that have to move this FUSION thing forward. Nice to see big money moving in the direction of the cable companies on the investment side. Perhaps they anticipate growth for this industry. Sure would be nice to be a part of something like that.

Portable Personal Video Recorder

The portable Personal Video Recorder (pPVR) presents an ideal and innovative supplementary product opportunity for Pay TV operators to create additional revenue streams whilst reducing churn. Allowing users to access both audio and video content whilst on the move, the pPVR has the ability to download content quickly and easily on its internal Hard Disk Drive without the need to interface with a PC.

The pPVR can access content in one of two ways:

i. Conventionally via its USB port, images, audio files, movies etc can be transferred from a PC, or photos from a digital camera

ii. By direct connection to an audio or composite / S-VHS video source using the units inbuilt MPEG encoder. This allows music and video content to be transferred from any set top box, digital video recorder stereo, VCR or DVD player, as well as record directly from the TV.

Featuring both MPEG 2 and MPEG4 playback, plus MP3 and WM9 audio support, the pPVR`s integral 20 GB hard drive enables storage of up to 40 hours of video programming. With a built-in, back-lit LCD display, the pPVR is a portable media centre which can be used whilst travelling or at home through a home entertainment system, It allows users to watch their favourite TV programmes or listen to their favourite music wherever they are.

Integration of Digital Rights Management

Downloading content from the internet and other sources is now an established method of acquiring audio and video files. Offering the pPVR as an auxiliary pay TV product creates a new level of service to suit today`s lifestyles, further strengthening the proposition to subscribers. Digital Rights Management (DRM) systems can be incorporated into the pPVR, ensuring content providers` rights are protected from end-to-end, eliminating unauthorized copying and redistribution. This also allows content to be paid for securely so users can access and enjoy premium content wherever they are. DRM systems that can be integrated into the pPVR include:

• Microsoft Janus

• SVP (Secure Video Processor)

• Latens