer owns a 3D printer, the platform is also capable of even printing the food which one watches on the screen!

Home Environment Control - The platform will also be equipped to control the viewers' home environment, right from the lights, security solutions, to heating, ventilation & air conditioning equipment, ensuring that the viewers' immersive experience while consuming content is not interrupted at any stage.

ZEE's Chairman, Dr Subhash Chandra, hailed the revolutionary step and said it is a big step towards the future of entertainment. "At ZEE, we envisioned 4-5 years back, that the overall media landscape is poised to evolve at an extremely rapid pace, with content companies blending into technology companies. Hence, we started investing our time and energy in building a technology for the future, which enhances the content viewing experience by many folds. ZEE's lab in the Silicon Valley was set up in 2016 to create this robust platform, and I'm very glad that the US Patent is secured," he said. "It is a concrete step in realizing our vision of transforming ourselves from a media & entertainment powerhouse to a technology Company, offering immersive experiences".

Amit Goenka, CEO Z5, also hailed the development. "We are extremely excited to offer this unique immersive experience to our viewers. Under the guidance of our visionary Chairman, we are building this unique platform which is futuristic in nature. The US Patent is a major milestone achieved in this process giving us the required level of confidence and reassurance. This is just the beginning of an extraordinary journey of transforming the viewers content viewing experience."

While still not deployed on a commercial scale, the grant of US Patent enables ZEE to make the platform available to millions across the world. The commercially-viable prototype would be ready in 12 months and this would help ZEE take the technology to its large user base across the US, Europe, Asia, China and Latin America. ZEE Media Lab in Silicon Valley, meanwhile, remains committed to integrating technologies to enhance the overall viewer experience.