iKO Media Group Expands Reach of Direct-to-Home Satellite TV Services With Harmonic

iKO Media Group, an end-to-end media service partner for broadcasters and content owners, has deployed a comprehensive media processing and delivery solution from Harmonic to expand the reach of its direct-to-home (DTH) satellite television services. By optimizing iKO Media Group’s available satellite bandwidth and improving video quality, Harmonic’s solution will make it easier for the service provider to penetrate new markets.

“Our goal has always been to meet the specific budgets and requirements of our customers without compromising on quality of service. For this purpose, it is vital for a boutique service provider like iKO to work with only the best partners in the industry. Harmonic was the clear winner in terms of delivering bandwidth efficiency, exceptional video quality and deployment expertise,” says Yaniv Maman, CTO at iKO Media Group. “Thanks to Harmonic innovation, we can deliver more channels in more countries cost effectively.”

The number of DTH subscribers in Asia is set to nearly double between 2013 and 2018, reaching 110 million according to a report from Media Partners Asia. Pay-TV is also growing in Latin America, with Dataxis predicting that the number of subscribers in the region will reach 73.7 million at the end of 2017, a rise of 3.4 percent compared with the previous year. Using Harmonic’s DTH media processing and delivery solution, iKO Media Group can capitalize on the revenue opportunities in these regions.

At the heart of the solution is Harmonic’s Electra X2 software-based media processor; ProStream 9100 with ACE high-density stream processor and transcoder; ProView 7100 integrated receiver-decoder; and NMX Digital Service Manager.

“Density was a huge factor in iKO Media Group’s decision to choose Harmonic,” says Ian Graham, VP of sales, EMEA and LATAM, at Harmonic. “Our software-based media processing solutions feature an ultra-high-density architecture that enables operators to deliver more channels with less equipment, making this an excellent CAPEX investment for iKO Media Group.”

Harmonic will showcase a range of innovative solutions for broadcast and OTT services at IBC in Amsterdam, Sept. 15-19, on stand 1.B20.