Digital TV Labs CI Plus Test Tool Ensures Interoperability Of CI Plus Interactive Applications

AMSTERDAM — IBC, Stand no. 2.C27 — Digital TV Labs, which provides independent, specialised conformance products and services for digital TV receiver testing, has today launched its brand new CI Plus Test Tool for developing, testing and debugging CI Plus implementations on host receivers. This complete CI Plus Test Tool will ensure uniformity of CI Plus implementations on reception equipment, facilitating rapid and coherent market expansion.

The CI Plus standard allows operators and broadcasters to secure content on digital TV receivers via the Common Interface (CI) and Common Access Module (CAM), allowing third parties to provide services over a given network. Digital TV Labs is the official test house for CI Plus which has been adopted by over 20 operators.

Incorporating a mandatory CI Plus browser test suite, based on MHEG-5 technology to test the middleware implementation, the CI Plus Test Tool includes test CAMs, CI Plus certificates, test streams, test cases and software upgrade kit. It provides complete control of CI Plus host resources and enables end-to-end testing of CI CAM interfaces, video and data paths and critical security features. The Browser Test Suite, developed by in-house expert MHEG authors, includes new test cases specific to CI Plus and additional core test cases derived from the industry-standard UK Digital Television Group (DTG) MHEG 1.06 Profile. Using the tool, manufacturers can minimise time to market by validating CI Plus host receivers before beginning the certification process at Digital TV Labs.

Keith Potter, CEO Digital TV Labs, says, “Because CI Plus benefits from the inclusion of a browser, the technology allows a wide range of services to be delivered securely. For operators launching video-on-demand or needing a branded CAM-controlled user-experience, the CI Plus Test Tool can be used to check that receivers will give a consistent and reliable user experience of their branded services. The CI Plus Test Tool and Browser Test Suite ensure manufacturers can test their receivers to guarantee interoperability.”

Ian Medland, Head of Technical Development, DTG Testing, says, “The incorporation of the DTG MHEG-5 test cases ensure a common worldwide standard for MHEG-based CI+ Browser implementations based on widely accepted and reviewed test cases. These are used not only in the UK Freeview and Freesat platforms but also in many other territories.”

Digital TV Labs is the expert on CI Plus receiver conformance regimes advising and assisting operators on building rigorous but practical test specifications and processes.