German Operators Pick NDS
NDS has announced that Kabel Deutschland will introduce Common Interface Plus (CI+) modules based on the NDS VideoGuard conditional access (CA) system.
The CI+ specification is based on extensions to the European DVB-Common Interface standard, put in place to ensure that content is protected – a feature not present when delivered through CI modules. It allows consumer electronics manufactures to launch a wide range of devices, such as integrated digital TV-sets that can easily and securely provide access to KD’s digital TV programs through plug-in CI+ modules.
KD introduced its CI+ modules on May 3 and is the first operator to support the CI+ specification in Germany. Currently operating cable networks in 13 German states, KD supplies its TV and triple play services to approximately 8.9 million connected households in Germany.
“The CI+ standard has been strongly advocated by the consumer electronics industry," said Wolfgang Zeller, VP of service engineering of Kabel Deutschland, in a statement. "We therefore expect to see a wide variety of devices on the market in the near future.”
Earlier this week, SMiT also announced it supplied Kabel Deutschland with CI Plus modules. (For more, click here).
In other NDS news, the company announced that Sky Deutschland, a pay-TV operator in Germany and Austria, has chosen NDS XTV secure integrated digital video recorder (DVR) technology to power its Sky+ HD DVR service.
HD set-top boxes featuring XTV will enable recording of up to 50 movies in standard definition or up to 25 movies in true HD. Sky HD receivers will also be capable of receiving future HD 3D services.??
XTV technology provides viewers with the flexibility to manage their TV viewing, enabling them to record programming to view when they want; with the ability to record one channel while viewing another, pause live TV and resume playback and also to play, pause, rewind and fast forward any of their recorded content.