Pioneer Digital Technologies, ICTV Announce Validation of Passport-DCT-Headendware Application by Motorola

Pioneer Digital Technologies, Inc., a leader in interactive navigation software for digital cable TV set-top boxes, and ICTV, Inc., creator of HeadendWare®, the cable industry’s most versatile platform for delivery of compelling interactive content, today announced the successful completion of testing of ICTV’s HeadendWare application with Passport DCT 2.0 at the Motorola Acadia Application Integration Center. The combined applications are now validated and available to operators for use on the Motorola DCT1000, DCT1200 and DCT2000 products, the cable industry’s most widely deployed digital set-tops.

The solution, already in MSO field trials in North America, enables Pioneer’s Passport DCT™ navigator to launch interactive applications including: Games, Local News, Sports, Weather, Entertainment and Customer Care. Using HeadendWare’s patented approach to centralized interactivity, subscribers can now access hundreds of applications with none of the carousel loading delays typically associated with such applications.  This potential range of interactive content leverages Passport DCT’s navigational capabilities and provides cable operators with the tools required to combat the satellite television industry’s recently announced interactive initiatives.

"The HeadendWare-Passport DCT application has emerged as a solution that can satisfy real needs for the industry,” said Neil Jones, senior vice president of Pioneer Digital Technologies, Inc. "Discussions with operators showed clearly that they were seeking a platform to build and deliver interactive applications that require full motion video and audio. By combining the HeadendWare approach with our Passport DCT guide, we’re able to meet their needs without stranding the substantial number of digital set-top boxes already deployed.”

"Pioneer represented an outstanding opportunity to integrate with the leading cross platform navigation company,” said Jonathan Symonds, vice president of business development for ICTV. "The Passport DCT guide’s compact size enabled us to achieve validation that will help cable operators throughout North and South America deploy compelling navigation and interactive application solutions and interfaces across boxes already in their plant. Furthermore, this validation paves the way to introduce VOD interfaces to these boxes through additional development between the companies.”

The integrated solution, developed in conjunction with Pioneer’s Compass™ developer support program, is available to operators today and operates across Motorola’s most widely deployed set-top family. The solution requires no truck rolls for operators and applications can be deployed incrementally on the operator’s timeline, without additional validation requirements.

About ICTV™
ICTV™ provides enabling infrastructure for the delivery of new television services to digital cable subscribers. The company offers a solutions-oriented approach to new television services that combines standards-based technology with a portfolio of branded iTV applications that can be deployed today. The solution-based approach offers operators one of the highest returns on bandwidth and incremental capital of the iTV services available today. Strategic investors include Adelphia, Liberty Media, Motorola, OpenTV, Shaw Communications, TV Guide, Cox Communications and Lauder Partners.

Based in the heart of California's Silicon Valley, with offices in Baltimore and the United Kingdom, the company has been issued 23 patents and has numerous patents pending, ensuring protection of its unique and innovative television services solution. ICTV is a member of the Motorola Horizon, Scientific-Atlanta CreativEdge and Pioneer Compass Developer's Programs. For more information, visit www.ictv.com.

About Pioneer
Pioneer Digital Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of interactive program guides (IPG) to the cable television industry. Millions of copies of its Passport navigation and application suite are deployed nationwide to cable MSOs on a variety of digital cable set-top platforms. With its steadfast dedication to technological development, Pioneer Digital continues to be an innovative supplier of IPGs and interactive applications. For more information visit www.pioneerdigital.com.