(22 October 2007 6:30 pm)

MUMBAI: NDS, which provides technology solutions for digital pay-TV, and the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) of Taiwan have announced that they are partnering to demonstrate the secure live transmission of TV content over mobile WiMax.

The application is deployed over ITRI’s WiMax network in Taiwan. The demonstration is taking place on the ITRI stand at the WiMAX Forum Showcase and Conference, which is currently meeting in Taipei (22-26 October).

Using the WiMax IEEE 802.16e standard and ITRI’s mobile WiMax network, NDS and ITRI are showing both live TV channels and recorded video content on laptop PCs. The service includes a delivery mechanism for video, an electronic service guide (ESG) with channel and program information, and a TV client application.

The integrated Digital Rights Management (DRM) offering allows operators to enforce content rights and to apply various business models to the content that is being delivered, including subscription, pay-per-view, pay-per-time, and others.

The system enables mobile WiMax operators to offer premium mobile television over a two-way IEEE 802.16e network while maintaining content rights and protecting service revenues. By deploying this type of solution, mobile WiMax operators can generate additional revenues and profits using a variety of business models.

A live TV signal trans-coded into H.264
Delivery of the live video signal over ITRI’s mobile WiMAX network to laptop PCs
Launching of the TV client, browsing of the EPG, and channel changes
Business models and DRM features, including subscription and pay-per-view

NDS chief marketing officer Nigel Smith says, “NDS is delighted to be working with ITRI to present the reality of WiMax TV to members of the WiMax Forum. Our demonstration shows how mobile WiMax operators can generate revenues from mobile video by providing a high-quality, real-time experience and supporting multiple business models.”

ITRI DG director of the Information and Communications Research Laboratory Dr. Sheng-Lin Chou says, “The WiMax TV demonstration with NDS proves the capacity of WiMax to provide the services that consumers want. We fully expect TV to be a major feature of the mobile WiMax networks that will be commercially deployed from next year.”