Disney Sets Set-Top Box Venture

Disney's (DIS Quote) international television unit set up a video-on-demand venture with Swiss digital security outfit Kudelski Group.

Walt Disney Television International and Kudelski will aim to develop a proprietary set-top box system for video operators outside of the U.S., Canada and Japan. The box will run on satellite, cable, terrestrial and Internet protocol digital video recorder hardware platforms.

Ideally, the system will offer movies and other content delivered to the set-top box's hard drive, and include the capacity for users to record personal content from various channels, Disney said.

"We believe this offering will simplify the process for broadcasters looking to launch their own bespoke VOD and DVR services, harnessing the latest technology to bring content to viewers in new and flexible ways," said Disney's Laurie Younger.

On Wednesday, Disney fell 19 cents to $25.10.