Viasat Broadcasting has extended its conditional access agreement with technology supplier NDS, in the process elbowing out OpenTV as the middleware supplier, at least for the pay-TV operators newly introduced HD boxes.
The second agreement will see NDS supply Viasat with its MediaHighway middleware, customised electronic programme guide and XTV PVR technology. NDS was already supplying Viasat with XTV for its standard definition PVR. It has supplied the conditional access to the platform since 2003 following the replacement of France Telecom’s Viaccess.
A spokesman for Viasat Broadcasting confirmed to Broadband TV News that although the partnership with NDS had been extended to the middleware for HD boxes, OpenTV would continue as the supplier for its standard definition devices.
