Widevine selected by DIVA TV to protect premium online video in Europe

Widevine has had a very good 2010 in terms of announcements with both online video providers and connected TV device manufacturers. Last week, the company added a European online VoD provider to its list of customers.

DIVA AG, a cross-platform supplier of digital media movie and TV content, will utilize Widevine’s video optimization and digital rights management (DRM) platform to enable the delivery of DIVA AG’s content to mobile devices including Android phones, iPhones, iPads, and specific connected TV sets.

DIVA AG upplies content to global entertainment platforms. DIVA has recently introduced its newest offering, Viewster, which provides content directly to consumers on a variety of devices including smartphones, TV sets, Blu-ray players and home cinema systems from 18 different manufacturers. Widevine’s DRM ensures DIVA’s content remains secure on any device. Widevine’s adaptive streaming monitors the available bandwidth at the device and adaptively chooses the appropriate bitrate for playback, eliminating constant buffering interruptions. The video optimization platform also enables fast-forward, rewind, bookmarking and chaptering functions for the ultimate viewing experience.

More consumer electronics/digital rights management/adaptive streaming announcements

This past week exemplified the move that companies traditionally in the digital rights management space are making in connected consumer electronics. I have talked about this trend in several posts this year. Here are the announcements:

Widevine and Panasonic

Panasonic Corporation selected Widevine as its preferred provider of video optimization and digital rights management (DRM) solutions. Widevine’s video optimization will provide adaptive streaming and virtual DVD experiences, while its DRM will keep content protected on Panasonic consumer electronics such as Viera® connected TVs, Blu-ray disc players and more.

As a preferred provider, Widevine’s client will be included on millions of Panasonic connected media devices, enabling content providers to securely deliver content utilizing Internet protocols to the Panasonic device of the consumer’s choice. Widevine’s client will be initially installed on Panasonic Viera connected TVs, followed by other Panasonic devices in the near future.

Irdeto and Logitech

Irdeto announced announced on Wednesday that its technology has been selected to enable access to premium online content from the Logitech Revue™ with Google TV™. Based on the Google TV platform, Logitech Revue offers – in an integrated user interface – TV programming, the Web and Android-based apps that can deliver premium content services and enable entirely new experiences. Logitech is drawing on Irdeto’s technology to deliver premium content services through apps such as Netflix Watch Instantly.

Connected TVs in the managed video realm - announcements from Widevine and ADB today

There were a couple of announcements today that point to an expanded role for connected TVs beyond "over-the-top" video. Instead, the connected TV can also serve as a gateway for managed video services. Companies such as Verimatrix, Clearleap, thePlatform, Cisco, Motorola, ActiveVideo Networks, Alcatel-Lucent, Nokia Siemens, and Ericsson have all made recent announcements in this area.

Now, ADB has joined the fray, offering a solution called the Virtual Gateway. This sofware solution distributes multimedia capabilities throughout the home. Some use cases that ADB highlights are a user's ability to enjoy pay-TV, music and videos from wherever they are in the home: subscribers can use their gaming consoles to tune to a pay-TV channel or watch recorded programs, or access music tracks and videos stored on their DVR and play them on their smart phones.

Also, Widevine continues to make announcements regarding its adaptive streaming solution. The company announced that it has signed a global agreement with LG Electronics (LG) to distribute Widevine’s live and on-demand adaptive streaming, virtual DVD controls and digital rights management (DRM) on LG connected products. Widevine’s DRM and adaptive streaming software are already included in 2009 models of LG Blu-ray players and home theaters shipped in the United States. This agreement enables LG to expand distribution to more devices, on a worldwide basis.

Widevine’s video optimization and DRM platform will now be included on a wide variety of additional LG products, including connected TVs. Widevine’s video optimization technology ensures that consumers using LG products receive an excellent quality of viewing experience for both live and on-demand content. Widevine’s DRM keeps premium content secure, regardless of the LG device to which it is delivered .

Widevine and Accedo Broadband Partner to Bring Online Video to Connected TVs

We knew that Accedo Broadband was expanding beyond its gaming roots, and today's announcement with Widevine illustrates this. The companies are marrying Widevine's adaptive streaming, virtual DVD controls and digital rights management (DRM) platform with Accedo's application solutions.

Major Connected CE Announcements this Week

In a CONNECTIONS™ wrap-up post last week, I had predicted that we would see many more announcements regarding the linkages between premium video services (from pay-TV providers) and the connected CE world. Widevine's announcement this week with Samsung speaks to the technology relationships being formed to enable just these types of features on connected TVs and Blu-ray players.

With the agreement, Widevine will provide Samsung with live and on-demand adaptive streaming, virtual DVD-like “trick play” and digital rights management (DRM) on Samsung connected devices. These technologies from Widevine will enable Samsung to support TV Everywhere and over-the-top delivery initiatives from Internet content providers and large cable, satellite and telecommunication companies. Widevine's CEO - Brian Baker - made sure that I noted the "live" part of the announcement when I briefed with him on Monday. The same kind of adaptive streaming technology that Widevine is providing for DISH Networks's TV Everywhere initiative is in play in this case. So, it's not unimaginable that service providers can use this technology to bring pay-TV channels directly to a consumer electronics platform other than the set-top box.

Yesterday, thePlatform unveiled publishing profiles for connected consumer electronics devices such as as IP-connected set-top boxes, TVs, and Blu-ray Players, and indicated its readiness to support publishing profiles for Google TV when that service launches.

Next, we knew that Best Buy and Walmart were getting serious about creating online video storefronts for the consumer electronics they sell, but now you can add Sears and Kmart into the mix. Sonic Solutions will provide the retailer with the RoxioNow™ platform, which will power digital entertainment delivery services for both Sears and Kmart. The new services are expected to launch later this year and be broadly promoted at retail stores nationwide.

Moving premium video services to non-set-top box equipment will be a critical measure of success for both content and service providers. Already, we are predicting that sales of connected TVs, game consoles, Blu-ray players, and digital media player set-top boxes will exceed the worldwide shipment of set-top boxes in 2011. Service providers are going to have a great many more touchpoints for their premium video services, so getting the connections right today will be critical.

Parks Associates adds value to TelcoTV with research workshop

Parks Associates will be hosting the workshop Business Cases for Emerging Video Services at TelcoTV 2008 on November 11. TelcoTV, November 11-13, the Anaheim Convention Center, is the premier event for the exploration of a comprehensive entertainment convergence strategy.

The workshop addresses the business case for emerging video services, including multichannel television and broadband video. Parks Associates forecasts that by 2012, almost 33 million U.S. households will have broadband services capable of streaming high-definition video. This finding adds new dimensions to the television services market, which grew to over 800 million households worldwide in 2007. Telco/IPTV services in particular jumped to more than 13 million households in 2007.

Presenters:
Jayant Dasari, Parks Associates
Kurt Scherf, Parks Associates

Sessions:
Building a Compelling Television Service
Broadband Video: To the TV and Beyond
How the Internet Meets the Television
The Business Case for Advanced Advertising Features
Building the Interactive Advertising Business Case

Speakers:
Nimrod Ben-Natan, Harmonic
Steve Borelli, Integra5
Jonathan Bokor, TANDBERG Television
Matt Cannard, Widevine Technologies
Brian Donnelly, Icron Technologies
Jason Harvey, ActiveVideo Networks
Leszek Izdebski, Cisco Systems
Howard Rubin, SeaChange International
Paula Suthern, Ensequence
Adam Tom, RGB Networks

Attendees receive information about the competitive environment for television services, insight into video trends and advertising business models, and consumer data on use cases and preferences.

During TelcoTV, Kurt Scherf is moderating the session Integrating the Social Network Experience: Fad or reality? on Wednesday, November 12, from 4:30-5:30 p.m.