ITV

Tag: OpenTV

  • AP & Telangana MSO VSML opts for Nagra’s OpenTV content protection

    AP & Telangana MSO VSML opts for Nagra’s OpenTV content protection

    MUMBAI: As the Indian cable television landscape gears up to get fully digitised by the end of this year with the Digital Addressable System (DAS) in place, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana based multi system operator (MSO) Venkata Sai Media Private Limited (VSMPL) has taken a step forward and opted for Kudelski Group’s Nagra anyCAST and OpenTV solutions for the launch of its digital cable and high-speed broadband offering.

    Nagra is an independent provider of content protection and multiscreen television solutions. The launch marks the first commercial deployment of OpenTV middleware and the first user interface to support Telugu language with a cable operator in India. Nagra’s anyCAST content protection and OpenTV middleware technologies were selected by the operator in the context of the government-mandated transition to digital, to provide local cable operators in the state of Andhra Pradesh with access to a variety of digital TV services under the brand name ‘Media Vision.’ These will include 276 SD and 24 HD services with plans to introduce value added services (VAS) like video-on-demand (VOD), home shopping and more. “We are excited to deliver these new digital services to local operators as part of the ongoing digitisation efforts in India. Nagra was the vendor of choice in this effort providing pre-integrated conditional access and set-top box software solutions across multiple chipsets. This was a key factor in helping us deliver the services quickly and efficiently,” said VSMPL. “VSMPL has acted quickly to meet the digitisation timeline set forth by the Indian government and is now able to reach more local operators with our pre-integrated, scalable and fast time-to-market solutions. We are pleased to have been able to support them in this effort helping them deliver advanced functionalities and robust content protection to whole new cable market. We wish them much success with their new platform,” added Nagra SVP sales – Asia-Pacific Jean-Luc Jezouin. VSMPL’s new service will enable a new generation of digital TV services for local cable operators. It boasts built-in features powered by OpenTV middleware such as PVR and targeted advertising and a user interface adapted to the region’s multi-lingual landscape. Robust content protection is provided by the Nagra anyCAST Security Services Platform, which supports a range of services from basic free-to-view to enhanced content like 4K Ultra HD. VSMPL claims to have close to one million subscribers in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

     

  • NAGRA powers Hinduja’s NXT Digital HITS platform in India

    NAGRA powers Hinduja’s NXT Digital HITS platform in India

    MUMBAI: Switzerland based Kudelski Group’s digital TV division NAGRA has powered the Hinduja Group’s new headend-in-the-sky (HITS) platform – NXT Digital in India.

     

    NAGRA’s anyCAST, OpenTV solutions and user interface are enabling NXT Digital. This makes it NAGRA’s first HITS platform in India, which is one of the fastest growing markets in pay-TV today, as the country continues the government-mandated digitisation process. According to a recent report by Media Partners Asia, the Indian pay-TV market is expected to grow by 11 per cent annually on average by 2018, with total pay-TV subscribers expected to grow from 65 million in 2013 to 165 million by 2018 and 180 million by 2023.

     

    NAGRA’s anyCAST content protection and OpenTV middleware solutions are enabling the HITS platform, which will provide backend operations to local and multi-system cable operators in India. NXT Digital offers a variety of packages and services including 500-plus MPEG 4-encrypted services featuring SD and HD channels along with value-added services like PVR and educational content.

     

    “Our new HITS platform gives regional cable operators access to an infrastructure that helps them deliver high-quality video services to a new generation of viewers. NAGRA has been a key partner in the process, providing the expertise and support expected of a pay-TV leader, as well as solutions that provide the right level of content protection, scale seamlessly and allow for flexible business models that are critical to our operators’ success as they kick off their new services,” said Hinduja Group subsidiary Grant Investrade managing director Tony D’Silva.

     

    “It is an honor to work with Grant Investrade and be a part of the digital TV transformation in India that is making access to digital TV services a reality for millions of people. This new platform makes it easy for local and regional cable operators to deploy new services without having to worry about the operational complexities that can come with installing their own system. And by leveraging NAGRA’s deployed, market-leading solutions, they are ensuring a high quality user experience that is not only highly secure but offers pay-as-you-grow models adapted to their strategy,” said NAGRA sales SVP Asia-Pacific Jean-Luc Jezouin.

     

    NAGRA’s anyCAST Security Services Platform, OpenTV middleware and user interface are ready-to-deploy solutions that enable of range of entry-level and advanced DTV services. They allow operators to leverage scalable, pay-as-you-grow business models with multiple set-top boxes and chipsets, and include an intuitive user interface adapted to India’s diverse population and languages.

  • Kudelski to take controlling interest in TV technology firm OpenTV

    Kudelski to take controlling interest in TV technology firm OpenTV

    MUMBAI: US firm OpenTV which provide enabling technologies for advanced digital television services has announced that the Kudelski Group which works in the area of content protection and related digital
    television technologies, has signed a stock purchase agreement with Liberty Media to acquire voting control of OpenTV.

    The transaction aligns two global digital television technology firms who, together, will be able to deliver fully integrated products and
    solutions to the world’s digital TV operators, spanning conditional access software, middleware, interactive applications, and advertising. At the same time, the transaction enables both companies to continue operating
    independently, supporting efforts to serve some customers on a standalone basis as their requirements dictate.

    The Kudelski Group companies, with consolidated 2005 revenues of approximately $550 million, include primarily:
    — Nagravision, a worldwide leader in integrated security software solutions for digital television — Nagra France, NagraStar, Nagra Plus, NagraCard and NagraID
    — Abilis, Quative, and SmarDTV developing new technologies in mobile, IPTV and security
    — SkiData specialising in public access
    OpenTV has historically worked closely with the Kudelski Group to deliver various digital television services, including PVR, VOD and other on-demand services, EPG and content syndication for on-demand services,
    interactive applications, and enabling technologies for enhanced and interactive advertising.

    OpenTV chairman and CEO Jim Chiddix says, “Aligning ourselves with a global leader in the digital television sector like Kudelski will help us immediately extend our product lineup
    into new markets and give us access to customers we haven’t had relationships with before. It will also open up new opportunities that we may not otherwise have had the technical or related resources to address in
    the near term.

    “We think this deal offers us a myriad of new opportunities to bundle solutions, sell products into Kudelski’s existing customer base, save costs through various integration and joint R&D efforts, and collaborate more effectively in several early stage sectors, such as the digital terrestrial market.

    “And, just as importantly, we expect to do that while retaining the requisite degree of independence necessary to satisfy the needs of all of our existing and potential customers and partners, with a continued focus on maximising value for all OpenTV stockholders.”

    Kudelski Group chairman and CEO Andre Kudelski says, “OpenTV’s software has established the global benchmark for set-top box middleware. We also believe it is a company with great potential and very
    talented people, a gold-plated customer list, and market-leading technologies that will offer both OpenTV and the Kudelski Group, working
    side by side, real growth opportunities.

    “This transaction was driven, in large part, by
    recognition of OpenTV’s leadership position in advanced digital television and our desire to work more closely with OpenTV to capture additional market share in the rapidly consolidating digital television industry. With
    digital television households expected to double by 2010, with the landscape for television advertising changing daily, and with the mobile
    and online video sectors now quickly evolving, we see OpenTV as extremely well-positioned to exploit these opportunities — even more so given the complementary nature of our product offerings.”

    Liberty Media senior VP Michael Zeisser says “Over the past four years, through its controlling position in OpenTV, Liberty has helped shape an industry-leading player in digital television. OpenTV has a strong management team, customers, and momentum. As it embarks on its next stage of growth Kudelski will be a formidable strategic partner.”

  • Open TV comes out with integrated solutions for mobile TV

    Open TV comes out with integrated solutions for mobile TV

    MUMBAI: OpenTV, which provides enabling technologies for advanced digital television services and mobile technology firm weComm, have announced a partnership.

    They will provide integrated mobile television solutions to OpenTV’s worldwide pay TV customer base and to other broadcasters and programmers interested in providing an experience across traditional broadcast television and mobile TV.

    OpenTV senior VP and MD Europe, Middle east and Africa Ben Bennett says, “We are delighted that we will be able to offer a seamless solution to our customers that bridges the pay TV experience with the mobile phone experience in a user-friendly manner.

    “This integrated solution is intended to make it easy for our customers to extend their TV experience across multiple platforms and devices, and to allow those viewers to personalise that experience in ever more compelling ways. One simple example of this Mobile TV is to enable OpenTV’s PVR users to record programmes seamlessly and remotely from the mobile handset.”
    The integrated solution combines features and functionalities from OpenTV’s advanced digital television software, in particular its middleware offering, and weComm’s wave technology. The solution extends OpenTV’s middleware features into the mobile environment, allowing direct access on the mobile phone to electronic programming guides (EPGs) that have been ported to OpenTV’s platform.

    The solution also enables mobile phone users to remotely programme their PVRs and to view live or on-demand television programming by navigating through the EPG resident on their phone.

    weComm COO Oliver Sturrock says, “Integrating weComm’s Interactive Mobile TV technology with OpenTV’s industry-leading technologies offers a solution that will seamlessly extend TV-based interactive services to the mobile phone. We think that these solutions will help broadcasters and operators extend their content and services to a younger and more mobile audience.

    “And we think that by combining OpenTV’s and weComm’s expertise and technologies, we can do that in an effective and seamless way that will eventually lead the market.”
    The weComm solution is available on Symbian OS, Microsoft Windows Mobile and Java phones and has been ported to over 100 handsets, including Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, Samsung, LG and the RIM Blackberry.

  • OpenTV previews its vision for the future at IBC 2006

    OpenTV previews its vision for the future at IBC 2006

    MUMBAI: OpenTV, which provides enabling technologies for advanced digital television services, will showcase its latest technologies under the banner of “television is changing … open it up!” at the IBC show in Amsterdam.

    The event takes place from 8-12 September 2006.

    The theme, grounded by the premise that today’s television viewers are demanding greater choice, flexibility, and access, encompasses the entire range of OpenTV’s products on display. By ‘opening up’ the technologies that serve as a foundation for set-top boxes and digital television, OpenTV says that it is taking a leadership position by enabling the adoption of flexible business models and compelling viewer experiences in the television industry.

    OpenTV chairman and CEO James A. (Jim) Chiddix says, “Today, the central technologies for building and maintaining social networks around the world are the phone and the internet.

    “OpenTV believes that TV is next, and that the way to survive in this changing world is to embrace explore, and enable that change. When we say we are ‘opening up’ television, we are extending our tradition of pioneering middleware and related solutions to new content sources, new navigation models, new forms of television advertising, and new experiences in participation with television.”

    Featured products at IBC will include solutions for advanced digital
    television; advanced advertising; and participation television.

    — OpenTV Vision: Supporting its theme for IBC, OpenTV will debut a supermodal, zoomable user interface (ZUI) that fundamentally changes the way viewers navigate and make viewing choices from the massive amounts of available content, by providing navigation tools that create relevance and match interests.

    — Advanced Digital Television:– OpenTV will showcase a number of live HDTV services from OpenTV customers as well as a wide array of HD set-top boxes from ADB, Pace, Philips, Scientific Atlanta, and Thomson.

    — OpenTV will demonstrate the power of its popular Core2/PVR2
    set-top software through the demonstration of a HD guide
    developed by Nagravision. The guide features key elements such
    as time-shifting, scheduling, and series linking, as well as
    push VOD.

    — OpenTV will demonstrate IPTV, highlighting a solution for
    hybrid IPTV deployments by cable and satellite operators.

    — OpenTV Core2/PVR2 supports multiple application execution
    environments including HTML and Flash(R). OpenTV will showcase
    its Flash solution, based on the award-winning MachBlue(TM)
    from Bluestreak Network, supporting rapid authoring of enhanced
    programming using standard Adobe(R) Flash authoring tools.

    OpenTV will also demonstrate its industry -leading HTML
    solution with home networking applications.

    — OpenTV has also integrated technologies with ICTV(TM) and will
    be demonstrating a personalized mosaic that delivers
    alternative navigation and Internet-type programming and
    advertising capabilities to OpenTV-enabled set-top boxes.

    As far as advanced advertising:solutions are concerned the company will conduct demonstrations that will feature an end-to-end production system for enhanced advertising that engages audiences by enabling compelling, interactive advertising applications to be created, validated, scheduled, and launched more quickly and less
    expensively.

    — Also shown will be OpenTV’s advertising sales and inventory
    management solutions with a demonstration of OpenTV’s ad
    decision engine for dynamic insertion of targetted ads.

  • OpenTV previews its vision for the future at IBC 2006

    MUMBAI: OpenTV, which provides enabling technologies for advanced digital television services, will showcase its latest technologies under the banner of “television is changing … open it up!” at the IBC show in Amsterdam.

    The event takes place from 8-12 September 2006.

    The theme, grounded by the premise that today’s television viewers are demanding greater choice, flexibility, and access, encompasses the entire range of OpenTV’s products on display. By ‘opening up’ the technologies that serve as a foundation for set-top boxes and digital television, OpenTV says that it is taking a leadership position by enabling the adoption of flexible business models and compelling viewer experiences in the television industry.

    OpenTV chairman and CEO James A. (Jim) Chiddix says, “Today, the central technologies for building and maintaining social networks around the world are the phone and the internet.

    “OpenTV believes that TV is next, and that the way to survive in this changing world is to embrace explore, and enable that change. When we say we are ‘opening up’ television, we are extending our tradition of pioneering middleware and related solutions to new content sources, new navigation models, new forms of television advertising, and new experiences in participation with television.”

    Featured products at IBC will include solutions for advanced digital
    television; advanced advertising; and participation television.
    — OpenTV Vision: Supporting its theme for IBC, OpenTV will debut a supermodal, zoomable user interface (ZUI) that fundamentally changes the way viewers navigate and make viewing choices from the massive amounts of available content, by providing navigation tools that create relevance and match interests.

    — Advanced Digital Television:– OpenTV will showcase a number of live HDTV services from OpenTV customers as well as a wide array of HD set-top boxes from ADB, Pace, Philips, Scientific Atlanta, and Thomson.

    — OpenTV will demonstrate the power of its popular Core2/PVR2
    set-top software through the demonstration of a HD guide
    developed by Nagravision. The guide features key elements such
    as time-shifting, scheduling, and series linking, as well as
    push VOD.

    — OpenTV will demonstrate IPTV, highlighting a solution for
    hybrid IPTV deployments by cable and satellite operators.

    — OpenTV Core2/PVR2 supports multiple application execution
    environments including HTML and Flash(R). OpenTV will showcase
    its Flash solution, based on the award-winning MachBlue(TM)
    from Bluestreak Network, supporting rapid authoring of enhanced
    programming using standard Adobe(R) Flash authoring tools.
    OpenTV will also demonstrate its industry -leading HTML
    solution with home networking applications.

    — OpenTV has also integrated technologies with ICTV(TM) and will
    be demonstrating a personalized mosaic that delivers
    alternative navigation and Internet-type programming and
    advertising capabilities to OpenTV-enabled set-top boxes.

    As far as advanced advertising:solutions are concerned the company will conduct demonstrations that will feature an end-to-end production system for enhanced advertising that engages audiences by enabling compelling, interactive advertising applications to be created, validated, scheduled, and launched more quickly and less
    expensively.

    — Also shown will be OpenTV’s advertising sales and inventory
    management solutions with a demonstration of OpenTV’s ad
    decision engine for dynamic insertion of targetted ads.

  • OpenTV to offer advanced digital television solutions to Time Warner Cable

    OpenTV to offer advanced digital television solutions to Time Warner Cable

    MUMBAI: OpenTV Corp. a provider of enabling technologies for advanced digital television services has announced a multi-year license agreement with Time Warner Cable to deploy the cable operator’s digital navigator on the Open TV platform.

    The Time Warner Cable digital navigator will enhance existing programme guides, facilitate cross platform integrated services and speed to market new product introductions on the company’s Motorola set-top boxes.

    Additionally, OpenTV’s Core 2.0 software and related interactive television services will be available to Time Warner Cable divisions running Motorola equipment for deployment.

    This licensing agreement represents the first US cable deployment of OpenTV’s advanced digital solutions and applications, informs an official release.

    Initial launch of OpenTV’s solutions is expected in late 2006 on Time Warner Cable’s Motorola set-top boxes, ranging from the DCT-2000 to more full-featured Motorola set-top boxes. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

    OpenTV will provide its Core 2.0 set-top software, interactive applications, and infrastructure systems for application delivery, set-top messaging, and advanced two-way communications.

    As part of the deal, OpenTV has agreed to make available a variety of interactive applications for Time Warner Cable’s use, and expects to write additional applications for the OpenTV platform, OCAP, and other platforms that Time Warner Cable introduces within its Divisions.

    “This deal marks a historic milestone for OpenTV and the culmination of many years of work,” said OpenTV CEO James A.Chiddix. “Gaining a strong foothold in the U.S. cable market has long been a goal of OpenTV, and with an anchor customer like Time Warner Cable we now have a firm foundation from which to continue extending and enhancing our solutions and services as digital television moves ahead in the market. We look forward to fostering this new relationship with Time Warner Cable and furthering its commitment in delivering choice, quality, and value to its subscribers with the most advanced digital television services.”

  • OpenTV & MC3 Global team up for Play Platinum TV channel

    OpenTV & MC3 Global team up for Play Platinum TV channel

    MUMBAI: OpenTV Corp. and MC3 Global have signed a multi-year license agreement for the OpenTV Participate solution to manage Play Platinum TV, MC3 Global’s soon-to-be-launched TV gaming broadcast business.

    OpenTV Participate will be the core business management tool for Play Platinum, a UK-based fixed odds gaming and entertainment broadcaster and managed services provider. Play Platinum expects to broadcast programming such as virtual horse racing and numbers games, including Keno, to viewers on free-to-air satellite, broadband internet, and other distribution platforms.

    OpenTV Participate will process all transactions and provide modules for customer registration, customer care and bonus, and loyalty schemes. OpenTV Participate will also offer MC3 Global multiple finance functions, including billing (via credit cards and premium rate telephony), accounting, business and financial reporting, and risk management, all with real-time accessibility.

    “MC3 understands how OpenTV’s technology can help achieve their vision, and we are delighted to be working with them. OpenTV Participate has been designed to enable broadcasters to offer compelling interactive services with a customer-centric approach. We believe that OpenTV Participate will help Play Platinum achieve a large, loyal customer base, and will enable Play Platinum to manage those customers more efficiently than any other platform in the market today,” said OpenTV EMEA managing director Ben Bennett.

    Play Platinum, which expects to launch its service in multiple territories, including Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, will be broadcasting in several languages with customers able to engage with programming through the telephone, the internet and SMS. With its real-time processing of all participation, OpenTV Participate enables Play Platinum to broadcast live statistics to Play Platinum viewers synchronized with the programming.

    “As with most businesses, ours is designed to grow in stages with new formats being added as the business builds. OpenTV Participate is the perfect platform for such a strategy — the system is extremely powerful and modular in design. In the main package, we get all the systems we need to run a participation-based interactive TV business and can then add new modules quickly and with little additional effort — for example, new games engines or the very slick participation TV modules,” said MC3 Global managing director Jennifer Allsop.

  • OpenTV adds Auction and Sales modules to its multi-platform product

    OpenTV adds Auction and Sales modules to its multi-platform product

    CANNES: OpenTV Corp., which provides technology solutions for advanced digital television services, has released new Auction and Sales modules that will add support for television auctions and sales to its multi-platform OpenTV Participate product. OpenTV Participate enables viewers to participate in real-time or time-shifted competitions, votes, polls, quizzes and games, via mobile phones, web, IVR, and TV remote controls.

    The Auction and Sales modules are fully integrated with existing OpenTV Participate modules, including third party billing, fulfillment, accounts, customer care, bonus, loyalty, and marketing. Operators can now run a dedicated shopping or auction channel or individual shopping or auction events.

    As with all OpenTV Participate modules, the new Sales and Auction modules utilize wizard-based logic, enabling almost any type of sales or auction event-including the popular ‘bid up’ and ‘bid down’ auction models-to be created by non technical personnel. Support for selling content is also included, enabling broadcasters to offer pay-per-use and on-demand services such as mobile TV clips, downloads, or video streaming on any platform, states an official release.
    With these new modules, OpenTV continues to enhance OpenTV Participate’s unprecedented combination of functionality in a single, scalable system, enabling broadcasters and programmers to offer their viewers an even richer choice of interactive products and services.

    “Our vision for OpenTV Participate is to enable broadcasters to convert passive viewers into active customers by offering compelling interactive services and building a profile of their viewers’ TV habits,” said Amos Manasseh, OpenTV’s VP of Global Sales and Marketing for Participation Television. “These new modules further advance this vision as well as OpenTV Participate’s unique position in the market place, benefiting both broadcasters and advertisers alike.”

    OpenTV will be demonstrating OpenTV Participate at the upcoming MipTV/MILLA, NAB, and NCTA conferences, the release adds.