Kasenna today announced the release of LivingRoom 2.0 -- a new IPTV middleware suite that updates Kasenna's PortalTV with an unrivaled viewer experience along with features that make IPTV easier than ever to deploy and manage. Kasenna's LivingRoom 2.0 provides a highly advanced and efficient IPTV delivery and management solution in a deployment-ready package and is the core component of Kasenna's PortalTV, the Telco industry's only pre-integrated IPTV solution -- offering applications, video streaming & network recording, element & content management, and premium content. LivingRoom 2.0 includes software for the consumer STB - the LivingRoom 2.0 Client - and for the backend service creation, management and delivery - the LivingRoom 2.0 Application Server.

LivingRoom 2.0 STB CLIENT - New Look, New Services for Better TV
LivingRoom 2.0 features a newly designed user interface that enables service providers to offer a superior television experience with new, "sticky" TV services such as Start-Over TV (which allows users to jump to the beginning of a program in progress without prior recording), Network-based PVR, and an elegant program guide.

The LivingRoom 2.0 STB client can be used out-of-the-box on leading MPEG-4 set-top boxes. In addition, it can be easily customized by the service provider for a unique look and feel. The LivingRoom STB client is built on web-services, standards-based technologies such as DHTML and CSS. LivingRoom 2.0 will be available with a Macromedia Flash-based client as well.

LivingRoom 2.0 APPLICATION SERVER - Slashing Deployment and Management Costs
LivingRoom 2.0 Application Server slashes deployment, operations and management costs while offering the latest IPTV service features:

• Integration into EPG for Start-Over TV
• Automated content ingest and management to minimize costs for moving VOD content into the system
• Automatic integration with leading content encryption systems
• Easy channel packaging for regional channel maps
• Extensive transaction tracking for understanding customer usage
• A plug-in adapter framework for seamless billing system integration
• Integration into existing subscriber management systems for simplified control with minimal retraining
• Extensive failover for uninterrupted VOD playout
• Program blackout support and management

PortalTV 2.0 - Bringing it All Together in a Pre-integrated IPTV Solution Kasenna PortalTV combines the company's streaming server, middleware, management, client, and content offerings into the industry's only end-to-end, pre-integrated IPTV solution. Consisting of Kasenna's LivingRoom 2.0 IPTV middleware, MediaBase XMP video delivery platform, vFusion video network management system, and ViewNow premium studio content and content management, PortalTV is the fastest and most cost-effective route to profitable IPTV services available in today's market.

"As the only company that offers IPTV infrastructure as well as content, we have a unique perspective on what makes carrier-based video a compelling proposition for service providers as well as consumers," said Kumar Shah, CEO of Kasenna. "LivingRoom 2.0 demonstrates our vision by allowing Telco's to deliver truly exciting IPTV services quickly and easily, and with a rapid return on investment."