Espial and Cisco Showcase Multiscreen App at The Cable Show 2013

OTTAWA, June 11, 2013 /CNW/ - At The Cable Show 2013, June 10-12 in Washington D.C., Espial, a leader in on-demand TV software and solutions, and Cisco will demonstrate Espial's advanced multiscreen companion app integrated with Cisco's Videoscape 9800 Series Multiscreen Gateway. Showcased on an Apple^® iPad^® tablet, the demonstration at the Cisco booth 1819 will highlight an advanced set of multiscreen use cases, including metadata sharing, channel changing, tuner streaming, and DVR streaming.

"With Espial's advanced companion app, we are able to demonstrate the many ways service providers can enrich the consumer TV experience," said Paul Claussen, director of business development, Cisco Service Provider Video Technology Group. "Using an Apple iPad, users can easily and seamlessly access electronic programming guide information, DVR lists, and more."

Leveraging Espial's multiscreen companion app on Cisco gateway devices, set-top boxes (STBs) allows consumers to significantly extend the capabilities of their device with second-screen functionality including a customized user interface and extended metadata. The app allows MSOs to generate additional revenue opportunities through the sale of application downloads and in-app advertising, as well as increase customer loyalty.

Espial's multiscreen companion app enables a smartphone or tablet device to act as a second-screen companion for Espial-enabled home devices, increasing the capabilities of today's TVs and STBs beyond the living room. Connecting directly to TVs and STBs via Wi-Fi, the Espial multiscreen companion app allows consumers to stream live TV and VOD, manage recordings, access traditional program information, and quickly navigate through the EPG without disrupting viewing on the main TV screen. The app's intuitive touch screen interface can be customized to ensure a consistent user experience across multiple devices.

Capable of decoding and distributing IP video, hybrid, or digital video broadcasting (DVB) and Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM)-based live, on-demand, online, and recorded video content services to other devices, the Cisco Videoscape 9800 Series Multiscreen Gateway offers a unified platform for accessing all forms of content via existing STB technology. The gateway's extensive feature set includes support for live, on-demand, and recorded content; a variety of formats (e.g. HD, 3D TV, DVR); and MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 delivery.

"This technology demo is the latest example of the successful business relationship that Cisco and Espial have developed over the years," said Jaison Dolvane, president and CEO, Espial. "Espial's advanced STB client middleware and browser technology has been integrated on a variety of Cisco set-top boxes deployed by major international operators. We look forward to showing connected TV manufacturers, broadcasters, and cable operators the enhanced multiscreen user experience that can be achieved with Espial and Cisco multiscreen solutions."

The Espial and Cisco technology demonstration will take place at booth 1819. More information about Espial products is available at www.espial.com.

About Espial (www.espial.com)
Espial is a leading supplier of digital TV and IPTV software and solutions to cable MSOs and telecommunications operators as well as consumer electronics manufacturers. Espial's middleware, video-on-demand, and browser products power a diverse range of pay-TV and Internet TV business models. Over 35 million licenses of its patented software are in use across the world. Espial is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada and has offices in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Visit www.espial.com or contact via phone at +1 613 230 4770.

About Cisco (www.cisco.com)
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in IT that helps companies seize the opportunities of tomorrow by proving that amazing things can happen when you connect the previously unconnected. For ongoing news, please go to http://thenetwork.cisco.com.

SOURCE: ESPIAL GROUP