My-HD secures premium channels with Irdeto Media Protection

With integration of Irdeto Cloaked CA, My-HD becomes the first broadcaster in the Middle East to deploy a cardless, CA solution

AMSTERDAM — Irdeto, a world leader in Media Protection, Multiscreen and Revenue Assurance solutions for pay media and content owners, today announced that My-HD, a leading satellite pay TV platform in the Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA), has selected its Media Protection to secure the launch of over 30 premium HD channels via Arabsat to the region.

My-HD partnered with Arabsat in March 2013 to launch its High Definition (HD) services. With Digital TV Research reporting that the number of pay TV homes in MENA will double between 2011 and 2018 to 16 million, the new HD platform is a strategic step to meet consumer demand for premium entertainment. Although there is vast opportunity, the region is also facing a tough battle against pay TV piracy. In a proactive move to stay ahead of this challenge, My-HD began shipping its HD set-top boxes (STBs) this month integrated with Irdeto Cloaked CA, a cardless conditional access (CA) solution, which provides dynamic content protection without the cost and complexity of managing physical smart cards.

“The My-HD and Arabsat partnership will shape the future of HDTV in the MENA region, and we required a long-term partner that could deliver a combination of strong security, experience and scalability as well as minimize total cost of ownership,” said Cliff Nelson, CEO My-HD. “Irdeto’s Media Protection technologies are well-respected in the market and its widely-deployed Cloaked CA solution was the clear choice for us. We’re proud to be the first operator in MENA to deploy software CA and join the other innovative leaders around the world doing the same.”

To support delivery of its 42 premium channels, 30 of which are HD, My-HD also required a partner with the flexibility to seamlessly integrate with other vendors and broadcasters in the region. Irdeto was the only partner with established broadcaster relationships, including Al-Jazeera Sport and ADMC, which could meet My-HD’s needs and keep pace with its ambitious plans. Adding Irdeto Cloaked CA to the smart card solution deployed by My-HD over the past year will give ultimate flexibility for new business models and additional TV service while eliminating card logistics for the 22 countries it covers. The Irdeto Cloaked CA solution with a unified hardware and software security client will enable multiple operators to utilize a single, common STB in a fully independent and secure way, which is a direct benefit for subscribers.

Graham Kill, CEO of Irdeto said, “As the MENA region transitions to HD, operators like My-HD are leading the way in not only delivering the highest quality entertainment to their customers, but in championing cardless security as the future for secure transmission. Irdeto’s Media Protection solutions enable operators to stay ahead of piracy threats with built-in security renewability, while still providing the crucial flexibility needed for the evolution of new TV services like HD and multi-screen. We are happy to support My-HD in its launch, joining the 29 operators worldwide that have successfully deployed Irdeto Cloaked CA.”

A cornerstone of Irdeto’s Media Protection solution suite, Cloaked CA represents a revolution in conditional access technology, not only because it saves operators money and simplifies operations, but also because it is the first broadcast conditional access client to gain wide familiarity and trust from Hollywood studios. The solution uses an innovative software security client to free up the protection of digital TV content from smartcards. It helps pay TV operators and broadcasters to offer digital services using a highly cost-effective, upgradable and future-proof conditional access solution, and assures content owners that their assets are protected against theft or viewing in unauthorized territories. In addition to 100% security renewability, the flexibility of Irdeto Cloaked CA enables operators future-proof their business as it allows them to add new functionalities and TV services as required in their market, quickly and conveniently over the air, using their existing device management tools.

Irdeto Cloaked CA has been independently audited and approved for premium content by industry experts including T-Systems Germany and Farncombe Technology Ltd.