Verimatrix Puts 2nd Screen in Telcos’ 3-screen TV Plans

Verimatrix Inc. is aiming to help enable viewers outside the living room add TV, movie viewing and DVR functionality to their PCs using non-Internet connections, obviating the need for set-top boxes (STB).

The content security software provider on Monday announced the ViewRight PC Player 2.0, with the system augmenting TV viewing in the home if there’s already a big screen and STB combo in the main viewing room. This lets others in a second room watch a different SD or HD program and record another HD concurrently.

That essentially translates into putting the second screen in telcos’ much-promised and promoted three-screen TV service delivery strategies. To date, PCs have been largely limited to only viewing a subset of programming without recording capabilities and via the Web. That’s a small subset of all content providers make available through telco TV.

The ViewRight PC Player 2.0, “is not just a second screen,” said Barry Hartman, director of product management for IPTV at Verimatrix, adding that depending on its power, hard drive size, and link bandwidth, a PC can handle up to four HD streams.

While he said the PC player is not a replacement for a STB, he explains that the device can be directly linked to the telco connection that provide TV (like a STB), or can be connected to a high-speed Internet link without needing one.

“Our initial go-to-market plan is to help telco offer IPTV services,” said Hartman, with the PC player already equipped with the content security and tracking capabilities owners demand before they will let their prized programming assets be viewed via any means, specifically a PC.

Unlike a basic TV and STB combo, the ViewRight PC Player could also download content streamed over the Web for immediate viewing, or to be stored for later viewing, which is how some movie download services work.

The real dollars come when the device evolves to where it can download a movie to a laptop, for example, for viewing at a later time, outside the home, said Hartman. “The revenue comes when you get to the next set of services, like taking content to go.”

To make life easier for many second- and third-tier telcos that its targets with the PC player, Verimatrix will sell the system through turnkey managed telco TV package providers such as SES Americom Inc.

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