Alticast Partners With Videotron To Provide An Enhanced Multi-Room Experience

Videotron and Alticast continue their partnership to help advance Videotron’s successful 

illico TV service

BROOMFIELD, Colo. – December 1, 2014 – Alticast, a global partner for the delivery of media entertainment, today announced that it played a significant role in helping the Canadian cable television giant Videotron rollout its next generation of set-top boxes (STB) that enable its subscribers to simultaneously record up to eight different programs. 

Videotron’s new X8 multi-room HD PVR is the latest example of the company’s commitment to continually enhancing its advanced illico interactive TV service and to providing its more than 1.7 million subscribers with the latest live, on-demand and interactive services delivered to multiple devices in the home.

Alticast’s team of veteran engineers was responsible for developing much of the critical software for the X8’s multi-room PVR capabilities and interactive applications.  The development, integration and test teams worked closely with Videotron and its STB suppliers to ensure that the X8 performs flawlessly and seamlessly with Videotron’s back-office systems.

“Keeping our illico service at the cutting-edge of entertainment delivery is a strategic imperative, so we turned to Alticast to leverage their expertise in the industry to help us bring our new X8 set-top box to market quickly,” said Marie-Ginette Lepage, Vice President, Marketing-Content and Broadcasting.   “Offering our subscribers the very best multi-screen TV experience with continued innovation is our goal, and our new X8 set-top is one of the keys to ensuring that we meet this goal.”

“Videotron has a well-deserved reputation for excellence and with their new X8 set-top box it is clear that they are committed to keeping their illico interactive TV service on the leading edge of innovation,” said John Carlucci, CTO, Alticast US.  “This project not only demonstrates Videotron’s commitment to its subscribers, it demonstrates the capabilities of our engineers and their ability to solve operators’ most demanding software development needs.”

The End of the CableCARD

Written by John Carlucci, Alticast US CTO

From time to time, we reflect on the end of CableCard...

The US House of Representatives passed legislation that will sunset the CableCard generating separable security requirement over two years. In September, legislation was introduced into the Senate that allows for a working group to investigate a substitute that would stimulate creation of “competitive devices”.  Bill S.2799 (http://www.opencongress.org/bill/s2799-113/show) suggests a “software-based downloadable security system”.  The charter for the working group is shown below. 

• (1) IN GENERAL- Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission shall convene a working group of technical experts representing a wide-range of stakeholders, to identify, report, and recommend performance objectives, technical capabilities, and technical standards of a not unduly burdensome, uniform, and technology- and platform-neutral software-based downloadable security system designed to promote the competitive availability of navigation devices in furtherance of section 629 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 549).

The Cloud Is on the Horizon | Multichannel

If you haven't had a chance, check out this recent article by Alticast's Direction of Product Management on Cloud technology.

The Cloud Is on the Horizon | Multichannel

What You Need to Know About Cloud DVR

If you’re at all thinking of rolling out a Cloud DVR service you need to listen to Light Reading’s recent webinar “Sunny Skies for Cloud DVR?”. Our CTO John Carlucci is one of several industry luminaries who examine the benefits and challenges of implementing a Cloud DVR service.

Even if you’re not already thinking about Cloud DVR, you really owe it to yourself to still listen to the webinar to understand its potential to reduce subscriber churn, trim capital costs and deliver a more personalized TV Everywhere viewing experience.

Some highlights include:

•       You don’t have to millions of subscribers to be successful.  An economically viable Cloud DVR service can have as few as 50,000 subs.
•       Unlike STB-based DVRs, which can only simultaneously record as many programs as they have tuners, there’s essentially no limit to how many simultaneous programs Cloud DVR can record.
•       Cloud DVR reduces subscriber churn – Telefonica has seen substantial reductions in churn which is attributed to their popular Cloud DVR service.
•        Providing content from the Cloud allows operators to take advantage of IP content delivery to HDMI dongles and other emerging CPE that are smaller, portable and which consume less power.
•       Local ad insertion doesn’t have to be affected by a Cloud DVR service, ensuring that this important revenue stream is maintained.
•       Cloud DVR can provide a personal vault for User Generated Content (UGC). As users increase the content they want to keep in the cloud, operator can add a new revenue stream by selling additional storage space.

The largest operators are setting the pace with Cloud DVR offerings while breaking ground by improving efficiencies, establishing best practices and driving down the costs. 

Cloud DVR is a future proof method for expanding viewer services. Planning for spinning up this service should be on the horizon for any operator that serves up content.

3 Out of 3 CTOs Agree: There is a Cloud in Cable’s Future

If you haven’t already watched the Broadband Technology Report’s recent roundtable of industry CTOs – including our own John Carlucci – you’re in luck as you can still watch it here.

It’s an interesting and informative discussion as the three cable veterans talk about the state of the industry and what’s it its future. 

Some highlights include:

•       The Cloud is for real and moving beyond hype as MSOs are increasingly taking advantage of it – growing Cloud DVR deployments are an excellent example of this trend
•        As much as the Cloud is taking hold in cable, hardware isn’t going away any time soon.  As John points out, “I’m still waiting for analog to go!”
•       Far from eliminating hardware, the potential of the Cloud may spur a new generation of subscriber devices that enable MSOs to offer more compelling services
•       While no one thinks DOCSIS 3.1 is far off, it may in fact be closer than we expect

These are only a few of the topics discussed during this engaging roundtable which is well worth 30 minutes of your time