IBC 2016: Irdeto secures MEDIA BROADCAST's new portable USB device for pay TV content, partners with MStar
Irdeto has been selected by MEDIA BROADCAST as the end-to-end security provider for its new USB device, which will enable live HD content to be viewed on PCs by German customers. MEDIA BROADCAST already offers its new freenet TV digital terrestrial television (DTT) and hybrid services through STB and CI Plus modules, but this USB device for PC and Mac is the first of its kind for paid access services in this market. It will be available to consumers in Germany in early 2017.
The new device will use the Irdeto Cloaked CA solution, enhanced and customized for a portable plug and play device of this nature. This boosts the performance, security and reliability of the device, while also securing the link between the users’ PC or Mac and the USB device. The hardware for the portable device is provided by SMiT Holdings Limited, the leading global supplier of conditional access module (CAM) devices.
“As consumer viewing habits evolve, it is crucial for us to always innovate and offer compelling services that meet their needs, such as full HD and the best programs at the best price. Research has shown significant demand from German citizens to watch Terrestrial TV on portable devices – more than 4.5 million households currently use DVB-T on a mobile device, and almost 2 million of those on a PC or laptop,” says Kerstin Köder, Head of freenet TV at MEDIA BROADCAST. “Robust security is essential for us to offer both live and on-demand premium content to consumers across devices and channels, and working with Irdeto and SMiT enables us to advance the experience for our customers.”
The deal signals the extension of an existing relationship between MEDIA BROADCAST, Irdeto and SMiT, following the provision of security for MEDIA BROADCAST’s freenet TV launch earlier in 2016. Irdeto will be offering the Cloaked CA-enabled USB devices to operators as a stand-alone offering from early 2017.
“Our continued support of MEDIA BROADCAST as it pioneers new TV services is a real testament to the innovation and flexibility that can be developed with a secure platform,” said Richard Frankland, VP Sales, EMEA at Irdeto. “Strong security is crucial for operators and content owners who offer premium live and on-demand content, especially when exploring new devices and platforms for delivering that content. Our goal is to offer peace of mind for operators as they look to upgrade their services in exciting ways.”
In addition, MStar Semiconductor and Irdeto announced a partnership to enable the secure delivery of premium content to Android set-top boxes (STBs). Through this partnership, Irdeto and MStar now provide a comprehensive set of hardware and software security technologies for Android STBs.
Android provides the basis for new user experiences that consumers want and the flexibility that pay TV operators need; however, the platform also presents a major challenge to secure. Providing high-value, premium content requires employing innovative hardware and software security solutions to ensure the platform cannot be compromised. By combining the strength of Irdeto’s dynamic security technologies, including Irdeto Cloaked CA and Irdeto ActiveCloak with the MStar’s SOC implementation of Irdeto FlexiCore, the partnership provides operators with peace-of-mind to securely deploy Android solutions.
Applying security to an open platform like Android is critical given the investment required to roll-out new set-top boxes. Implementing dynamic security technologies such as anti-debug, integrity verification, code diversification and white-box cryptography are crucial to remain secure in a world of evolving threats.
“The Android platform is a convenient platform for operators to deploy many new services to fulfill end-user demand. Integrating Irdeto’s flexible security technology into MStar SOC enables deployment of multiple business models while ensuring a secure platform to protect operators’ revenue. Our integration of Irdeto security on the Android platform with TEE successfully combines the benefits of that OS with robust, future-proof security that can support even the most stringent requirements, such as for 4K or UHD. We are proud to combine forces with Irdeto to present this solution to fulfill our customers’ demand,” says Wayne Tsai, Marketing Director, MStar.
“As the demand to deploy next-generation platforms like Android STBs has increased, so have the number of threats targeting these devices,” said Steeve Huin, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, Irdeto. “As a result, it is critical for operators to employ a security solution that is flexible and is able to rapidly respond to changing threats. This collaboration with MStar provides operators with an easy and secure way to leverage Android.”