Orbit Satellite Network is upgrading its conditional access platform to the Comvenient system in a bid to put an end to the piracy that has dogged the Middle East platform in recent years. Munich-based Comvenient is providing OSN with a secure silicon-based platform. The Betacrypt 2 product provides a return to a familiar name – Comvenient was spun out of the BetaTechnik, the former technical department of the Kirch Group, which used Betacrypt in the early days of the DF1/Premiere platforms.
Cliff Nelson, SVP Operations and Platform Development at OSN (Orbit – Showtime network), told Broadband TV News that the current Irdeto System 2 CAS would be removed on all Western Channels on December 19, 2010. This meant that those channels would no longer be able to be pirated using the “Dream-type” code word sharing boxes.
OSN will also be changing from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 DVB S2 during 2011. The platform is within days of completing its set-top box swap out with a Pace HD DVR (with 500 GB hard disk), Kaon HD zapper and UEC SD zapper all being deployed.
In Egypt, where consultation with the authorities is required, OSN has to choose between the Irdeto and Nagra platforms.
OSN was formed in July 2009 from the merger of the Orbit and Showtime platforms.
