Download the PDF: EN
September 07, 2012

HARMONIC AND NAGRA TEAM TO POWER THE WORLD’S FIRST COMMERCIAL MPEG-DASH OTT MULTISCREEN SERVICE

  • Deployed Jointly by Abertis Telecom and Nagra, the Live and VOD Multiscreen Cloud Service Leverages Harmonic ProMedia™ Suite and Nagra MediaLive Multiscreen

SAN JOSE, Calif. and CHESEAUX, Switzerland — Sept. 7, 2012 — Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT), the worldwide leader in video delivery infrastructure, today announced that it has teamed up with Nagra, the digital TV division of the Kudelski Group (SIX:KUD.S) and world’s leading independent provider of content protection and multiscreen television solutions, to power an innovative cloud-based OTT video service for broadcasters and pay-TV service providers offered jointly by major Spanish infrastructure telecom operator Abertis Telecom and Nagra. The multiscreen hosting service is already in use by Spanish broadcasters for their HbbTV based services and will be enhanced to become what is expected to be the world’s first commercial deployment of MPEG-DASH, a standards-based adaptive streaming protocol that supports multiple DRM systems via common encryption, as well as the first deployment of HbbTV 1.5.

As part of a fully integrated multiscreen solution, Harmonic’s ProMedia™ suite and Nagra MediaLive Multiscreen solution provide the Abertis Telecom-Nagra cloud service with an integrated video infrastructure capable of delivering high-quality OTT applications, including live, VOD and time-shifting, to TVs, PCs, tablets, smartphones, set-top boxes and other IP-connected devices.

To ensure a successful deployment, Nagra and Harmonic worked closely to define and implement the necessary interfaces between Harmonic’s video processing solutions and Nagra’s master DRM key server, allowing the service to simultaneously protect content with multiple digital rights management systems, including Nagra PRM, Microsoft® PlayReady®, and Marlin.

Leveraging Nagra MediaLive Multiscreen’s multi-DRM capability, the Abertis Telecom-Nagra cloud service can support a broad range of connected devices while reducing the total cost of ownership. The end-to-end Nagra solution includes the flexible MediaLive Service Platform for digital asset management and service delivery; the company’s award-winning digital rights management technology (Nagra PRM); Nagra Media Player, a sophisticated media player that securely delivers services to open devices; and the MediaLive “Ninja” Client Framework, a flexible cross-device application framework that accelerates the deployment of innovative services to multiple connected devices.

“Nagra is committed to providing flexible solutions required to cost-effectively deploy multiscreen services that address future market needs. With this MPEG-DASH and HbbTV 1.5 deployment, Nagra and Harmonic continue to lead the industry in supporting innovative television services,” said Jean-Michel Puiatti, vice president, multiscreen products for Nagra. “The multi-DRM support provided by Nagra MediaLive Multiscreen simplifies the encryption of video content to multiple devices and lowers capital and operating costs for service providers.”

The joint Abertis Telecom-Nagra cloud service uses Harmonic’s software-based ProMedia family of video preparation and processing solutions to streamline the delivery of its new OTT service. ProMedia performs a broad range of processing and streaming tasks — including capture, transcoding, packaging, and origin server functions — to enable high-quality multiplatform video creation and delivery. The flexible, high-performance solution can scale to support hundreds of simultaneous streams, simplifying the deployment of the live OTT service.

“As a member of the DASH Industry Forum and recent participant in the first live, public MPEG-DASH trial at the London Olympic Games with European broadcaster VRT, Harmonic is excited to continue its support of the industry’s premiere standard for streaming multimedia over the Internet. By launching the world’s first OTT service supporting MPEG-DASH, Abertis Telecom and Nagra are breaking new ground and helping to build the future of multiscreen delivery,” said Thierry Fautier, senior director, convergence solutions, Harmonic.

The joint Abertis Telecom-Nagra Multiscreen Cloud Service will be showcased at IBC2012 in Amsterdam, Sept. 7-11, at Nagra stand 1.C81. Harmonic will demonstrate its comprehensive range of multiscreen solutions at stand 1.B20.

About Harmonic
Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) is the worldwide leader in video delivery infrastructure for emerging television and video services. The company’s production-ready innovation enables content and service providers to efficiently create, prepare, and deliver differentiated services for television and new media video platforms. More information is available at www.harmonicinc.com.

About Nagra
Nagra, the digital TV division of the Kudelski Group (SIX:KUD.S), provides security and multiscreen user experience solutions for the monetisation of digital media. It offers content providers and DTV operators worldwide with secure, open, integrated platforms and applications over broadcast, broadband and mobile platforms, enabling compelling and personalised viewing experiences. Its services and content protection technologies are used by 120 pay TV operators, securing content delivered to over 144 million active smart cards and devices. Its advanced user experience solutions are integrated in over 165 million devices, enabling video-on-demand, personal video recording, advanced advertising and enhanced television applications. Please visit www.nagra.com/dtv for more information and follow us on Twitter at @nagrakudelski.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including statements related to the anticipated capabilities and benefits of Harmonic’s ProMedia™ product. Our expectations and beliefs regarding these matters may not materialize and are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the possibility that ProMedia™ does not meet some or all of its anticipated capabilities or provide some or all of its anticipated benefits, such as high-quality video creation and delivery, cost-reduction, high-performance and flexibility.

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to other risks and uncertainties, such as those more fully described in Harmonic’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec.31, 2011, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and its Current Reports on Form 8-K. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Harmonic as of the date hereof, and Harmonic disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

EDITOR’S NOTE – Product and company names used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

CONTACTS:
Paulien Ruijssenaars
Director of Public Relations for Harmonic
+1.408.490.7021
[email protected]

Michael Bishop
The Blueshirt Group
415-217-4968
[email protected]

Ivan Schnider
Marketing Communications Nagra
+41 79 778 94 12
[email protected]

Christine Oury
Marketing Communications Nagra
+1 415 962 5433
[email protected]