Interactive TV
Ability to interact with the Television - a whole new world of opportunities through the television. Access to shopping (e-commerce), banking, e-mail and entertainment – all through your television.

The Hathway HUMAX Set Top Box will provide NDS-developed Electronic Programming Guide (EPG), which will guide viewers to programmes, information, and options of interest to them- without disrupting the programme they are watching.

Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) features:
Programme guide : A list which displays the name, start time, and date of all programmes and also upcoming programmes of all pay channels including their synopsis.

Programme reservations & reminders : Through this feature the viewer can reserve a programme for future viewing. When the programme's start time approaches the viewers gets a reminder message, or the box may also be set to automatically switch to that particular selected programme.

Favourite channels : These are the list of Channels identified by the subscriber according to their viewing preference.

Parental controls : This feature allows subscribers to set passwords, block channels with certain ratings values from being viewed.

Information banners : This on screen banner allows the viewer to browse schedule listing for the channel they are watching and also other pay channels along with their short programme descriptions- all without disturbing their viewing.

Hathway Partners With NDS (News Datacom Security)
Hathway has selected NDS, a world leader of open end-to-end digital pay TV services for a secure system of deployment of digital and pay TV Conditional Access system. There are three main areas:

• NDS systems.
• Systems integration.
• Interactive TV applications.
• NDS Systems

• Hathway will benefit from the security and flexibility of VideoGuard. Deployed in over 30 million homes worldwide, VideoGuard® is the world's leading conditional access system because it is the most secure solution.
• NDS smart cards use custom-designed chips and include unique security algorithms for each customer. A central element of NDS security is its use of proprietary one-way algorithms that eliminate the need for service keys.
• Algorithm-based conditional access ensures maximum security and bandwidth efficiency. NDS systems are not key based, as they are inherently insecure in broadcast environments. Key based systems have to broadcast the control word.
• Entitlement information is securely delivered to subscribers in digitally signed packets.
• Full integration with the EPG gives subscribers seamless navigation for purchasing, booking and viewing PPV content.
• A secure return path ensures the privacy and integrity of data transferred between viewers and the headend.
• Copy protection mechanisms and fingerprinting features help prevent illegal redistribution of content.
• NDS ensures that your business remains secure with extensive operational security activities. NDS knows that you can not just rely on the technical aspects of security to protect your system. This must be supported by proactive security measures. NDS Core middleware
  NDS Core is the fully-featured middleware that helps network operators deploy cost-effective set-top boxes quickly and easily. For operators looking to minimize costs, NDS Core offers the ideal way to set up digital TV services without compromising on functionality or the platform's evolutionary path.

Deployed in over 2.8 million homes worldwide, NDS Core closely integrates with other NDS solutions to maximize performance, support all conditional access functions and provide a launching pad to other interactive applications.
NDS Core Technical Features

• Small set-top box memory footprint
• Interactive delivery using DVB DSM-CC
• Industry standard HTML presentation engine and Java support
• Supports multiple languages
• Rich graphics capabilities for On Screen display and dynamic video scaling.
• NDS Systems Integration
• NDS was also selected to act as systems integrator and technology provider for Hathway's digital network upgrade. In this capacity, NDS is overseeing the integration of the Humax set-top box, Barco compression and Miindport subscriber management system.

Integrating these systems from NDS and other third party vendors for the Hathway network is quite a complex task. Deploying an end-to-end digital pay TV system requires a considerable investment as well as expert knowledge about the many components that make up the system. These include compression, scheduling, set-top boxes, middleware and, of course, conditional access.

NDS has helped operators worldwide to successfully deploy digital pay TV services than anyone else. Their customers have come to rely on the experience and expertise offered by their Professional Services team, from planning through deployment and service launch.

NDS has the experience and the delivery team is on site at the Hathway operations now. In addition, NDS integration facilities in the UK and Seoul are working with the set-top box vendor to test the set-top boxes sent to India , which has saved substantial time for Hathway.

NDS supports the use of open standard interfaces and implements these in its headend systems and components. This results in a significant benefit for Hathway, because it can select from a wide variety of solutions and systems components not supplied by NDS. This will enable Hathway to choose the best technical and operational solutions for their overall requirements.

The first interactive TV service to be deployed on the Hathway network is an electronic program guide designed by NDS. An EPG is the window through which viewers access this content while Hathway can also use it to promote revenue generating services.

As a pioneer in EPG development, NDS fully integrates the program guide with VideoGuard® conditional access, NDS Core middleware and other NDS systems to provide a consistent, logical subscriber interface for viewing schedules and up to date programming information.

Hathway Partners with SA (Scientific Atlanta )
For digital compression & delivery of channels Hathway has selected Scientific Atlanta. Scientific Atlanta one of the largest Cable TV solutions provider has set up Asia 's first one of its kind unit at Hathway for digital compression and transmission which can provide upto 1000 digital channels. As a major provider of transmission equipment, Scientific-Atlanta has an outstanding product-by-product optics offering, an exceptional understanding of network architectures, and unparalleled capability of bringing it all together.

• Capable of delivering interactive video, voice, and data services
• Capable of supporting a variety of subscriber services
• Flexible and adaptable to advancements in technology as well as changes in subscriber base, demographics, and service demands
• Capable of migrating fiber deeper into the network with minimal changes to the network infrastructure.

Hathway Partners With Entriq
Hathway has selected Entriq end-to-end Subscriber Management System (SMS) to develop and maintain a sophisticated Customer Care and Billing application for it's digital Conditional Access Services.

Entriq, a global solutions provider of media commerce technologies for pay-TV and the Internet has over 7 million subscribers and 35 installations worldwide.

Hathway will be using Entriq proven and scalable SMS to manage customer account, orders and contacts with customers for its digital Conditional Access System. One of the core competencies of Entriq is understanding of, and ability to integrate with Conditional Access System. Entriq currently support 11 different CA interfaces including NDS, which is being used by Hathway.

Entriq's Subscriber Management System, called MPort will provide complete end-to-end solutions to Hathway that encompasses CRM, Billing, Provisioning, Hardware Tracking, Product Management, etc. MPort is an event driven system, which means that an event record will be generated if customers, signs up, cancels, or suspends its services. The SMS runs on a sturdy Oracle 8i software application and on SUN server platform.

Through Entriq Hathway will be able to bill customers using a flexible billing engine which will allow Hathway to do various flexible billing modules for its customers depending upon the service offerings provided by the broadcasters. It will also perform other functions such as sales and marketing functions, manage hardware product inventories and logistics.

Hathway Partners with Humax
Hathway has selected HUMAX of Korea as its principal vendor for the supply of the Set Top Boxes. HUMAX is one of the 3 largest Set Top Box manufacturers in the world with a market share as follows:

HUMAX already has a manufacturing capacity of 4.5 million Set Top Boxes per annum in two production sites in Korea & UK . HUMAX will be setting up its third manufacturing unit in Noida , India , which will be operational by October 2003.

HUMAX has strong R & D resources that lead to high-end technology in the Set Top Box industry. HUMAX commitment to remain at the cutting edge of innovation in the Set Top Box industry is also reflected in its employee profile - 58% of HUMAX employees work in R & D related activity.

Features of Hathway-HUMAX Digital Set Top Box

• BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) compliant [Tested by Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Ltd. (BECIL)]
• Fully DVB-C compliant
• Embedded with NDS Conditional Access System
• Can receive up to 1000 channels
• Software upgradable (which will enable it to add additional functionality)
• MPEG quality picture with digital stereophonic sound

Cable TV Distribution
Mumbai: Hathway is distributing its cable TV signals through Tata Power's fibre optic network, spread across Mumbai city and its suburbs. Hathway will be using approximately 200 kms. of Tata Power's fibre optic network which will help to efficiently distribute it's services from strategically placed head-ends in the city and the suburbs. Hathway has located optic fibre nodes at various points in the network, which substantially improves the quality of television signal and also enable distribution of other valued added services.

Delhi : In Delhi , Hathway is distributing its Digital cable TV signals and broadband services through Bharti's fibre optic network. Using over ­­­150 kms. of Bharti's fibre optic network Hathway is distributing its Digital Cable TV services from strategically placed head-ends in the capital city. Hathway will be locating optic fibre nodes at various points in the network, which enhances the quality of television signals and also enables to provide other value added services. Hathway is planning to set up more than 100 nodes across the city in the next one year.

Value Added Services
The Hathway HUMAX Set Top Box will provide NDS-developed Electronic Programming Guide (EPG), which will guide viewers to programmes, information, and options of interest to them- without disrupting the programme they are watching.