Technology Deals Signal MHP Launch on PayTV in Belgium

Deals announced in recent weeks signal the intention of Belgium’s largest provider of broadband cable services to bring interactive television to their customers using DVB’s MHP middleware specification. This is the latest indication of the growing popularity of MHP for the provision of iTV services in Europe and beyond, and is particularly notable as an example of a payTV operator rolling out MHP services.

Advanced Digital Broadcast announced that it has been selected by Telenet to deliver digital interactive set-top boxes. Telenet will use a full range of MHP middleware tools from Osmosys. The STBs will be powered by a processor from STMicroelectronics and will support conditional access from Nagravision. ADB will also provide Telenet with a Digital Video Recorder set-top box designed to support digital recording and playback functionality and MHP based interactive content, again with middleware from Osmosys.

The launch of MHP services in Belgium follows a successful collaborative trial in the Flemish part of the country in 2004. More information is available in the DVB Worldwide section of this site. MHP deployments have, over the last couple of years, been growing quickly in some key territories, most notably Italy, Korea, Germany and Finland. A full rundown on the current status of MHP deployments and developments is available from MHP/OCAP/GEM Update April 2005. Portuguese, Spanish and Chinese versions of this document are available here.

Further information regarding Telenet’s plans in Belgium is available from www.telenet.be/idtv (in Dutch).