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OpenTV to Develop Home Networking Solution for PVR/DVR Set-Top Boxes Enabled with OpenTV Core Middleware (26/9/2005)

OpenTV Corp. (NASDAQ NMS: OPTV), a leading provider of enabling technologies for advanced digital television services, and Mediabolic, Inc., a leader in end-to-end software solutions for connected entertainment products, announced today that they have signed a multi-year license agreement to integrate Mediabolic's award-winning Media Player and Media Server software with OpenTV's Core middleware. The OpenTV home networking solution (OpenTV HN) will enable network operators to deploy multi-room Personal Video Recorder (PVR)/Digital Video Recorder (DVR) set-top boxes with remote recording capabilities, as well as access personal content on PCs such as photos and music from any networked set-top box. OpenTV expects to offer its home networking solution in mid 2006.

Mediabolic's software, the foundation of OpenTV home networking solution, is Universal Plug and Play (UPnP)-compliant, Intel Networked Media Product Requirements (NMPR)-certified and designed to Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) guidelines. As an extension of OpenTV's proven Core middleware platform, this solution will enable network operators and their set-top box manufacturers to deploy compelling home networking products while minimizing integration costs and time to market.

"We are delighted to integrate technology from Mediabolic into our OpenTV home networking solution," said Tim Evard, OpenTV's senior vice president and general manager products and marketing. "With the increasing adoption of PVR/DVR set-top boxes, we believe the marketplace is ripe for a solution to extend the navigation capabilities of the set-top box beyond pay TV content to personal content. Our new focus on connectivity in the home will provide a more compelling and differentiated solution for network operators as part of their value-added service offerings and will increase revenue opportunities while prolonging the life of older, less powerful legacy set-top boxes which can be used as clients on the network."

"The modularity of Mediabolic's architecture allows OpenTV to easily enhance their powerful digital television software with our networking technology," said Daniel Putterman, president and chief executive officer of Mediabolic. "OpenTV understands the cable and satellite operator market like no other company, and for six years we've focused on networking as the solution for distributing personal media throughout the home. It made perfect sense for us to combine our strengths to create connected DVR and set-top box solutions that address the way people want to view their digital content in the home."

The combination of networking technology with PVR/DVR set-top boxes will enable consumers to record shows on a PVR/DVR set-top in one room and view them using a set-top in another room. The networked solution is expected to support simultaneous recording and networked playback of multiple streams, pausing and instant rewind of live TV, recording of scheduled events and series recording, recording playback of interactive applications, support for set-top box-based ad telescoping, and application program interfaces to enable interactive applications to control PVR/DVR functions.

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