SkyStream, SecureMedia Demo Push-VOD Service

--SkyStream in Content Delivery Deal with China Education Television

At the TelcoTV show in San Diego earlier this month, IP video delivery specialist, SkyStream, and conditional access/DRM company, SecureMedia, teamed on a demo of a "push-VOD" service with integrated DRM. (Note: push-VOD is designed to eliminate bandwidth bottlenecks by pushing video content to hard drive-equipped set-tops outside of peak traffic times. Depending on the size of the hard drive, 100 movies can be made available on the set-top at any one time.) The demo showcased SkyStream's zBand content-delivery platform pushing movies to a DVR, with content protection and secure playout options managed by SecureMedia's Encryptonite system: visitors to the booth could preview movie trailers of current offerings and "order" movies for viewing. According to SkyStream, its zBand push system automatically refreshes content based on subscriber personal preferences and service provider business rules. "Today's TV viewers want choice, convenience, quality and features like HDTV," SkyStream director of content delivery software, Scott Dougall, said in a prepared statement. "The extraordinary popularity of PVR's indicates strong demand for convenient, time-shifted content, and push-VOD allows telcos to deliver a complete video-on-demand service and HDTV programming to subscriber PVR's over their networks today, at very low cost and utilizing existing network bandwidth. Telcos must select a DRM system for their push-VOD platform that has been approved by Hollywood's leading content owners, like SecureMedia's Encryptonite System. A push-VOD system integrated with a robust, very low-overhead DRM makes it much easier for telcos to obtain licensed content and start offering value-added services on top of basic multichannel TV."

In other SkyStream news: the company says that China Education Television (CETV) will use its media delivery platforms to expand video content distribution, Internet service and distance-learning programs to remote areas of China. CETV will employ SkyStream's Source Media Router (SMR-26) IP encapsulation solution for broadcasting the educational content at the uplink, and the company's Edge Media Receiver and Router (EMR) to receive the content and distribute it to its end-destination. CETV also plans to offer VOD and other video services via satellite to 25 remote areas where broadband service is not currently available. In addition to supplying CETV with equipment, SkyStream will provide direct support and training.

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