What we do · Streaming
Streaming platforms, from a team that runs one.
We build white-label streaming services for clients outside India. That covers the apps viewers watch on, the video pipeline behind it, and the payments that pay for it.
We know the work because we do it every day for BuddyCinemas, our own streaming service.
Commercial model
How we work with you.
No price list: every catalogue and business is different. What stays the same is who owns what.
Fixed-scope build
We agree the scope in writing, build it, and hand it over. You own the code, the cloud accounts and the store listings.
Build and operate
We build it, then run it with you: encoding new titles, watching playback, shipping updates and reporting every month.
Contracted by Thaja
Agreed and invoiced by Thaja FZE LLC, with VAT where it applies.
Proof
Built and operated by us.
BuddyCinemas is our own streaming service, with a Telugu-language catalogue. It is run in India by Newtact Lab Private Limited and outside India by Thaja FZE LLC. The pipeline, the payments and the ways to charge on this page all run there today.
What we built
BuddyCinemas, piece by piece.
- More than 150 titles encoded and checked with our own batch tools
- Adaptive HLS streaming, from 360p to 1080p
- Signed segment URLs and short-lived playback tokens
- A web player built on hls.js
- Rentals, purchases and subscriptions, paid through Razorpay in India and Stripe outside India
- Ad-supported playback from our own VAST client
- Tokens earned from rewarded ads, check-ins, streaks and referrals, spent to unlock films
- Age ratings on every title, and a Kids profile that blocks adult titles
- Digital signage for venues, with paired screens, playlists and proof of play
- An admin console for the catalogue, pricing, ads and transcoding
- A producer portal with royalty statements
The pipeline
From master file to paying viewer.
- IngestMasters are checked on our own machines. The master file itself is never uploaded.
- TranscodeHLS in 6-second segments, a ladder from 360p to 1080p, never upscaled.
- ProtectSigned segment URLs and short-lived playback tokens.
- DeliverCloudflare R2 behind an edge cache.
- PlayA web player built on hls.js, with playback quality measured per session.
- PayStripe for viewers outside India; Razorpay for card, UPI and netbanking in India.
Monetisation
Five ways to charge, all running today.
Free
ShippedTitles anyone can watch, to bring viewers in.
Rent or buy
ShippedPay per title: a 24-hour rental, longer access, or a one-off purchase.
Subscription
ShippedPlans that unlock the whole catalogue for a set time.
Ad-supported
ShippedAds on the web from our own VAST client, including mid-roll breaks.
Tokens and rewards
ShippedViewers earn tokens from rewarded ads, check-ins and referrals, and spend them to unlock films.
Choosing
Clone script, custom build or SaaS.
Each has its place. Here is how the three compare.
| Compared | Clone script | Custom build with us | SaaS platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who owns the code | You license a shared codebase | You do | The vendor |
| Upfront cost | Lowest | Highest | Low |
| Running cost | Hosting, plus fixes you pay for | Hosting, plus operations if you want them | A monthly or per-subscriber fee |
| Changing the product | Hard: it wasn't written for you | Yours to change | Only what the platform offers |
| Your viewers' data | Wherever you host it | In your own accounts | In the vendor's platform |
| Best when | You need to test an idea cheaply | Streaming is your business | You need to launch fast with a standard product |
Clone script
- Who owns the code
- You license a shared codebase
- Upfront cost
- Lowest
- Running cost
- Hosting, plus fixes you pay for
- Changing the product
- Hard: it wasn't written for you
- Your viewers' data
- Wherever you host it
- Best when
- You need to test an idea cheaply
Custom build with us
- Who owns the code
- You do
- Upfront cost
- Highest
- Running cost
- Hosting, plus operations if you want them
- Changing the product
- Yours to change
- Your viewers' data
- In your own accounts
- Best when
- Streaming is your business
SaaS platform
- Who owns the code
- The vendor
- Upfront cost
- Low
- Running cost
- A monthly or per-subscriber fee
- Changing the product
- Only what the platform offers
- Your viewers' data
- In the vendor's platform
- Best when
- You need to launch fast with a standard product
Questions
Common questions.
Do you do DRM?
Yes. Every BuddyCinemas stream is already protected by signed segment URLs and short-lived playback tokens. Where your licences call for Widevine or FairPlay, we build them into your platform.
Which devices can viewers watch on?
Web and mobile, as on BuddyCinemas. Apps for Android TV, Fire TV and smart TVs we scope and build with you.
Can you stream live events?
Yes, as part of your build. We scope live streaming with you alongside on-demand video.
Can you take payments outside India?
Yes. BuddyCinemas takes payments through Stripe for viewers outside India and Razorpay in India, and we set up the same for you.
Can you move our existing catalogue?
Yes. We encoded and checked more than 150 titles for BuddyCinemas with the same batch tools we would use for yours.