Digicable India selects complete S&T MHEG-5 solution for new network

LONDON, UK — Strategy & Technology Limited (S&T), the leading specialists in interactive TV playout systems and MHEG-5 middleware, has announced that Digicable Network (India) Private Limited, a multi-system cable operator headquartered and based in Mumbai, India, has selected MHEG-5 technology from the company to create a complete end-to-end interactive TV solution. This is the first operator in India to select MHEG-5 based technology.

The order is for S&T’s TSBroadcaster and TSPlayer headend systems, a multilingual EPG application and it also includes licensing of S&T’s RedKey MHEG-5 middleware for Digicable’s receiver suppliers.

The system will give Digicable a fully redundant playout platform for a wide range of interactive applications as well as an EPG that will provide consistent appearance and behaviour on all manufacturers’ set-top boxes.

Maj. Gen. C L Anand (Retd.), Chief Operating Officer at Digicable, said, “We have worked very closely with S&T to assess the capabilities of MHEG-5 technology and the advantages of a consistent EPG. We believe this will offer significant benefits to our viewers as we roll out our digital network over the coming year.”

Colin Prior, Director of International Sales at S&T added, “We are delighted to have concluded this contract with Digicable and in particular with Digicable’s decision to select the MHEG-5 standard for their network. MHEG-5 offers a flexible interactive platform as well as the significant advantage of low incremental cost in set-top boxes that is such an important factor in high-volume markets such as India.”

Digicable will progressively roll out its new digital platform during 2008. Novacom Digitronics, S&T’s distributor in India, will provide ongoing installation and support services as part of the overall contract. Manidhar Devineni, Managing Director of Novacom and SCTE Ambassador for the SAARC countries including India, added, “We are delighted to work with S&T to achieve this breakthrough for MHEG-5 technology in the Indian sub-continent with Digicable. This technology, with its low incremental cost per-subscriber, will revolutionise digital headend operators and the cost-sensitive set-top box market in India.”