UPDATED: Kabel Deutschland has released its new high definition personal video recorder that will serve as the technical platform for its new VOD service.
KDG’s on demand is due to go live before the end of the current financial year next March. In the meantime subscribers can enjoy a 320 GB hard drive, capable of recording up to 200 hours of content, four-tuners (we believe a record for an actual deployment in Europe) and a 14-day EPG. It will be possible to watch one programme and record another three or record four programmes simultaneously. The device is being manufactured by Sagemcom.
Details of the receiver were first announced at an NDS-organised briefing at IBC 2009. The technology company is providing its XTV PVR platform, MediaHighway middleware and VideoGuard conditional access. The EPG was developed in close co-operation between NDS and KDG.
Yves Padrines, Vice President, Business Development at NDS and General Manager NDS GmbH, commented: “We are proud to be providing the enabling technologies to facilitate this exciting enhancement to the Kabel Deutschland platform. This project is a strong example of MediaHighway’s flexibility, meeting the technical requirements of both existing infrastructures and future-oriented services such as hybrid TV and OTT.”
In a statement, KDG said it believed the receiver was the best in its class and would be used to help drive digital penetration within its customer base.