CCBN 2016: ALTICAST TO PREVIEW ALTIVIEW 3, SHOW ASIA-PAC MARKET SUCCESS STORIES

Alticast will show the latest versions of technology platforms that simplify deployment of next-generation user experiences at the China Content Broadcasting Network (CCBN) Exhibition March 24-26. 

In Hall 3, Booth #3504 Alticast will preview its AltiView 3 user experience architecture, and will demonstrate other solutions that Asia-Pacific pay-TV operators and others are using to deploy advanced user interfaces and cloud PVR services.

The CCBN exhibit will show how:

•       AltiView 3 will transform the customer experience by leveraging metadata for improved search and discovery, based on customers’ previous viewing choices and other factors;
•       Korea Telecom’s KT Skylife platform is using Alticast’s cloud content ingest/delivery system, cloud service system, cloud media storage system and cloud streaming system to enable the first large-scale deployment of PVR services; and
•       A major Vietnamese pay-TV provider has successfully deployed a completely integrated suite of Alticast products for delivery of live and on-demand services to low-cost set-top boxes and mobile devices.

The latest addition to the AltiView™ family of user interface designs, AltiView 3 is expected to increase customer engagement by driving contextual viewing experiences within an intuitive, elegant UI.  With support for Java and HTML5 environments, AltiView UIs are available uniformly across tablets, mobiles and STBs.  AltiView is a market leader in enabling device pairing that allows seamless viewing transitions between screens.

Media and industry analysts interested in meeting with Alticast executives at CCBN 2016 should contact pspr@att.net to schedule a date and time.

Alticast Demonstrates Cloud Services and Security Solutions at IBC 2015

Alticast, a global partner for the delivery of media entertainment, will demonstrate how video service providers can deliver new cloud-based services and ensure the security of Ultra HD (UHD) content at IBC 2015.  The demonstrations will take place in the Alticast booth (1.F36), September 11-15, at the RAI Exhibition and Conference Centre in Amsterdam.

Key demonstrations at IBC 2015 will include:

·       The AltiPlex™ Cloud Services Platform (CSP), which allows service providers to virtually deliver, operate and manage multiscreen services. In addition, AltiPlex CSP provides:

      Cloud UI, a server-client user interface (UI) rendering engine, enabling the migration of the UI from the STB to the cloud, while delivering an improved user experience (UX) to legacy and new STBs. This innovative solution can deliver multiple UIs to different devices in a household, for example a UI tailored for the children and one for the family. 

Cloud DVR, a cloud-based recording, storage and multiscreen content delivery system. Providing time-shift viewing and live catch up services, this solution allows subscribers to watch anytime, anywhere. It supports multiple business and storage models allowing operators to build the system that meets their needs.

·       The new AltiProtect™ security solution as deployed by CJ Hellovision in Korea to protect its UHD content will be on display, highlighting the full line of AltiProtect CAS/DRM/DTCP-IP solutions. AltiProtect can be remotely installed onto legacy and new STBs as well as other devices with the AltiProtect Download and Exchange Framework.

·       An end-to-end solution comprised of AltiView™ UI, AltiPlatform™ STB software, AltiPlex, CSP and AltiProtect as deployed by a leading Vietnamese Pay TV operator to deliver live and on-demand services to STBs and mobile devices. This integrated solution has been deployed by the operator at several of its subsidiaries and was chosen for its completeness and because of Alticast’s experience in deploying turn-key solutions worldwide.

·       The Alticast Application Framework supports multiple hardware platforms, UIs and user agents to give operators the flexibility to deploy any combination of Android and RDK software on their STBs, allowing for both native and HTML5 applications. This exceptional flexibility enables operators to quickly and easily adapt to changing market needs.

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

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.

Responsive Web Design

In the early days of the internet and websites when there was no such thing as broadband (or at least for the many), it was really important to focus on optimizing HTML. But as the internet pipes got bigger, optimization initiatives seemed to fall down in priority.

I see a direct parallel to computer processors and software programs. When memory and processing speed was at a minimum, software developers spent a lot of their time optimizing and minimizing their code.  As memory has become cheaper and processors faster, it seems as though programmers have mostly left this practice behind. It's pretty amazing that we now expect to have Gigabytes of highspeed Ram, and Terabyte drives laying around piling up with applications, videos and more. When we run out of storage and memory, we buy more, no need to keep our code neat and compact, or compress our files.

But things are really piling up out there. Video is a one of the biggest storage hogs, with 3D video and 4K requiring even more (although H.265 is helping out), that means even more storage and bandwidth requirements. And now we have to deliver to a huge variety of devices. But I digress...

The cable industry is hedging it's bets on HTML5 as the ubiquitous solution to next generation UI solutions. At least for now, most have gotten over the 'write once run everywhere' dream of HTML5, but many still think it will be the best choice for targeting multiple devices. This brings me back to the core principle; set-top-boxes and other consumer devices do not have unlimited memory. Entertainment is relying more heavily on wifi to delivery streaming content. The Internet of Things wants every device to talk with each other. So while bandwidth is getting better and memory cheaper, there is a population explosion of 'stuff' expecting to share the highway. And to the point, I am starting to see optimization seminars popping up again. Responsive Website Design is an important practice to deliver HTML5 to multiple devices. It's easy for anyone to write HTML5, but how about code that targets TVs, STBs, Tablets, and cellphones that have to constantly update metadata from myriad sources, and meet consumer expectations for quick interactivity and perfect video playback. Embedded HTML5 UIs can be designed to ensure excellent user experiences, but the target platforms and server architecture for data and video access need to be considered up front to ensure success. So as we embark with piling on of all these new capabilities such as 4K, and smart homes with remote camera security and we have multiple screen targets, understanding available methods for faster download and view are important to the overall design goals. I recently listened in on a presentation from Akamai by Guy Podjamy:
 Making Responsive Websites Fast that discussed some good ideas for improving performance. This kind of forethought when developing UIs for television is critical for achieving a successful outcome on all your device targets.

Time Warner Cable and Humax Team Up to Keep RDK Moving Forward with an Integrated IP Set-Top Box

Time Warner Cable (TWC), one of the leading cable operators in the U.S. has announced plans to start development on the cable giant’s first IP set-top box. The set-top box, which will be developed in partnership with Humax, one of the world's largest manufacturers of digital set-top boxes and an organization Alticast has collaborated closely with in the past, will leverage the popular RDK software bundle and also feature TWC’s new HTML 5 cloud-based navigation guide.

The announcement is the most recent move in the ongoing effort to promote RDK as the cable industry’s dominant, unifying platform. Last year, TWC and Comcast announced their RDK joint venture to support widespread implementation of the standardized software bundle so that it will eventually become the industry standard. Alan Breznick from Light Reading points out that Comcast leveraged RDK in its X1 hybrid IP video gateways, which have been introduced in all of its markets.

As we look ahead to an industry continually progressing towards all IP service, it’s critical that we realize the key role that RDK adoption will play in the process.

Check out more details about TWC’s announcement and the advancement of RDK at Light Reading and Multichannel News.

Alticast: the Future of TV, Simplified

December 18th, 2013- Broomfield, CO-- Alticast, a worldwide leader in interactive television, announced today they will present a variety of All-IP STB solutions including multiple RDK device integrations and a new HDMI stick set-top box at The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), January 7-10 in Las Vegas, Nevada at Venetian Hotel, suites 30-225 and 30-227.

Alticast, a leading provider of fully integrated open standard software solutions including RDK, OCAP and MHP, will show a variety of advanced software for set top boxes and other devices.

The Alticast TV Ready Application Framework in conjunction with RDK provides a versatile high performing solution. The TV Ready User Agent manages operations, provides core TV functionality and allows operators to implement HTML5, Android, and Native UX applications on one STB platform.

For a complete solution Alticast has AltiProtect™ CAS and DRM content protection offerings and an innovative Downloadable and Exchangeable framework for delivering security solutions.

In the suite, Alticast will premiere a new HDMI stick solution, demonstrating a new direction for IP delivery. The HDMI stick can be used as a client with a gateway, or for direct content delivered via cloud based IP delivery. Other innovations to be displayed include Alticast Cloud Based DVR allowing operators to extend their library offering, and the standards-based Alticast Application Store, extending new entertainment choices to consumers.

Alticast will also present a new paradigm for the user with the US premiere of Windmill 2.0. This new user experience design provides a more personalized approach to each viewer in the house, while giving the operator the ability to easily expand services and create new revenue.

The broad array of new and innovative demonstrations at the Alticast suite presents the cable industry with solutions for the savvy next generation cable audiences.

For more information about Alticast's technologies, please visit our website at www.alticast.com.