Samsung and NAGRA partner on set-top replacement dongle

As the pay-TV industry and the FCC battle it out in Washington over the future of the set-top box, Samsung Electronics has partnered with NAGRA on a dongle-sized, secure set-top alternative for cable and satellite TV subscribers with Samsung TVs. 

The new 4K- and HDR-capable TVkey is billed as a “low-cost” USB dongle that delivers content protection without a set-top or second remote. 

The TVkey security system incorporates the built-in terrestrial, satellite and cable tuners of Samsung TVs to offer subscribers a set-top-free connection to their service.

Notably, Samsung was the first, alongside Roku, to enlist in Comcast’s “Xfinity TV Partners Program,” which delivers the MSO’s X1 video platform over multiscreen app in lieu of set-top. 

And at the INTX trade show in May, Comcast was among a number of operators and vendors showcasing diminutive set-top device alternatives. 

“By integrating our latest content protection technology alongside open standards, such as USB and HbbTV/HTML5, we not only ensure excellent security, but also deliver a feature-rich, operator-branded user experience directly to the consumer’s TV,” said Maurice van Riek, NAGRA senior VP of content and asset security, in a press release.

Samsung said it plans to release the product later this year, opening it up to other TV manufacturers in 2017.

For more:
- read this Samsung press release

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