Satellite
operator Dish Network has tapped content protection firm Widevine to provide it
with video optimization and digital rights management technologies for "TV
Everywhere," the place-shifting service based on Slingbox technology that Dish
is rolling out to subscribers.
Dish's
"TV Everywhere," which the operator formally applied to trademark last fall, is
aimed at providing subscribers with access to live and timeshifted programming
from their Dish DVR on a PC, laptop or mobile device, either over the Internet
or a home network. Cable operators have been testing another service under the
umbrella term "TV Everywhere," in which they are providing online access to
pay-TV programming via authentication technology, but they have not trademarked
the name and are branding it differently from operator to operator.
Widevine,
which sells both digital-fingerprinting technology for online content and
conventional conditional-access systems to pay-TV providers, will be providing
Dish with adaptive streaming, virtual DVD-like "trick play" and digital rights
management (DRM) for TV Everywhere. It says its software will optimize the
video quality for any type of screen and ensure that Dish programming is
securely delivered wirelessly to any device in the home.
"We are excited to partner with Widevine to bring TV Everywhere to our customers,"
said Bruce Eisen, VP of online content development and strategy at Dish
Network, in a statement. "With Widevine's Hollywood
studio-approved DRM and video optimization technologies, Dish Network customers
will have the freedom to watch their favorite programming throughout their home
and on the go via a multitude of devices."
"Dish Network continues to launch cutting edge services to remain at the
forefront of multichannel video programming and Widevine is pleased to be part
of this endeavor," added Widevine CEO Brian Baker. "Widevine's video
optimization and DRM will ensure that Dish Network customers enjoy the
high-quality experience that they have come to expect from Dish Network."
