Philip Cardy, product marketing director at Latens, outlines a new hybrid approach.

Emerging IPTV and telcoTV networks are becoming increasingly competent, subsequently gaining and retaining subscribers from incumbent cable operators. Rapidly developing Over-the-Top (OTT) TV services are also taking viewers away from cable operators’ services. Cable operators are faced with a number of choices to respond positively to these new competitive threats from alternative service providers. Many have increased their broadband connection speed, using DOCSIS 3 or other technologies, to allow Triple Play services in an effort to attract more subscribers. But ironically, as broadband connection becomes faster, the network becomes ever more suitable for OTT TV. Given that these services are usually delivered on a free basis, they compete directly with the cable operator’s own Pay TV proposition – especially if the Pay TV offering is not enhanced with the features and development available on its internet-based rivals.

Clear risk
The obvious risk is that the cable operator could be relegated to little more than a low-value Internet Service Provider (ISP). So something must be done to restore the operator’s position to that of a high value content aggregator. The question is, what? The key to success is to provide the services that consumers want within a content portal environment that is continually evolving, using a system capable of addressing and serving both the newer devices in the home and the new uses and methods of accessing content. In response to these new demands, and the associated products and services needed to integrate them into the cable operator environment, Latens has developed a service delivery platform called Latens ECO Cable Gateway. This software provides a platform for cable operators that not only supports Next Generation services, but importantly allows existing services to run, all within a content delivery framework that incorporates robust content protection technology. Combining both middleware and conditional access (CAS), Latens ECO Cable Gateway supports a wide range of advanced features and services in a truly secure home environment. Latens ECO Cable Gateway is a true business enabler, giving cable operators the opportunity to offer their subscribers a complete home networking solution.

IP-based TV environment
ECO Cable Gateway transforms the home TV environment from legacy cable to a full IP-based network, together with software-based CAS and all the cost and business flexibility benefits that comes with it. These include dynamically renewable security to prevent loss of revenue due to hacking, and the deployment of advanced and next generation services such as home networking and whole home digital video recording (DVR). In essence Latens ECO Cable Gateway helps create new business opportunities for cable operators, allowing them to deliver ‘extended TV’ services plus on-demand content, and rapidly integrate popular internet sites into the TV such as YouTube, Flickr and Twitter. It also allows them to develop a strategy as an aggregator of Next Generation services, provide services to customers when they are away from the home such as web-enabled DVR remote control, and to take advantage of the cost savings associated with low cost high performance IP STBs. All of this is achieved by leveraging existing cable infrastructure. A simple digital transition can be implemented on a home-by-home basis as cable gateways are deployed, further reducing costs. Best of all, support for major standards such as DVB Simulcrypt and W3C Internet standards mean that Latens ECO Cable Gateway software is ready for implementation today.

Open gateway
The diagram below shows a high level view of a cable network using Latens ECO Cable Gateway. Linear content is transmitted with encryption from the DVB-CSA algorithm as it is now, but with both the legacy CAS and Latens’ ECO system acting as CAS, using the DVB Simulcrypt method via the existing DVB Multiplexers. This content then flows to the Gateway, where AES encryption is substituted for DVB-CSA. The resulting content is then forwarded over IP via the In Home Network to in-home devices. Existing legacy set top boxes are able to continue receiving the TV signal as now, under the control of the legacy CAS. Latens ECO Cable Gateway can also operate DVR and ‘pause live TV’ servicse on behalf of connected in-home devices. In this way all devices in the home can fully control these functions via the Latens ECO Cable Gateway. Access to existing Video on Demand (VoD) services is possible, whether pre-encrypted or not, from in-home devices by using appropriate protocol proxies in the transport gateway.

Off-net access
Similarly off-net access to important functions – such as DVR remote control and the profile information necessary for provision of internet services – is also enabled by Latens ECO Cable Gateway, as it provides comprehensive application programming interfaces (API) for use by a web portal. These APIs offer control of the DVR services in the home from the head-end. In this way Latens ECO Cable Gateway not only enables cable operators to compete with advanced IPTV services such as OTT TV, VoD, home networking and interactive services, but also allows them to extend their subscriber base with a cost effective bridge from legacy systems to advanced TV services. The fact that it offers a single software platform combining middleware and conditional access substantially reduces integration, operational and maintenance costs – and in the case of analogue networks, simplifies the transition to digital. We’ve spent a lot of time developing a system to put cable operators back in the driving seat. Which given the huge impact cable operators have had in the introduction of multimedia home services, is where we believe they belong.