CI Plus 2.0 USB CAM Ready to Deliver Pay TV Services Globally

Irdeto, SMIT, MStar and TP Vision in partnership have quickly progressed the development of a game-changing CAM as an alternative to set-top boxes

AMSTERDAM(17 Sep 2018)

A partnership of major players in the CAM ecosystem, led byIrdeto, today announced a productized CI Plus 2.0 USB CAM which is ready for certification. Initially formed in 2017 to support the CI Plus 2.0 Standard, the partnership includes MStar Semiconductor, Inc., SMIT Holdings Limitedand TP Vision. The partner companies have reached the latest milestone in allowing consumers to receive pay TV services on their TVs by leveraging USB-based CAMs, providing an attractive alternative to set-top boxes.

CAMs are already popular across Europe, and the use of a USB over a PC Card (PCMCIA) has additional cost and support benefits for operators looking to give consumers access to pay TV services without the burden of a set-top box. The ubiquity of USB ports on modern TVs means that CAMs based on the CI Plus 2.0 standard will have a global reach and are set to transform the global pay TV market.

Irdeto took the lead in bringing together major players in the CAM ecosystem last year and is a strong believer in a standards-based approach. The CI Plus 2.0 USB CAM meets the latest security requirements for operators when it comes to premium content and will allow cost-effective delivery of pay TV services through a USB dongle plugged into a TV. In collaboration with SMIT, Irdeto is demonstrating the technology at IBC 2018 at Hall 1 Stand D51. 

“As a world leading CAM provider, we are always striving to be at the forefront of global developments in secure pay TV delivery, and that’s what this partnership represents,” said Bingyu Xiang, General Manager of CAM products, SMIT. “With a productized USB CAM ready a year after this partnership was announced, we are moving quickly towards the global uptake of the CI Plus 2.0 standard.”

“We’re committed to supporting secure delivery of pay TV services across a variety of channels based on key industry standards. As the USB form factor continues its development into production, our support of CI Plus 2.0 in our TV chips allows our global partners to take advantage of the benefits of this standard,” added Wayne Tsai, Marketing Director, MStar.

“The benefits of the CI Plus 2.0 standard are clear and many well-known market players are ready for the move to USB CAMs,” said Steeve Huin, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, Irdeto. “Irdeto is committed to leading the support of a USB CAM based on the CI Plus 2.0 standard. With a demonstration ready and device set for production, this leap forward for the industry is fast becoming a reality.” 

“This partnership was formed a year ago to support new ways for operators to deliver premium content and we remain committed to supporting the CI Plus standard and its evolution through our TVs,” said Elie Bonte, Innovation Lead, TP Vision. “The fact that the USB form factor is becoming a reality is an important step for CI Plus. This will provide consumers with easier access to pay TV content, as well as assisting operators with cost-effective and secure content delivery.”

About MStar Semiconductor, Inc.

MStar Semiconductor, Inc. (“MStar”) is a world-class leader in Application Specific ICs (“ASIC”) with a focus on consumer electronic products and communication applications. Since the inception in 2002, MStar has established a strong brand and leadership position in LCD controller, analog and digital TV and set-top box by fully leveraging its core expertise of cutting-edge design capabilities, continuous innovation and premier customer-focused services. Headquartered in Taiwan, MStar has a comprehensive global footprint of international R&D and customer support centers to provide a full range of total solutions for various consumer electronic applications. For more information, please visit www.mstarsemi.com. 

About SMIT

SMIT is a leading security devices provider for pay TV broadcasting access worldwide and for mobile point-of-sale, or mPOS, payment systems in China. We design and develop security devices primarily for the pay TV industry globally through sales of our conditional access module, or CAM, products which provide end users with access to pay TV content. We ranked first in the global CAM market by both sales volume and revenue in 2014 and for the first half of 2015.

We are headquartered in Hong Kong, with offices in Shenzhen, China and Munich, Germany. Since our inception in 2002, we have grown quickly to serve more than 400 customers with sales in 46 countries worldwide. 

About Irdeto

Irdeto is the world leader in digital platform security, protecting platforms and applications for media & entertainment, gaming, connected transport and IoT connected industries. Our solutions and services enable customers to protect their revenue, create new offerings and fight cybercrime. With nearly 50 years of expertise in security, Irdeto’s software security technology and cyber services protect over 5 billion devices and applications for some of the world’s best-known brands. Our unique heritage as a subsidiary of multinational media group Naspers (JSE: NPN) means that we are a well-established and reliable partner to help build a more secure future. Please visit Irdeto at www.irdeto.com.

About TP Vision

TP Vision is a consumer electronics key player in the world of audio visual digital entertainment. TP Vision concentrates on developing, manufacturing and marketing Philips branded TV sets (Europe, Russia, Middle East, South America, India and selected countries in Asia-Pacific) and audio products (all around the Globe). We do this by combining our design expertise and innovative Philips brand heritage with the operational excellence, flexibility and speed of TPV Technology. With these combined strengths, we bring high-quality TV sets to the market: smart and easy to use with sophisticated styling. We believe in creating products that offer a superior audio and visual experience for consumers. With Philips TVs, TP Vision is a global leader in the hospitality market. TP Vision is the exclusive brand licensee of Philips TVs for the above listed countries and, on the global stage for the Philips audio products. TP Vision employs close to 2,000 people in several locations around the globe and is 100% owned by TPV, one of the world’s leading monitor and LCD TV manufacturers, selling and marketing Philips branded TVs in China. TPV has been able to drive its growth over the years by leveraging its economies of scale and core competencies in R&D, manufacturing, logistic efficiency and quality. Please visit TP Vision at www.tpvision.com.