common interface plus (CI+)
CI-Plus(CI+) is an enhanced standard of the Common Interface (CI) for digital TVencryption. The CI-Plus standard replaces the previous CI 2.0 because many cable network operators and pay TV providers do not support the Common Interface and the last version was considered technically extremely complex.
CI-Plus is about secure content distribution, copy protection and protection of minors. CI-Plus forms a fully secured and copy-protected transmission between the broadcaster and the screen.
Like Common Interface, CI-Plus uses a CI module that is inserted into a slot in the set-top box or DVB receiver. During playback, the viewer inserts a smart card into the CI module. The smart card contains the authorization functions, the conditional access( CA), for the corresponding programs and switches on the decryption function.
In terms of the procedure, CI-Plus works with identification bits, with which the program provider can control the use of the broadcast information and manage the digital rights management( DRM). This includes, among other things, the creation of recordings and archiving, as well as various control functions with which, for example, the skipping of commercials is prevented. One requirement of the television companies that is still in the pipeline concerns picture-in-picture( PiP).
The CI-Plus standard was promoted by the Gesellschaft für Unterhaltungs- und Kommunikationselektronik (gfu) and the Consumer Electronics in the ZVEI. CI-Plus is not compatible with the Common Interface (CI).