Alticast Highlights Cloud Services and Ultra HD Deployed Solutions at INTX 2015

Alticast, a global partner for the delivery of media entertainment, will demonstrate to attendees of INTX 2015 its newly deployed Ultra HD (UHD) security solution alongside its Cloud Services and other innovations. The demonstrations will take place in Alticast’s booth (1319), May 5-7, at the McCormick Convention Center in Chicago.

Alticast will showcase its entire line of solutions at the show, with particular emphasis on its AltiPlex™ Client-Server Cloud solutions, TV Ready User Agent App Framework and AltiProtect™ technology solution.

Key demonstrations at INTX 2015 will include:

          Alticast’s AltiPlex Cloud Services Platform (CSP) provides essential core cloud solutions for handling users, devices, metadata, advertising, big-data support and billing system integration, with a complete web-based management console. Additional options include the dynamic Cloud UI solution allowing operators to deliver a sophisticated user experience (UX) to both their legacy and new set-top boxes (STBs).  The Cloud user interface (UI) can also provide multiple UIs to different devices in a household, for example a UI tailored for kids and one for adults. In addition, Cloud DVR is available for cloud-based recording, storage and delivery of content providing a TV Everywhere experience. AltiPlex CSP is component based, allowing operators to integrate existing portions into their service or to use the complete platform. 

      Alticast will show AltiProtect UHD, the newest addition to its AltiProtect family, that is optimized for UHD security protection and which is paramount for the success of UHD providing more robust security for premium content. Already successfully deployed by CJ Hellovision in Korea, AltiProtect UHD can be remotely installed onto STBs and other devices with the AltiProtect Download Framework, a mechanism to remotely install any AltiProtect CAS/DRM/DTCP-IP or the new UHD solution into STBs and other devices. 

 The company is expanding its HDMI Media Express offering beyond the original thumb drive sized ‘set-top box on a stick’ by adding small tabletop options for IP video delivery with live and on-demand programming being delivered directly from the Cloud or in concert with a home gateway. In the stick form-factor, the product provides a TV Everywhere experience with its download-and-go and plug-and-play capability.  Additionally, HDMI Media Express supports HTML5 and Android application delivery with the flexible Alticast’s TV Ready User Agent application framework that allows multiple user agents to work together on one device. This allows operators to combine HTML5 RDK solutions with Android or Java based solutions all on one device.  

          The new multi-catalog search capability of Alticast’s AltiView 1™ UX, powered by Rovi, allows subscribers to simultaneously search multiple content catalogs from over-the-top (OTT) providers like Netflix, Hulu and YouTube, and select the delivery source.  This gives operators many options for providing OTT services.

In addition to booth demonstrations, President and CTO of Alticast North America, John Carlucci, will present "IoT:  A New Business Model" at INTX’s Imagine Park Innovation Showcase on Tuesday, May 5^th as part of the 4 – 5 p.m. content segment.

Media and other parties interested in meeting with Alticast executives at INTX 2015 should contact alticast@mobilitypr.com to schedule a time.

Comcast Steps on the IoT Accelerator

It’s no secret that we’re big fans of the Internet of Things (IoT) and of the tremendous opportunity it represents for cable operators. 

Well it seems that Comcast agrees.

The nation’s largest MSO recently partnered with Boomtown, an “accelerator” that helps promising start-ups get off the ground, to open an IoT development lab.  Just down the street from us in Boulder, Colorado, the lab will help these start-ups develop new IoT related applications, products and services.

Fostering innovation through this lab is a terrific way to accelerate the IoT.  In the same way that streaming video and other new services that weren’t possible or even conceivable before broadband, the IoT can make entirely new applications, services and industries possible. 

Even now a start-up tinkering away in the IoT development lab may develop “The Next Big Thing.”

Alticast, Strategy & Technology and UniSoft Demonstrate Interactive TV Applications for ATSC at NAB 2015

Companies Leverage ATSC to Enable Broadcasters to Deliver new Interactive TV

and Advertising Applications

Alticast, Strategy & Technology (S&T) and UniSoft are partnering to demonstrate how the companies combined technologies enable broadcasters to deliver ATSC Interactive applications by overlaying graphics onto their video content.  This combined tool set and complete framework brings together TV and web technologies to give broadcasters the means to deliver a new generation of iTV services and advanced advertising applications. The demonstration will take place at S&T (N1122) and Alticast’s booth (N1223), April 13-16, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

This joint demonstration takes advantage of the triggers provided in ATSC that enable broadcasters to synchronize applications with programming content.  The demonstration includes an Alticast enabled set-top box (STB) running the company’s TV Ready User Agent (TVRUA), which provides a robust browser and application life cycle control for managing applications.  S&T’s tools insert ATSC triggers into recorded and live content, and Alticast has integrated the ability to recognize these triggers and facilitate the launch of web-based HTML5 applications.  These applications can be delivered from web servers to the screen providing a broadcast solution for interactive TV.

S&T’s new OnScreen Publisher and the Alticast TVPlay application store can be used by application developers to create, manage, monitor and release applications for broadcaster use.  These web-based applications can provide interaction to the viewer, and collect input response so results can be aggregated and reported back to the broadcaster.  Tablet and mobile interactions can also be designed as part of the application.

UniSoft has worked together with S&T and Alticast to produce a complete turnkey solution, which is being made available to the broadcast stations for creating and delivering interactive applications. Reality TV voting, campaign polling and advertising call-to-actions are examples of the types of interactive applications broadcasters could deploy. 

“The new iTV capabilities of ATSC are huge for broadcasters who are eager to offer a more interactive TV experience for viewers and advertisers,” said John Carlucci, President and CTO of Alticast U.S.  “Together with our partners S&T and UniSoft, we are showing broadcasters how our joint solution enables them to take advantage of ATSC to deliver a range of interactive TV and advertising applications.”

“We are delighted to be working with Alticast to bring this demonstration to NAB. The use of OnScreen Publisher and our trigger insertion toolsets has enabled us to provide a compelling demonstration of the interactivity that ATSC makes available to broadcasters,” said Adrian Fowkes, Engineering Director at Strategy & Technology.

"Interactive application on broadcast TV is a great way of enhancing viewing and generating additional revenue for the stations.  It is a pleasure to work with Alticast and S&T on this endeavor, " said Guy Hadland, CTO of UniSoft Corporation.

Alticast Shows Broadcasters how to Maximize Multiscreen and Cloud Opportunities at NAB 2015

Broadcasters can Simplify the Delivery of New Video Services With Alticast

BROOMFIELD, Colo. – April 6, 2015 – Alticast, a global partner for the delivery of media entertainment, will show attendees of NAB 2015 how its latest solutions can simplify the development and delivery of new, more personalized, multiscreen TV viewing experiences.  The demonstrations will take place at their booth (N1223), April 13 – 16, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

“NAB is the perfect venue for us to show broadcasters and content owners how they can take advantage of the Cloud and other new technologies to deliver services to many video consumption devices used by viewers,” said John Carlucci, President and Chief Technical Officer for Alticast North America.  “More and more content is being delivered from the Cloud to a variety of devices via IP and Alticast has the technology to deploy quick, nimble, secure and scalable services adapting to the changing digital media consumer.”

Alticast’s key demonstrations at NAB 2015 will include:

·       The company’s HDMI Media Express ‘set-top box on a stick,’ which represents a new paradigm for IP video delivery with live and on-demand programing being delivered directly from the cloud or in concert with a home gateway. The size and shape of a USB thumb drive, it also provides a TV Everywhere experience with its download-and-go and plug-and-play capability.  Additionally, HDMI Media Express supports HTML5 and Android application delivery due to its leveraging the Reference Design Kit (RDK) and Alticast’s TV Ready User Agent application framework.

·       The new multi-catalog search capability of Alticast’s AltiView 1 user experience (UX), powered by Rovi, allows subscribers to simultaneously search multiple content catalogs from over-the-top (OTT) providers like Netflix, Hulu and YouTube, and select the delivery source.   This allows operators to add services from secondary content catalogs and offer it to their viewers.

·       Alticast’s AltiPlex Cloud Services Platform (CSP) provides a variety of cloud solutions, including back office integration, metadata delivery, big-data support and a number of add-on features. Alticast will be highlighting their Cloud-based Digital Video Recording (DVR) system, which enables cloud-based storage and delivery of content. 

·       A joint demonstration will show broadcasters how to take advantage of ATSC 2.0 to overlay applications onto their video and deliver a new generation of iTV services and advanced advertising applications.  The demonstration includes an Alticast enabled set-top box (STB), providing a robust browser and application life cycle control for managing applications.  Tools from Strategy & Technology (S&T) insert ATSC 2.0 triggers into recorded and live content, and Alticast recognizes these triggers and launches web-based HTML5 applications.  These applications can be delivered from web servers to the screen providing a broadcast solution for interactive TV.

Media and other parties interested in meeting with Alticast executives at NAB 2015 should contact alticast@mobilitypr.com to schedule a time.