IMPALA Welcomes New Advanced CI Plus Conformance Test

IMPALA, the International MHEG Promotion Alliance, has welcomed the news of a new, advanced CI Plus (CI+) test tool for ensuring compatible receivers conform to the latest specification.
Testing of the MHEG-based CI Plus Browser is now a mandatory part of the CI Plus conformance regime, therefore helping to ensure interoperability of interactive MHEG applications across all conformant receivers.
The standard - which is seeing increasing support and live deployments - allows operators and broadcasters to secure video content via a small CI Plus Conditional Access Module (CAM) inserted into the Common Interface (CI) slot included in all IDTVs above 30cm sold in Europe, plus a growing number of CI PLus-ready set-top boxes. The MHEG-based CI Plus Browser allows a range of interactive services to be delivered direct to the TV, including video on demand (VoD) and universal electronic programme guides (EPGs).
The test tool - available from the CI Plus LLP-approved official CI Plus test centre - enables end-to-end testing of CI Plus CAM interfaces, video and data paths and critical security features. The Browser test includes testing specific to the implementation of MHEG, as well as core tests derived from the industry-standard UK Digital Television Group (DTG) MHEG 1.06 profile.
David Cutts, MD of S&T and Founder of IMPALA, said: "This new advanced CI Plus test tool is great news for the market. One of the key advantages of MHEG is the extensive testing and conformance regime that had been refined over many years of live deployments across the world. This latest development ensures that operators can have confidence that interactive CI Plus applications, such as VoD, will work reliably and consistently across compliant receivers from a range of manufacturers."
The founder members of IMPALA are Strategy & Technology (S&T), Cabot Communications and Echostar Europe.
(KMcA)