CI Plus
White Paper on CI Plus 2.0 published
Out of the AG Ultra HD Task Force CI Plus, the Round Table CI Plus 2.0 was created in May 2021 after two successful workshops on the potential of CI Plus 2.0. The internationally staffed round table organised by Deutsche TV-Plattform is open to all market participants.
The aim is to moderate and coordinate the discussion on a possible market launch of CI Plus 2.0 in the DACH region. In contrast to the previous CI Plus standard, CI Plus 2.0 is based on the USB form factor. In addition to the new hardware, many other questions are relevant for a possible changeover (e.g. migration scenarios), which will be discussed within the framework of the Round Table. The white paper „Moving to CI Plus 2.0 USB – Benefits and Opportunities“, which was prepared within the CI Plus 2.0 Round Table, provides a comprehensive and up-to-date view of the challenges and opportunities of a possible market launch of CI Plus 2.0.
Discussion on perspectives of CI-Plus 2.0
Deutsche TV-Plattform discusses a possible market launch of the new version of the CI Plus Interface - CI+ 2.0. CI Plus enables the reception and use of encrypted audiovisual content without an external set-top box. For example, encrypted HDTV channels can be used with TV sets in which no encryption system is installed. So far, so-called CI Plus modules have provided more flexibility in television. These plug-in modules would in future be replaced by USB sticks from version 2.0 onwards.
The future migration to USB clients would in principle bring benefits for consumers and market participants - but it also raises many questions in the industry, for example with regard to logistics, communication or the length of a migration phase. In order to make the latter consumer-friendly, it would be necessary, in particular from the point of view of platform and content providers, to ensure a sufficiently long transition phase during which the old and new CI Plus interfaces are supported in parallel. The German TV Platform discussed these issues in a first step and structured "Pro & Contra" in a technical document.
At the beginning of 2021, Deutsche TV-Plattform plans to bring together an extended circle of relevant companies and stakeholders from the DACH region who are concerned with a possible switchover. In this circle it will be further discussed whether a roadmap for a CI Plus 2.0 introduction can be developed.
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