NDS, UDcast To Provide Content Protection For DVB-H Mobile TV Services

NDS (NNDS), provider of technology solutions for digital pay-TV, and UDcast, provider of wireless IP broadcast solutions, announced a partnership to provide content protection solution for DVB-H Mobile TV services.

The solution would help operators to maximize revenue from mobile TV services by providing premium content to end users as well as enabling business models such as targeted advertising. Further, the solution would enable the ecosystem supporting global deployment of DVB-H.UDcast said that as part of the partnership, NDS integrated its VideoGuard Mobile TV content protection system for DVB-H with UDcast's Mobile TV head-end solution to provide a secure environment for Mobile broadcast and on-demand video.

The integration testing of the system proved seamless and effortless interoperability for broadcasters and mobile network operators deploying best of breed technologies.Nigel Smith, NDS Chief Marketing Officer, commented, “The content protection system of NDS together with the IP encapsulation provided by UDcast will enable mobile operators to create serious, revenue-generating businesses.”

Jas Saini, CEO, UDcast, noting the significance of content protection, commented, “True success with Mobile TV services comes about by providing more content that users demand and services that help to increase revenue, such as targeted advertising, so security is a top priority.”

Alcatel-Lucent, SFR complete DVB-SH mobile TV pilot

Alcatel-Lucent and French mobile operator SFR have completed a six-month pilot of a DVB-SH mobile TV broadcast network co-localised, for its terrestrial part, with an existing commercial 3G+ network.

The tests in Pau, South-West France, showed that reusing part of the existing 3G+ sites allows efficient and economic indoor coverage in the frequency bands adjacent to UMTS (in the S band at 2.2 GHz). The tests validated several fundamental assumptions of the performance of a DVB-SH network, notably the coverage, continuity and quality of service.

In particular, the tests confirmed that it only requires that portions of the 3G+ sites are equipped with DVB-SH repeaters to allow Mobile TV coverage inside buildings identical to the 3G+ coverage. This validates the economical efficiency of the deployment of a DVB-SH terrestrial network for Mobile TV broadcast with a very high coverage quality.

In addition, tests related to the satellite part of a hybrid DVB-SH network were performed using a helicopter as a fixed point at high altitude, thus emulating a geostationary satellite. These tests confirmed that, for the user of a mobile terminal in a pedestrian as well as a vehicular situation, the signals coming from the satellite perfectly combined with those coming from the terrestrial repeaters, in a transparent manner for the terminal.

The companies used mobile terminals provided by Sagem Mobiles and Samsung Electronics. Dibcom, TeamCast and UDcast also supplied equipment and technical support to the project.