C+T launches iTV-version of Horzu magazine

Canal+Technologies (www.canalplus-technologies.com), a leading provider of interactive TV software solutions with more than 14 million set-top boxes deployed around the world, has announced the launch of the first iTV-version of a magazine called Horzu, based on the Mediahighway MHP-compliant middleware, in association with EPG experts from GIST Communications.

The product has been on display at the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) conference 2002, currently being held in Amsterdam. The IBC conference pools together a wealth of knowledge and information from all sectors of the broadcast industry. Attracting the most highly regarded speakers and panelists, it has also become the premier place for electronic media professionals to share information.

Speaking on the occasion, Herv Creff, director, product marketing of interactive applications at C+T, said: "We are delighted to present Germanys leading TV magazine for the first time ever as a fully DVB MHP-compliant application. Our cooperation with the Axel Springer publishing house and EPG experts, GIST, heralds the coming of the DVB-MHP standard in Germany.

"Our middleware, authoring tools and conditional access system will bring a comprehensive and complete offering to German TV operators. We are looking forward to providing our solutions to more and more companies worldwide. The conditional access software market in the Asia-Pacific region, though in its nascent stage, has immense potential. We are focussing on countries like India as a part of our long-term plans."

The new application features TV programme listings, TV picks and editorial articles, which viewers can access while watching a TV channel. Also offered is channel tuning, which lets the viewers tune into any current programme directly from the application. With GIST TV Trivia, viewers get more fun and entertainment than ever as they participate in quizzes about their favourite shows. Boasting more than 5 million readers, Horzu is a household name for German TV viewers who turn to it weekly to look up TV programmes.

As part of C+Ts new developers programme, Mediahighway Community, GIST has integrated its EPG application on the Mediahighway middleware efficiently and seamlessly. All editorial data is directly delivered from the Axel Springer publishing house in Hamburg. GISTs product line also includes a video-on-demand guide offering a movie catalogue, movie synopsis, categorisation, and selection and purchasing functions.

C+T has recently announced its entry to the Indian conditional access software market and is already in talks with a number of prospective clients for its products Mediaguard (conditional access system) and Mediahighway (middleware). C+T has already provided its solutions to Zee TV in India and is to licence its conditional access system to Himachal Futuristic Corporation to manufacture set-top boxes for direct-to-home and digital terrestrial transmission.