Maritime Mobile Communications LLC (doing business as Digital Video Systems) has installed the CRUISESAT satellite direct-to-ship and vessel entertainment service on 28 cruise ships currently sailing in the Americas. Digital Video System’s premier service features top-tier, high-definition television content for the cruise, yacht and cargo industries.

CRUISESAT can provide cruise guests and crew members an expansive lineup that includes the most popular sports, entertainment and news channels aboard ships sailing in the Caribbean, United States and Canada regions. The CRUISESAT service leverages Digital Video System’s media gateways in Florida and New Jersey, which operate more than 25 transmit and receive satellite antennas and fiber links to and from the Americas.

“Our direct-to-ship delivery of CRUISESAT to cruise ships provides an enhanced onboard entertainment experience for both passengers and crew members,” said Chuck Sackermann, chief executive officer of Digital Video Systems. “We are excited and honored to have achieved this level of product acceptance in just 18 months since introducing CRUISESAT to the market.”

CRUISESAT, which launched in June 2017, was developed to deliver high-definition news, entertainment, sports and cultural networks to the maritime market using single-antenna systems for all video content including linear television channels and nonlinear video content, multicultural programming, audio content and branded networks.

CRUISESAT has already broadcast over 300 live special events, totaling 1,000-plus hours of major sporting events.

“We are proud to be the first IP delivery platform using the DVB S2X and HEVC standards for the maritime market,” said Cristian Tache, vice president, product development and engineering for DVS. “Our technology focus provides a unified broadcast approach to lower bandwidth over satellite, provides a roadmap for file delivery over one-way links and expansions in channels and coverage areas.”