Irdeto and Harmonic team up to support CSA3 scrambling

Thursday, January 19th, 2017
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Irdeto and Harmonic Team Up to Support CSA3, The Most Secure Scrambling Algorithm on the Market, to Enable Premium Ultra HD Content Distribution

  • First-of-its-Kind Integrated CSA3 Solution Provides Advanced Encryption Technology Empowering Pay TV Operators with the Freedom to Innovate

AMSTERDAM — Irdeto, the world leader in digital platform security, today announced it is working with Harmonic, the worldwide leader in video delivery infrastructure, to provide the world’s first integrated and proven Common Scrambling Algorithm v3 (CSA3) solution. This next-generation encryption technology enables pay TV operators to securely launch advanced formats like 4K UHD. The implementation of robust encryption technology combines Harmonic’s, ProStream® X next generation stream processing platform with Irdeto’s Conditional Access solution.

A recent survey by Irdeto and SNL Kagan found that 96% of video service providers and content producers believe that a majority of consumers and operators will adopt 4K UHD TV by 2020. While the growing adoption of 4K UHD is great news for consumers and content providers alike, pirates are evolving their piracy strategies to offer this premium content as a part of their growing illegal business. With CSA1 and CSA2 content encryption becoming increasingly more vulnerable, it is becoming essential for operators to adopt CSA3 to protect premium content.

“Operators are under constant pressure to not only offer innovative solutions and services to customers, but also maintain optimal security to protect valuable content assets,” said Steeve Huin, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, Irdeto. “As a result, operators must implement a 360-degree security strategy that includes the most advanced content encryption technology available. Our partnership with Harmonic provides operators with advanced Conditional Access technology with support for CSA3, allowing them to innovate freely and continuously improve upon their robust service offerings.”

Irdeto’s Conditional Access solution provides the most stringent content security for pay TV operations, encompassing the MovieLabs Specification for Enhanced Content Protection. It also enables pay TV operators and broadcasters to offer more services, payment options and device support to provide the content, value and convenience that consumers expect when selecting a pay TV service. The combination of CSA3 encryption technology from Harmonic and Irdeto’s flexible solutions enable broadcasters to easily deploy new TV services and support new devices without interrupting existing subscriber services or compromising their digital assets.

“As 4K UHD becomes more common, it is increasingly important for operators to implement future-proof technology to prevent theft of valuable content,” said Bart Spriester, senior vice president, video products, Harmonic. “By partnering with Irdeto, we are enabling operators to expand offerings to meet consumer demand by providing the most advanced encryption technology in the market. This is critical to protect both current and future premium content formats.”