Chris Forrester, on 14-09-2008
Canal Plus’ CTO, Jo Guegan, told conference delegates at IBC that 2008 was the real year of convergence. “We have just started ‘Canal Plus On-Demand’ on our set-top boxes, and we already have a couple of web-TV pay-TV channels. It is obvious to us that 2008 is the year of convergence, between broadband, broadcast and web-TV.”

Guegan and his Canal Plus team are recommending users link up their various devices using Powerline connectivity within their homes. He said a three month intensive test of Powerline showed up some compatibility problems which were now resolved, with the equipment now working “better and better”.

The sort of services now being supplied by Canal Plus include MPEG4-based HD, as well as storage on internal and external hard drives, an ISP modem and accessing local storage or drawn down from a central hub. The options include multi-room hybrid boxes handling broadband as well as terrestrial or satellite-delivered mainstream channels or VOD services.

Canal Plus’ On Demand (Canal+ á la Demande) system is accessible via two simple clicks of the remote control, and this permits the downloading of content for direct viewing, or storage. An expanded EPG also seamlessly handles this fresh ingested material, he added. “There is now no ergonomic difference between broadcast or broadband.”

“Today we already have a dongle that handles digital terrestrial TV on the PC in a fully secured approach, and perhaps tomorrow for satellite. And all are HD compatible. The PC can access broadcast, or broadband, and all in a safe manner,” he said. Upcoming were additional services such as “place shifting” of content, WiFi ability, and remote scheduling.

Canal Plus uses *** for its middleware, and Nagra Kudelski for Conditional Access, along with set-top box suppliers Sagem and Pace/Philips.

Source: Rapid TV News 2008

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