Fransat unveils TV Stick
September 13, 2024
Nick Snow @ IBC
Fransat, the Eutelsat Group subsidiary operating a DTH platform of DTT channels for the French market, has showcased at IBC a miniature set-top box designed to further simplify satellite DTT DTH reception.
The Fransat TV Stick is a conditional access module (CAM) that uses the new CI Plus 2.0 standard to integrate the decrypting and logical channel numbering functionalities of satellite broadcasting, into a compact USB dongle.
The TV Stick can be inserted into the USB port of new-generation TV sets equipped with an integrated satellite tuner. The viewer can then navigate the full range of satellite HD and UHD channels and control the TV’s features and services with the TV remote control – no external set-top box or additional cabling is required.
While over half of French homes are equipped with a Smart TV, a sizeable portion, particularly in low-density areas, has little or no terrestrial DTT coverage, or insufficient bandwidth to receive HD and UHD television channels over the Internet. For this reason, Fransat says it is launching the TV Stick, featuring latest-generation security functions for access control and protection of UHD and premium content.
The small electronic device requires no external set-top box, enabling TV viewers to make the most of their smart TV’s video and audio quality with built-in satellite HD and UHD reception, as well as their OTT services that require less Internet bandwidth. Fransat also proposes Fransat Connect, an interactive TV application integrating an enhanced EPG service, based on the HbbTV interactive television technology standard, which is also available in all new-generation TV sets. The TV Stick offers reduced energy consumption, using power from the television set without the need for an additional power source.
Software development behind the TV Stick is the result of joint efforts between Fransat and Twise, a French company developing embedded security software, and Viaccess-Orca, another French company specialising in video content technologies with a particular focus on access control.
The CI Plus 2.0 standard has already been integrated by a number of TV manufacturers, including Hisense, LG and Philips. Progressive roll-out of the standard is expected to take place in 2025, thus allowing a transition away from the old PCMCIA port interface.