In the world of consumer electronics, it’s not unusual for a device to start off fulfilling a particular function in the marketplace and eventually morphing to include more or completely different functions.

Sony introduced its Walkman™ some 25 years ago. This was a milestone: the first generation of portable audio players. For those who remember them, they played analog cassettes. By current standards they were bulky, but they proved an important lesson -- that people actually enjoy walking around with earphones so that they can listen to their favorite music while commuting or exercising.

Since the era of the Walkman, progress has paved the way for the DiscMan CD player and later the MP3 player. Most recently, as the price of color LCDs, flash memory and disk drives dropped, portable players were extended to include pictures, video clips, and movies. In the process they were transformed into Portable Media Players (PMPs). One very well known PMP is the Apple iPod™. It proved another important lesson: With a simple interface and a large catalog of content that is easy to download, consumers are willing to pay for digital content for use on the go.

Video playback

“Almost any medium-priced PMP sold today can accept video clips but that doesn’t mean people are transferring their videos to their PMPs,” says Moshe Bubhoot, NDS Product Marketing Manager for VideoGuard PMP and XTV Ready. “Video playback technology has been available for three years, but only 1 percent of the PMP usage is for video consumption.”

Recent research indicates that about 25 percent of European households own a PMP, but less than one-fifth of them are video-capable. “If video content is readily available and easy to load onto PMPs, we can expect the mainstream market to adopt.”

Next generation

Having deployed more than 65 million secure set-top boxes (STBs) worldwide, NDS is in an excellent position to help secure the next generation PMP market. “What we’re talking about is the device that will start showing consumers what PMPs can really do,” Bubhoot says.

“We envision the PMP becoming an extension of the XTV DVR. Basically, we’re enabling our customers to open up a 24-hour a day multichannel content megastore. This is a huge catalog of content that can now be easily – and securely – transferred to the PMP,” Bubhoot says.

VideoGuard PMP, the NDS DRM solution for PMPs, is software that integrates with existing PMP hardware. “NDS provides hardware-assisted security that safeguards content against malicious attacks. It’s really the golden path between software flexibility and hardware strength security.”

“What’s happening” Bubhoot says, “is that the pay-TV operator will become the ultimate content source with a better and more familiar user experience that subscribers will access from the convenience of their home using a remote control.”

With almost 20 years of experience in content protection, NDS is working with key partners to integrate its VideoGuard PMP DRM solution with leading PMP vendors.

Enter wireless technologies

What is the next step for PMPs? “We’re starting to see the introduction of wireless technologies,” Bubhoot says. These include WiFi, T-DMB in Korea and DVB-H and WiMAX in the US and Europe. Wireless technologies are turning the PMP into a portable digital television enabling it to accept digital content over a variety of networks and sources. “To support this evolution, NDS offers VideoGuard®, its industry-leading conditional access solution that enables the mobile TV experience by offering features such as robust service protection, the ESG (electronic service guide) – the mobile market’s EPG -- as well as the mobile DVR.” VideoGuard secures content delivered to users in all these new ways.

NDS offers an end-to-end solution for both pre-recorded video and live multichannel media streams that really expand the potential of PMPs. It appears that PMPs are morphing again to also become digital broadcast receivers.

NDS at CES

What NDS will show at CES (Venetian Hotel’s Lido Room 3002 and at the Sands Hotel, Booth 68728) is a secure PMP integrated with VideoGuard PMP DRM technology that easily and securely receives content from set-top boxes.

Are PMPs the only device that can connect to an STB? Actually, no. “This is part of a larger scheme called XTV Ready, the plug-and-play infrastructure that makes set-top boxes and DVRs the center of the home entertainment network.”

“With XTV Ready, CE vendors can also secure content downloads to games consoles and digital cameras and printers – using USB ports. The possibilities are almost endless,” he says. That’s why manufacturers like Archos, Humax, LG, Maxian, Pace, SanDisk and Thomson are all XTV Ready partners. NDS is also in the process of partnering with additional forward-looking CE manufacturers to expand the XTV Ready program.

When you’re at CES, see what NDS has to offer. Together we can pave the way to new exciting content distribution possibilities on PMPs.

For more information:

CA and DRM

XTV Ready

NDS @ CES