DirecTV picks Canal Plus

net1

Canal Plus Technologies, Thomson's digital video software solutions business, has signed a contract with DirecTV. America's largest DTH satellite service will provide Canal Plus' Mediahighway middleware platform in new digital set-top boxes.

The Java-based Mediahighway interactive solution developed for DirecTV will be ported on set-top boxes provided by multiple consumer electronics manufacturers.

DirecTV customers with access to the middleware will get a simplified on-screen user interface as well as a new suite of interactive shopping, news, weather, games and sports programming services, the companies said.

Thomson's Mediahighway product powers 15 million set-top boxes for cable, satellite and digital terrestrial networks. More than 20 digital operators and broadcasters, including Canal Satelite in France, SureWest in the United States, Astro Measat and ZeeTV in Asia, are using the interactive middleware.