Espial TV Browser Powers Mitsubishi STB for NTT Plala's IPTV Service

Featuring HTML5 and a Powerful WebKit Engine, Espial TV Browser Optimizes Interactive TV Content and OTT Web Video

OTTAWA, Sept. 25, 2012 /CNW/ - Espial, a leader in on-demand TV software and solutions, today announced that the Espial TV Browser has been selected to power Mitsubishi Electric's latest set-top boxes (STBs) deployed by NTT Plala, a leader in the Japanese IPTV market, to deliver a more compelling IPTV service to its customers. Leveraging a sophisticated range of features and technologies, the Espial TV Browser enables NTT Plala to distribute customized, interactive IP video-on-demand and e-shopping services and applications, such as review and rating functions, through an intuitive user interface.

"Two of our main criteria while looking for a connected TV browser were an open design and support for all of the industry's latest standards, including HTML5," said Hiroyuki Ojima, manager, Mitsubishi Electric. "We chose the Espial TV Browser because it offers a high degree of modularity, a customizable user interface, and robust performance — all of which enabled our customer NTT Plala to deploy interactive and personalized applications rapidly across Mitsubishi's connected set-top boxes."

The Espial TV Browser features a comprehensive software development kit that can be integrated seamlessly with Mitsubishi's proprietary middleware media player and digital rights management platform for smooth playback of encrypted content. The browser's open, modular-based architecture also enables easy integration with video plug-ins and JavaScript extensions, and is portable across a wide range of chipsets and devices, further simplifying interactive TV content and Web navigation on connected TVs.

Based on the same WebKit rendering engine used by Google Chrome™ and Apple^® Safari^® browsers, the Espial TV Browser features built-in Adobe^® Flash^®, as well as support for HTML5 and the latest W3C Web and interactive TV standards, including ISDB and OIPF. Through a powerful JavaScript-based engine optimized to accelerate CSS3 and CSS 3D animations, Espial TV Browser quickly performs graphic transitions and supports complex animations. The TV Browser user interface can be customized according to geographic location and user preferences and provides users with dynamic content and streamlined Web navigation.

"One of the critical features for an enhanced connected television experience is compliance with the HTML5 standard," said Yukio Kanemori, Japan country manager, Espial. "By supporting HTML5, Espial TV Browser provides users with more engaging video content, helping consumer electronics manufacturers such as Mitsubishi to deliver the optimum TV Web experience."

More information about the Espial TV Browser and the company's other products is available at www.espial.com.

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About NTT Plala (www.nttplala.com)
NTT Plala is a major Japanese Internet Service Provider (ISP), providing triple-play service (Internet, IP phone, IPTV) leading the Japanese broadband market. NTT Plala has achieved over 5 million subscribers in March 2012 for ISP service and IPTV service "Hikari-TV."

About Mitsubishi Electric (www.mitsubishielectric.com)
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6503) is a recognized world leader in the manufacture, marketing, and sales of electrical and electronics equipment used in information processing and communications, space development and satellite communications, consumer electronics, industrial technology, energy, transportation, and building equipment. The company recorded consolidated group sales of 3,639.4 billion yen (US$ 44.4 billion*) in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012.

*At an exchange rate of 82 yen to the US dollar, the rate given by the Tokyo Foreign Exchange Market on March 31, 2012.

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 10 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.

SOURCE: ESPIAL GROUP