KD goes CI+
May 5, 2010
From Colin Mann in Cologne
Kabel Deutschland, Germany's largest cable network operator and biggest triple play provider, is to introduce Common Interface Plus (CI+) modules based on the NDS VideoGuard conditional access (CA) system. KD is the first operator to support the CI+ specification in Germany.
The CI+ specification is based on extensions to the European DVB-Common Interface standard, put in place to address a critical security need to ensure that content is protected – a feature not present when delivered through CI modules. It allows consumer electronics manufactures to launch a wide range of devices, such as integrated Digital TV-sets that can easily and securely provide access to KD's Digital TV programmes through plug-in CI+ modules. KD introduced their CI+ modules on May 3rd.
Wolfgang Zeller, Vice President Service Engineering of Kabel Deutschland, noted that the CI+ standard had been strongly advocated by the consumer electronics industry, and that he expected to see a wide variety of devices on the market in the near future.
Separately, NDS revealed that Sky Deutschland, the largest pay-TV operator in Germany and Austria, had chosen NDS XTV secure integrated digital video recorder (DVR) technology to power its Sky+ HD DVR service.