digiGO! — i-CABLE Brings Cisco Tech In To Halt Hong Kong Piracy

i-CABLE is deploying Cisco’s highly secure set-top boxes and end-to-end video solutions to resolve pirated viewing of its television services.

i-CABLE started the set-top box (STB) and video network replacement project for subscribers in February 2009 and expects to complete it by end of this year. The Cisco video solution also paves the way for the i-CABLE network to evolve into a medianet, a platform optimized to support media-rich, interactive applications and new services. Pirated TV viewing remains a serious problem for the pay-TV industry, as well as for society as a whole, resulting in millions of dollars in lost revenue and jeopardizing the reputation and development of Hong Kong in areas of copyright and innovation. With the introduction of the Cisco PowerKEY® System, digital headend system and set-top boxes, i-CABLE will be able to deliver highly secure and top-quality TV services. This network evolution will help bring to an end piracy via illegal TV decoders, thereby slashing revenue losses and helping protect Hong Kong’s reputation.

Cisco is providing STBs as part of its end-to-end video solution that offers i-CABLE a robust, reliable infrastructure and delivers a differentiated experience to its customers. The Cisco solution consists of the Model D-PCG1000TM PowerKEY Conditional Access System (CAS) Gateway, a digital headend system incorporating the Continuum DVPTM SI-ServerTM MKV, ROSA Copernicus Network Management Server (NMS), Model D9630 Advanced QAM Modulators and DCM Digital Content Manager, and Cisco’s Z368DVB Standard-definition (SD) set-top series, which includes options for both digital cable and MMDS/satellite. In addition to enabling pay-TV service providers to deliver top-quality video content, Cisco medianet technologies provide a highly-extensible platform that allows innovative, personalized and interactive TV applications. These include time-shifted television, which gives customers the flexibility to watch their favorite programs on their own schedules, three-screen capability that delivers television content to TVs, PCs and smartphones, video-on-demand, Internet browsing, email and chat.