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NDS, Blockbuster, ADB & Bitband To Showcase VOD solution xSpace
MUMBAI: NDS, the prominent provider of technology solutions for digital pay-TV together with Blockbuster Digital Entertainment, set-top box (STB) supplier ADB and VOD (Video on Demand) solutions provider Bitband will be showcasing xSpace at IBC 2005, Amsterdam.
xSpace is a comprehensive VOD solution designed for broadcast operators deploying hybrid STBs with broadband connectivity.
xSpace is an on-demand platform that integrates with the operator’s system and existing business. It extends the operator’s back office eliminating the need for separate billing and content management systems, resulting in cost efficiency and operation simplicity. Furthermore, xSpace’s scalable EPG provides easy navigation and advanced search capabilities, all within the legacy branded look and feel, states an official release.
Built upon NDS’s proven VideoGuard® conditional access system, xSpace provides the security and the business packaging of on-demand content and, utilizing XTV-based STBs, enables the recording of IP content to disk. xSpace enables the introduction of new business models and creates bundles that tie together the broadcast channels with new on-demand content.
At IBC, the partners will demonstrate for the first time how an integrated VOD service based on the satellite operator’s platform is expedited from a “one-box solution”. Partners will showcase the following: NDS’s xSpace platform that extends the operator’s conditional access system and middleware into the VOD arena; Blockbuster movies-on-demand application integrated into operator’s EPG; ADB’s 3100S Hybrid STB equipped with an Ethernet port integrated into any broadband access network; Bitband’s Vision – scalable distributed IP streaming platform, the release adds.
YES, Israel’s pay-TV satellite operator will be the first operator to deploy a VOD solution based on the xSpace system, anticipated during 2006.
“The integrated vision of broadcast and IP has a strong value proposition for satellite operators” commented NDS’s VP of Product Marketing Gadi Tirosh. “We are pleased to present, along with our partners, a first-to-market solution that truly addresses the need of pay-TV operators.”
“Digital distribution of content is a natural progression for our business,” states Steve Middleton, European director of New Media for Blockbuster Digital Entertainment. “With the evolution of broadband and pay-TV, millions of customers will be able to directly access our services from the comfort of their own home.”
“ADB is proud to have its unique Ethernet-enabled STB integrated with NDS and Bitband to provide a ready-to-market solution for secure delivery of VOD,” says ADB CEO Philippe Lambinet. He added: “This will provide pay-TV operators with a cost effective way of enhancing their service offering with premium, IP based content”.
“Bitband is already providing IP-based video delivery to hundreds of thousands of Telco customers worldwide,” commented BitBand EVP Sales & Marketing Yuval Sovinsky. “Now with xSpace, we are presenting to the market a new model for satellite providers wishing to offer advanced IPTV services, allowing them to better compete with alternative TV content providers.”
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
