SES, SmarDTV and Samsung demonstrate world’s first Ultra HD CAS-protected broadcast service using DVB standards

• CAS-protected broadcast Ultra HD (UHD) content broadcast via satellite received directly by Samsung UHD TV using SmarDTV CI Plus CAMs for content protection
• Live Ultra HD transmission in the new HEVC standard from an SES satellite at 19.2 degrees East using DVB UHD Phase 1 specifications
• Pay-TV service providers can now directly deliver Ultra HD content on Samsung Ultra HD TVs without the need for an STB 

Cheseaux, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Seoul, Korea – September 11th, 2014 - SmarDTV, a Kudelski Group company (SIX:KUD.S), SES (NYSE Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd, announced today that they will be demonstrating the first end-to-end encrypted Ultra HD content via an SES satellite to a Samsung Ultra HD TV by using a SmarDTV CI Plus CAM module at the IBC 2014 in Amsterdam.

The demonstration will mark a major milestone for the Ultra HD broadcast chain as it is the first time that a full 3840x2160 pixel CAS protected Ultra HD signal in HEVC will be decrypted by a standard SmarDTV CI Plus Module and rendered on Samsung Ultra HD TV models. This opens the door for pay-TV service providers to directly access the new UHD TV sets that are being rapidly adopted by consumers around the world. The Ultra HD content is broadcast live from an SES satellite at the orbital position of 19.2 degrees East using DVB UHD Phase 1 signaling specifications.

“Many of our pay-TV customers and numerous service providers around the world are interested in deploying Ultra HD and this will allow them to jump start their activities with minimum investments,” said Conor Ryan, Vice President of Marketing at SmarDTV. “The ability to use standard CI Plus CAM modules with the latest generation of Ultra HD TVs opens the door to rapid and cost effective Ultra HD services.”

Thomas Wrede, Vice President of Reception Systems at SES, said, “The Ultra HD broadcast ecosystem has been developing rapidly in the last 18 months, with global satellite operators such as SES playing a leading role in readying the satellite and ground infrastructure to support our customers with the delivery of Ultra HD pay-TV events and services. Ultra HD will further leverage the high quality of images delivered via satellite.”

“Once again we can see the DVB family of specifications enabling the market to move to the next generation of digital broadcast. I think this end-to-end demonstration is the clearest indication yet that all the pieces are now in place for the new era of Ultra HD broadcasting to begin,” commented John Adam, Head of Business Development and Industrial Affairs at Samsung Electronic Research Institute (UK).

The live demonstration will be shown in IBC at the SmarDTV/NAGRA booth 1C81 in Hall #1 and at the SES booth B51 in Hall #1. For further information and demonstrations please contact [email protected]

About SES
SES is a world-leading satellite operator with a fleet of over 50 geostationary satellites. The company provides satellite communications services to broadcasters, content and internet service providers, mobile and fixed network operators and business and governmental organizations worldwide. SES stands for long-lasting business relationships, high-quality service and excellence in the broadcasting industry. The culturally diverse regional teams of SES are located around the globe and work closely with customers to meet their specific satellite bandwidth and service requirements. SES (NYSE Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) holds participations in Ciel in Canada and QuetzSat in Mexico, as well as a strategic participation in satellite infrastructure start-up O3b Networks. Further information under: www.ses.com

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in technology, opening new possibilities for people everywhere. Through relentless innovation and discovery, we are transforming the worlds of TVs, smartphones, tablets, PCs, cameras, home appliances, printers, LTE systems, medical devices, semiconductors and LED solutions. We employ 286,000 people across 80 countries with annual sales of US$216.7 billion. To discover more, please visit www.samsung.com.

About SmarDTV
SmarDTV, a Kudelski Group company, is an international leader in pay television technology. SmarDTV designs and manufactures a large range of set-top box solutions and CI / CI Plus plug-in modules which enable access to premium digital pay-TV whether delivered through broadcast or broadband IP. A founding member of CI Plus Forum, SmarDTV is headquartered in Switzerland with development and sales offices in France, Germany, USA, China, and Singapore. Please visit www.smardtv.com for more information.

Contact
Nadine Favennec
SmarDTV
+33 4 42 83 8000
[email protected]

Note to the editors
SmarCAM is plugged directly in the digital TV using the industry standard DVB-CI interface and the signal is always in digital format. No analog conversion or interface is necessary, providing improvement over traditional set-top box connectivity that often uses SCART connectivity.

CI Plus is a technical specification that adds additional security and features to the proven DVB Common Interface standard that will allow CI Plus compatible consumer electronic devices, such as Integrated Digital Televisions and set-top boxes, access to a wide range of pay-TV services via plug-in CI Plus modules wherever the CI Plus technology is supported by the local pay-TV service provider. More information on CI Plus (specification, implementation guideline, license agreement) is available at www.ci-plus.com.