LONDON, April 5 /PRNewswire/ -- NDS Group plc (Nasdaq/Easdaq: NNDS), a
News Corporation (NYSE: NWS) company and a leading provider of interactive
applications for digital television and conditional access systems to over 14
million digital TV subscribers, today announced that Stream, the Italian Pay-
TV satellite broadcaster, will deploy NDS Open VideoGuard(TM) digital
conditional access to secure its TV programming and to create a platform for
next generation digital entertainment and interactive TV services.
Prior to this agreement Stream had solely used Irdeto conditional access.
Moving forward, the Pay-TV access for consumers using new Stream set-top boxes
will be exclusively protected by NDS VideoGuard conditional access systems and
NDS smart cards. For existing subscribers, VideoGuard will work alongside
Irdeto conditional access in a DVB SimulCrypt conditional access application.
(See About SimulCrypt, below).
"This significant agreement with Stream reinforces NDS Open VideoGuard's
position as the world's leading conditional access system, providing the best
possible solution for broadcasters and combining industry leading security
with a flexible approach to broadcasting business models. VideoGuard has been
designed to make it as easy as possible for digital broadcasters to implement
interactivity and we look forward to helping Stream to deliver exciting new
interactive services to Italian digital TV viewers," says Dr. Abe Peled, CEO
and President of NDS.
"Stream will take full advantage of NDS involvement in digital services.
NDS technology is based on open DVB standards, and will provide a foundation
for the next generation of set-top boxes delivering additional enhanced TV
services," says Riccardo Catalani, CEO of Stream.
NDS will provide Stream with conditional access systems, including both
hardware and software, to be integrated at Stream's broadcast management
centre and in Stream's digital set-top boxes (STB). Because NDS Open
VideoGuard is open and interoperable, it can easily and seamlessly integrate
with all the other components of Stream's digital satellite network, including
the compression, subscriber management, near video-on-demand (NVOD), and
interactive and data services, and also with middleware and applications
software in the STB.
NDS conditional access solutions create a secure infrastructure for
broadcasters that protects their content by ensuring that customers view and
use only what they pay for. Conditional access contributes to increased
revenues for broadcasters because it allows them to create flexible
subscription tiers; offer greater programming choices for viewers; tailor
broadcasts by area, market segment or preference; integrate with Electronic
Program Guides (EPGs) that are a simple gateway to interactive services; and
pay-TV and special events.
Additionally, NDS Open VideoGuard leverages the convergence of the TV with
the Internet to create TV-commerce opportunities, and also enables interactive
advertising, and the delivery of value-added content and interactive
applications, such as NDS' XTV(TM) (Xtended Television) and the NDS suite of
interactive TV applications, Value@TV(TM). The new revenue generating services
and customer benefits are made largely possible by the power and flexibility
of NDS Open VideoGuard and NDS' capability to deliver added value to digital
TV operators. NDS is the leading provider of conditional access solutions to
digital broadcasters worldwide, working with leading satellite broadcasters
around the world, including BSkyB and DIRECTV as well as digital cable
companies such as Madritel in Spain, NTC in China, MATAV in Israel and Foxtel
in Australia.
About SimulCrypt
The DVB's Common Scrambling Algorithm allows the interworking of
conditional access (CA) systems using a method known as "SimulCrypt". With
SimulCrypt the same broadcast (with different embedded CA bitstreams) can be
viewed on several different CA equipped receivers.
The Common Scrambling Algorithm was designed to minimize the likelihood of
piracy attack over a long period of time. Using the Common Scrambling
Algorithm system in conjunction with the standard MPEG data transport and
selection mechanisms it is possible to incorporate in a DVB transmission the
means to carry multiple messages which all enable control of the same
scrambled broadcast but are generated by a number of different CA systems.
This 'Simulcrypt' technique allows both the delivery of one program to a
number of different decoder populations that contain different CA systems, and
also for the transition between different CA systems in any decoder
population, for example to recover from piracy.
About NDS
NDS Group plc (Nasdaq/Easdaq "NNDS") is a leading supplier of open
conditional access software and interactive systems for the secure delivery of
entertainment and information to digital TVs, set-top boxes, personal
computers and mobile devices. The company also develops e-security solutions
for broadband Internet multicasting applications. NDS systems enable
broadcasters, content providers and enterprises on the leading edge of the
convergence of TV and the Internet to profit from digital TV and interactive
services, including integrating and delivering Internet and TV content, data
broadcasting and e-commerce transactions. A portfolio of services including
consulting, systems design and integration, support and maintenance
complements NDS' systems and technologies.
NDS customers provide services to over 50 percent of the world's digital
satellite subscriber base, and more than 15 million viewers of pay television
currently use NDS technologies. NDS, headquartered in the United Kingdom, has
offices worldwide, employs over 1,000 people, and continues to make a major
commitment to R&D with over 400 employees at research centres in Israel and
the United Kingdom. More information can be found at http://www.nds.com . NDS'
largest shareholder is News Corporation (NYSE "NWS", "NSW.A"), a global media
and entertainment company.
About Stream
Stream is a cable and satellite pay television operator offering digital
broadcasting and enhanced interactive multimedia services in Italy.
Subscribers to these services are offered more than 60 video channels, which
include impulse pay per view and near video on demand, about 50 audio channels
and more than 10 enhanced interactive channels. Stream's subscriber base has
topped 450,000 and the Company holds a strong position in the Italian
satellite broadcasting market with News Corp. Europe, Telecom Italia, SDS -
Societa dei Diritti Sportivi, and Cecchi Gori Group as shareholders.
Subscribers to Stream's "Basic" package can access programs of their
choice in pay-per-view as well as a wide range of pay-tv channels devoted to
sport (Eurosport, Snaisat), to nature, travel, science and technology
(National Geographic Channel, Discovery Channel, Canale Viaggi), to children
(Fox Kids, Cartoon Network), to current affairs (CNN, Euronews, Team Tv, Class
Financial Network), to language learning (TVL), and to entertainment and
movies (Studio Universal, Duel Tv, Comedy Life, Cult Network Italia); as well
as the 40 audio channels of Music Choice and 10 interactive channels.
Cinema Stream and CineMovie with their arena of movies, and Sport Stream
and Calcio Stream with their sports programs and exclusive first division
football team matches are attractive premium offers. More information about
Stream is available on the Internet via the World Wide Web at
http://www.stream.it .
The statements contained in this release which are not historical facts
may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S.
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to
the plans, projections or future performance of NDS, which involve certain
risks and uncertainties, including risk of market acceptance, the effect of
economic conditions, possible regulatory changes, technological developments,
the impact of competitive pricing and the ability of NDS and its commercial
partners to develop systems and solutions which meet the needs of the
broadcasting industry in a timely and cost-efficient manner, as well as
certain other risks and uncertainties which are detailed in NDS' filings with
the SEC.
SOURCE NDS Group plc
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Related links:
http://www.nds.com
http://www.stream.it
CONTACT:
Gay Platts or David Bramley of Platform for
NDS, +44 0 208 964 9149, or NDS@platform.demon.co.uk; or Margot
Field of NDS, +44 0 208 476 8158, or mfield@ndsuk.com
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