Police Raids on Pay-TV Pirates: Mediascape’s Cignal Digital TV Unaffected by Piracy Thanks to World’s Most Secure Protection From NDS
Highlights:
- Recent raids on pirate pay-TV operators in Manila underscore that secure technology is a fundamental requirement to guarantee that pay-TV platforms cannot be hacked
- Mediascape recently deployed end-to-end NDS system including VideoGuard® conditional
access, the world’s most secure digital pay-TV content protection technology
solution
- NDS has a zero-tolerance policy towards piracy which is reinforced with intelligence
gathering operations and cooperation with lawmakers and police forces worldwide
MANILA, PHILIPPINES, February 13,
2009 – NDS,
the leading provider of technology solutions for digital pay-TV,
today announced that its market-leading VideoGuard® conditional
access technology ensures that Mediascape, the Philippines’ premier
digital satellite pay-TV provider, remains unaffected by piracy,
and continues to securely deliver pay-TV services to subscribers.
Pay-TV piracy in the Philippines has made headlines this week
as police raided pirate pay-TV operations, including illicit
satellite TV reception as well as unauthorised cable systems,
in the Manila metropolitan area. Pay-TV signal theft occurs
when a licensed pay-TV broadcaster’s content security
mechanisms are compromised by pirates. The pirates often retransmit
the content via cable to their own ‘subscribers’ without
having paid for legitimate access rights to that content. The
result is that the owners of that content suffer from breach
of copyright, and they do not receive all the revenues to which
they are entitled.
Furthermore, the licensed pay-TV operator, who legitimately
acquired the rights to broadcast that content, receives a reduced
return on that investment, and also suffers from limited potential
for revenue collection and business growth.
According to CASBAA, the Cable & Satellite Broadcasting
Association of Asia, pay-TV piracy in the Philippines reached
about US$94 million by the end of 2008.
Unlike those broadcasters whose security technology was breached
by pirates, Mediascape has a complete end-to-end NDS solution
centred around NDS VideoGuard conditional access (CA), the
world’s most trusted pay-TV security technology, More
than 70 pay-TV operators worldwide have chosen VideoGuard to
safeguard their platforms and service revenues from piracy.
In addition to NDS CA, Mediascape also chose to deploy NDS MediaHighway® middleware,
the advanced operating system for set-top boxes that enables
a host of advanced services for subscribers, and an NDS customised electronic
programme guide (EPG).
NDS has a zero-tolerance policy on piracy, and its solutions
remain the world’s most secure digital pay-TV content
protection technologies available today. NDS VideoGuard CA
and DRM technology currently protects over 99 million digital
devices worldwide, including those in all Mediascape subscribers’ homes.
Unauthorised dissemination of pay-TV content is a crime in
most territories. It is not only a major concern for broadcasters,
but content providers are reluctant to release premium content
in markets where content is known to be distributed illegally.
This, in turn, means that pay-TV operators in those markets
may be less able to deliver the programming that their subscribers
really want.
Having invested hundreds of millions of dollars in R&D,
NDS has been at the forefront of fighting pay-TV piracy worldwide
for two decades. In addition to providing the most robust technology
on the market, NDS actively works with both legislative bodies
and law enforcement agencies to ensure that its customers’ content
and platforms remain unaffected by pirate activity. NDS conducts
extensive intelligence gathering and actively monitors pirate
activities worldwide.
Benjie S. Fernandez, Managing Director of Mediascape, said: “We
selected NDS as our technology partner because of its proven
and unsurpassed track record in content security.”
Sue Taylor, NDS Senior Vice President NDS Asia Pacific, commented, “Providing
the best security technologies for the global pay-TV industry
is at the very heart of NDS’ strategy and ethos. The
ability to secure content from illicit reception is fundamental
to the success of the pay-TV business model.” She continued: “It
is gratifying that operators like Mediascape entrust NDS to
protect their business revenues, and they can rest assured
that our commitment to helping them carry out their activities
unaffected by piracy is unwavering.”
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About Mediascape, Inc.
Mediascape, Inc. a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mediaquest Holdings,
Inc., is licensed to offer a direct-to-home (DTH) service in
the Philippines. Mediaquest is an investee company of the PLDT
Beneficial Trust Fund, which holds various interests in media
companies in the Philippines.
For more information on Cignal Digital TV, please call (02)
8956353 or 0908-7699-119 or email CignalCare@mediascape.com.ph.
About NDS
NDS Group Ltd. creates the technologies and applications
that enable pay-TV operators to securely deliver digital content
to TV STBs (set-top boxes), DVRs (digital video recorders),
PCs, mobiles and other multimedia devices. Over 70 of the world’s
leading pay-TV platforms rely on NDS solutions to protect and
enhance their businesses. VideoGuard® is the world’s
market-leading conditional access (CA) and digital rights management
(DRM) technology, currently deployed on more than 99 million
active devices, and safeguarding pay-TV service revenues exceeding
$40 billion. NDS middleware, including MediaHighway® which
enables a host of advanced services for subscribers, has been
deployed on 108 million devices. NDS DVR technology, centred
around XTV®, leads the global industry with 17 million
units deployed. (Deployment figures as of 31st December 2008)
Headquartered in the UK, NDS remains committed to investing
in R&D with over 75% of its employees dedicated to pioneering
work at development centres in China, Denmark, France, India,
Israel, Korea and US. NDS has also implemented a host of initiatives
aimed at reducing its carbon footprint and helping digital
TV subscribers reduce energy consumption.
NDS Group Ltd. is a private company owned by the Permira Funds
and News Corporation. See www.nds.com for
more information.
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| NDS |
| Cynthia Ritchie |
T: +44 (0)20 8476 8378 |
| Director, Corporate Communications |
critchie@nds.com |
| |
| Vanessa Griffiths-Green |
T: +852 2201 9151 |
| Director Marketing & New Initiatives, Asia Pacific |
vgriffiths-green@nds.com |
| |
| Breakaway Communications for NDS |
T: +1 212 616 6006 |
| Kelly Fitzgerald, Managing Partner |
kfitz@breakawaycom.com |