special report the connected world supplement


system. The HCS solution achieved an important industry first in creating a multi-room DVR platform. It enables full dual-tuner HD-DVR functionality on every television in the home and offers a unique proposition in bringing consumers seamless access to digital content. HCS is built around a single network attached storage (NAS) device that provides centralised storage and enables multiple non-DVR set-top boxes in the home to access and share recorded content. USA cable companies such as MediaCom already offer HCS to consumers as a premium payTV offering. Using systems like this, supported by software and services, digital entertainment access is simple, user-friendly and fits with the way consumers live their lives and move around their homes. Content can be paused on the living room TV and picked up in the kitchen, whilst a PVR show is watched on the bedroom TV, for example.


With these systems, payTV operators can ‘claim’ television beyond the traditional living room set up, something that strictly over the top Internet offerings cannot provide as they lack the linear broadcast TV essential element. TV is no longer just the screen in the corner of the room; it can be the viewing of your content anywhere in the house, at any time - the connected home has been realised across the family’s TV content viewing.


In October 2010, Pace took another critical step towards enabling the truly connected home by acquiring 2Wire. 2Wire’s speciality in advanced home gateway platforms allows for advanced management of the broadband system in and around the home. In addition 2Wire introduced its MediaPoint and MediaPortal platforms enabling the industry’s first fully converged experience of linear television, Internet video and music on demand, and personal local media via the television - all through a unified, telco-branded entertainment experience.


Orchestrating this complex hybrid, and enabling ubiquitous content guide search capabilities, sits the cloud based service management system (SMS) that streamlines backend logistics and operations while enhancing the subscriber experience. SMS integrates with a payTV provider’s account management and billing systems, as well as content distribution and licensing systems. This allows the provider to deliver


efficient subscriber service activation, account creation, authentication, billing, and near-instantaneous content delivery simply and with zero hassle to the customer.


This is only the beginning for Connected TV


Consumers have embraced HDTV, DVRs, video on demand, digital photography, gaming consoles and mobile media access devices. However, these devices currently remain unsynchronised, file types are mismatched, and platforms are proprietary, resulting in scattered content and a fragmented digital experience for most broadband subscribers.


By combining 2Wire’s advanced home gateways with its own specialist knowledge within the set-top box market, Pace is a clear leader in the next generation of connected home technology. It is already supplying hubs that are able to connect all digital content, from television to CCTV and medical equipment. Pace is working with operators to develop these single hub devices, management content and expand devices’ connectivity around the home.


Some operators are already partnering with Pace to use advanced home gateways to support the delivery of managed services within the home. The connected home is being realised through a fully managed service set, run by payTV operators via Pace’s home gateway as reliably and simply for the consumer as the water or electricity supply. In future it will see social networks on your tablet interacting with the show on your TV through your home gateway with the simplicity of just turning the devices on.


The global picture


In the US and Europe, payTV operators are already exploring these options. In other global markets, however, the journey towards the connected home is only just beginning. In different markets, connected home market development is just now getting off the ground as payTV services in the area evolve and as local consumers for the first time have access to low cost Internet connected devices - for many, their first Internet device may well be a smartphone or a tablet device versus the traditional PC. The Indian market is seeing increasing demand for digital services, with HD take-up in Indian homes set


On show: Pace was a central focus at IBC2010.


Pace has made the TV experience more holistic with Pace’s Home Content Sharing (HCS) system. The HCS solution achieved an important industry first in creating a multi-room DVR platform. It enables full dual-tuner HD- DVR


functionality on every television in the home and offers a unique proposition in bringing consumers seamless access to digital content.


to rise to two million in 2012 and over 200 TV channels available in some areas of the country. South Africa is a relatively advanced market, but landlines are rare and most TV based transactions such as pay-per-view are performed through the mobile phone, making delivery of IP services a greater barrier. And indeed, both are in stark contrast to the US, the most competitive and advanced market for television services, where the latest technology innovation is seized upon quickly. With these points in mind, the US is the market where the ultimate vision of the connected home will first become a reality. But unlike the highly IP connected US market, these countries are not looking to the next Hulu that pushes users to cloud based content, they instead seek to enrich their highly valued local content and provide the absolute best


differentiated viewing user experience by way of intelligent interactivity and applications on screen that only can be offered with both linear and IP based hybrid capabilities. Pace understands these market complexities and is working with operators to define their own road map towards convergence. For some, including those in the Latin America region, one of the fastest growing and largest potential TV markets, this means creating platforms that begin to make digital TV available to homes. For others, including satellite operators, it means developing new technologies that extend access within the home itself to create local networks that send digital content around the home. Each scenario is complex and requires deep technical expertise and experience - engineering challenges that Pace is uniquely placed to meet.


www.ibeweb.com l the connected world supplement march/april 2011 l ibe l 39


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68