EchoStar Europe Integrates Latens for Deployable IPTV Solution

STEETON, UK--(Marketwire - November 9, 2009) - EchoStar Europe (www.echostar-europe.com), the leading supplier of added-value, connected device solutions to the digital television industry, announced today that it has integrated its state-of-the-art HDX-600, high definition (HD), hybrid digital video recorder (DVR) with Latens' card-less conditional access (CA) system and ECO middleware solution to provide operators with an advanced platform for delivering secure, interactive IP-based television services and applications including video-on-demand (VOD).

"In order to support our strategy in Europe, it is imperative that we partner with a number of the industry's leading conditional access and middleware solutions", commented Rick Smith, VP Sales and Marketing for EchoStar Europe. "This is one of our first planned integrations in the IP space and provides a middleware and CA platform for adaptation and deployment by IPTV and hybrid IPTV operators".

"This integration provides IPTV and broadband TV operators with a proven and tested integration between the core elements of the pay TV network, assuring operators that the service they deploy will be a success, while reducing the additional cost and pain of integrations", said Jeremy Thorp, CEO, Latens. "Integrating Latens CAS and ECO middleware with EchoStar Europe HDX-600 gives operators a strong choice for the deployment of their IPTV services".

EchoStar Europe announced its first IPTV product, the HDX-600, at IPTV World Forum in March 2009. The HDX-600 series DVR combines state-of-the-art cosmetics with HD reception, advanced video coding (AVC) and hybrid functionality, providing IPTV operators with an added-value product solution. EchoStar Europe ensures that its solutions are interoperable with the industry's leading suppliers to the IPTV market and has successfully integrated on this occasion with Anevia's Toucan VOD server (also available as ViaMotion for the broadcast and telecom markets).

Available with either an integrated hard disk drive, or as a stand alone set-top box (HDX-400) with an upgrade path to DVR via plug in hard disk drive, the unit offers a great deal of flexibility to IPTV operators wishing to offer personalised digital television services. The platform has been designed to complement IP entertainment delivery with the addition of cable, satellite or terrestrial tuners to support traditional broadcast services in a single 'convergent' or hybrid product format. A build option for integrated SlingLoaded™ is also included allowing digital TV and IPTV operators to fully embrace consumers' needs for ubiquitous media. SlingLoaded™ enables users to take their TV content and place-shift it securely, using a one-to-one client, to other devices inside or outside the home, including mobile phones, portable media players (PMP) and laptop computers.

The HDX-600 supports AVC to reduce bandwidth requirements for video-based services, and is compatible with the industry's leading digital rights management (DRM), conditional access and middleware solutions. The addition of a touch-sensitive front panel and stylish cosmetics provides IPTV operators with a unique consumer proposition.

Latens ECO is an advanced middleware platform, with pre-integrated conditional access software, that brings true multi-media networking to the home. Offering IPTV and broadband TV operators the major features that help them increase subscribers and reduce churn, ECO broadens the scope for operators enabling a truly interactive and feature rich IPTV service, supporting a variety of features including DVR, Remote DVR and over-the-top TV.

Having debuted at IBC2009, the combined HDX-600 featuring Latens' CA system and ECO middleware will be showcasing at EchoStar's booth #925 at TelcoTV09 Orlando, Fla., USA. EchoStar Technologies, the U.S. parent of EchoStar Europe, will be demonstrating an IPTV set-top box platform for use in the U.S. that is also compatible with the industry's leading conditional access and middleware solutions.

Contact viptv@echostar.com to book a customer demonstration.

About EchoStar Europe:

EchoStar Europe (www.echostar-europe.com) is dedicated to enabling cable, IPTV, satellite and terrestrial operators to optimise network revenues by delivering added-value connected device solutions, services and applications. Through a comprehensive product range, including STBs, DVRs, home networking and place-shifting technology, our solutions enable the provision of state-of-the-art and cost effective entertainment services.

The company combines best-in-class engineering, VIP account management, supply chain, manufacturing and customer service into one dedicated and experienced team, to provide customers with innovative technology solutions that enable new revenue opportunities and reduce operational costs.

EchoStar Europe is headquartered in Steeton, UK with European based operations in Almelo, Holland, Kharkov, Ukraine and Madrid, Spain. EchoStar Europe is a business unit of EchoStar Technologies L.L.C. (www.echostar.com), an operating entity of the publicly traded EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS).

EchoStar has shipped over 70m+ connected devices to digital TV operators around the world and secured a number of industry awards and market firsts for its technology.

EchoStar's SlingLoaded™ 900 Series DVR won 'Best Consumer Premises Technology' in Cable and Satellite International's Product of the Year Awards 2009.

Go beyond the box.

About Latens:

Latens is leading the way in fully DVB® compliant software Conditional Access and Middleware, enabling operators of broadcast and broadband Pay TV networks around the world to securely deliver next generation entertainment services to set-top boxes, PCs, mobile devices and home networks. With offices in the US, UK and India Latens' customer base stretches to over 100 installations in more than 20 countries. For more information about Latens please visit www.latens.com