Digital TV Labs, a company which provides conformance products and services for DVB-based markets, and which was formed in 2005 by a group of former executives of Cabot Communications (see the article published on itvt.com, December 20th, 2005), contacted [itvt] Tuesday to let us know that it will launch its new CI+ Test Tool for developing, testing and debugging CI+ implementations on host receivers at the IBC in Amsterdam later this week (booth 2.C27). According to the company, the tool will ensure interoperability and uniformity of CI+ interactive applications on reception equipment, thus facilitating "rapid and coherent" market expansion.
The CI+ standard enables 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+ (see the article published on itvt.com, July 22nd), which it says has now been adopted by over 20 operators.
According to Digital TV Labs, the CI+ Test Tool incorporates a mandatory CI+ browser test suite, based on MHEG-5 technology, in order to test the middleware implementation; and includes test CAM's, CI+ certificates, test streams, test cases and a software upgrade kit. It provides complete control of CI+ host resources, the company says, and enables end-to-end testing of CI CAM interfaces, video and data paths and critical security features. The included browser test suite, which the company says was developed by in-house expert MHEG authors, is billed as including new test cases specific to CI+, as well as additional core test cases derived from the industry-standard UK Digital Television Group MHEG 1.06 Profile. Using the tool, the company says, manufacturers can minimize time-to-market by validating CI+ host receivers before beginning the certification process at Digital TV Labs. "Because CI+ benefits from the inclusion of a browser, the technology allows a wide range of services to be delivered securely," Digital TV Labs CEO, Keith Potter, said in a prepared statement. "For operators launching video-on-demand or needing a branded CAM-controlled user experience, the CI+ Test Tool can be used to check that receivers will give a consistent and reliable user experience of their branded services. The CI+ Test Tool and Browser Test Suite ensure manufacturers can test their receivers to guarantee interoperability." Added Ian Medland, head of technical development for DTG Testing: "The incorporation of the DTG MHEG-5 test cases ensures 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."
