- NAGRA Media ACCESS conditional access system will be integrated into TDT Premium certified set-top boxes and conditional access modules
- Consumers will be able to access the pay DTT services with the retail purchase of the devices integrated with the NAGRA Media ACCESS conditional access for their television sets
Cheseaux, Switzerland – September 2, 2009 — Nagravision, a Kudelski Group (SWX:KUD) company and the world's leading independent provider of value-added content protection solutions, announced last Friday that its NAGRA Media ACCESS conditional access (CA) system was selected to secure the TDT Premium pay TV digital terrestrial television (DTT) horizontal platform operated by Spain's leading audiovisual network operator, Abertis Telecom. NAGRA Media ACCESS is being integrated into TDT Premium homologated set-top boxes and conditional access modules (CAMs) to support the new platform.
The certified DTT set-top boxes and CAM modules will be compliant with the technical specifications for DTT CA enabled receivers agreed within Spanish Digital TV Forum by the main industry stakeholders to create an open platform for all broadcasters. The set-top boxes and CAMs will be sold to consumers via retail channels as well as through TV installers. The first set-top boxes and CAMs integrated with NAGRA Media ACCESS will be available in retail shelves by the beginning of September. In order to assure the availability of these devices in the market by that date, Nagravision has closely collaborated with numerous iDTV, set-top boxes and CAM manufacturers such as OKI, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Sony, Vestel, ADB, Echostar, Motorola, Pace, Sagem, Siemens-Gigaset, Zinwell, SmarDTV, and specifically the leading Spanish manufacturers Engel, Fagor, FTE Maximal, Ikusi and Televes.
With the recently approved new regulation in Spain, all current DTT broadcasters with more than one DTT channel are entitled to offer one channel in pay mode. The first pay DTT channel to go on-air for the TDT Premium platform is Mediapro's "Gol Television", 24-hour sports channel which broadcasts include the Spanish football league, Spanish cup and Champions League games. This channel will be available by the first of September. Other pay channels are expected to be launched in the coming weeks and months.
“Nagravision's solvency in protecting high value content and proven experience in deploying pay TV platforms, along with the wide support of set-top box, iDTV and CAM manufacturers were the key aspects influencing the selection of its technology,” said Thierry Legrand, Senior Vice President for Nagravision SMEA. “The Nagravision solution is based on the one used successfully in Italy with Mediaset, which offers maximum security for content and includes the possibility of over-the-air updates. The solution will allow the television operators to also offer services of payment through either subscription and/or pay-per-view.”
Nagravision conditional access systems currently protect the pay TV content of Digital+, Euskaltel, R Cable, Telecable and Jazztel in Spain. Nagravision is the leading provider of CA systems for the growing pay DTT market in Europe with systems present in the commercial networks of Italy (Mediaset, Pangaea), France (Canal+) and the United Kingdom (TopUpTV).
About the Kudelski Group and Nagravision
The Kudelski Group (SWX: KUD.VX) is a world leader in digital security and convergent media solutions for the delivery of digital and interactive content. Its technologies are used in a wide range of services and applications requiring access control and rights management to secure the revenue of content owners and service providers for digital television and interactive applications across broadcast, broadband and mobile delivery networks. The Kudelski Group is also a world technology leader in the area of access control and management of people or vehicles to sites and events. It additionally offers professional recorders and high-end Hi-Fi products. The Kudelski Group is headquartered in Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland. Please visit www.nagra.com for more information.
Nagravision, a Kudelski Group company, is the leading supplier of open conditional access systems, DRM and integrated on-demand solutions for content providers and digital TV operators over broadcast, broadband and mobile platforms. Its technologies are currently being used by more than 120 leading Pay-TV operators worldwide securing content delivered to over 114 million active smart cards and devices. Please visit www.nagravision.com for more information.
Contacts:
Ivan Schnider
(contact for trade media)
Nagravision SA
Head of Marketing Communications
+41 21 732 09 40
[email protected]
Daniel Herrera
(contact for general interest media)
Kudelski Group
Head of Corporate Communications
+41 21 732 01 81
[email protected]
Santino Rumasuglia
(contact for investors and financial analysts)
Kudelski Group
Head of Investor Relations
+41 21 732 01 24
[email protected]