ITV

Tag: Christine Heckart

  • Microsoft, Cisco, Motorola announce next generation STB

    Microsoft, Cisco, Motorola announce next generation STB

    MUMBAI: Software major Microsoft and set-top box manufacturers Cisco Systems, Motorola, Philips and Tatung have announced that advanced system-on-a-chip (SoC) set-tops are available.

    This product will the companies state enhance the Internet Protocol television (IPTV) user experience and is now available to support Microsoft IPTV Edition software platform deployments with leading telecommunications carriers worldwide.

    An integral part of the IPTV ecosystem, SoC set-tops will enable service providers to begin delivering high-definition TV (HDTV), digital video recording (DVR) and picture-in-picture functionalities as well as other advanced features in the future, enhancing consumers’ television-viewing experience.

    This new generation of SoC-based, HD-capable, IPTV-ready receivers makes it easier for service providers to deploy IPTV Edition more broadly, quickly and cost-efficiently while supporting exciting new TV services. The availability of these devices illustrates the continued innovation of Microsoft and its IPTV Edition ecosystem partners in the telecommunications and digital television industries.

    Microsoft TV division GM marketing Christine Heckart says, “The advent of system-on-a-chip set-tops is a key milestone for the IPTV industry. As our service provider customers are beginning worldwide deployments of IPTV Edition, and set-top partners are unveiling these advanced devices, consumers will be able to experience television in a new, exciting way. This milestone is a testament to the remarkable progress our IPTV ecosystem has made in just a few years, and it will pave the way for service providers to deliver richer TV services at a lower cost.”

    Cisco says that its proven history of IP innovation gives it IP expertise and successful IPTV deployments, which it is able to share with its service provider partners. Cisco IP set-top models, which will be deployed by customers including AT&T, support experience-enhancing features such as high-definition TV, DVR, integrated home networking over coax and user-friendly displays. Models are available with appropriate connectors and features for markets around the globe. Cisco offers models that include silicon from both Sigma Designs Inc. and STMicroelectronics.

    Motorola says that its heritage of invention for the connected home has resulted in over 48 million video entertainment devices being shipped to service providers worldwide. The company’s VIP series of SoC-based set-tops are engineered to meet the needs of service providers deploying the Microsoft IPTV Edition system. These solutions seamlessly bring the advanced IP services into any room in the house, including on-demand services, DVR and support for HDTV codecs, as well as forthcoming IPTV Edition features such as multiroom streaming and home media networking. Motorola VIP series set-tops are currently shipping in volume to leading providers worldwide, and the company has announced that AT&T will be the first service provider to commercially deploy these products.

    Philips has introduced a hybrid IPTV-DTT set-top box supporting Microsoft IPTV Edition with HDTV and DVR functionality based on the Sigma Designs 8634 chipset. This product will be launched by British Telecom later this year. Tatung meanwhile will introduce its STB2000 series SoC-enabled set-top boxes based on the Sigma Designs 8634 chipset later this year.

    The new STB2300 model is an entry-level IP set-top box that not only supports two high-definition decoding engines for MPEG2, H.264 and VC-1, providing decoding flexibility, but also supports advanced features including HDTV, video on demand (VOD) and high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI).

  • Alcatel, IBM and Microsoft Collaborate to deliver Integrated Server Solutions for IPTV

    Alcatel, IBM and Microsoft Collaborate to deliver Integrated Server Solutions for IPTV

    MUMBAI: Alcatel and Microsoft Corp. announced they will harness IBM’s server systems technology to deliver solutions for carrier-class triple play/Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) deployments. This announcement, combined with the existing OEM agreement between IBM and Alcatel, solidifies IBM as a key member of the joint Alcatel-Microsoft IPTV ecosystem.

    As a result, IBM, Alcatel and Microsoft will work together to deliver these advanced systems to carriers deploying triple play service offerings.

    The optimization of IBM’s server and storage solutions will include the ability to provide superior support for the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition software platform within Alcatel’s overall Triple Play Service Delivery Architecture (TPSDA). The companies will also cooperate on global go-to- market efforts that will include joint selling and marketing activities, states an official release.

    The combination of Alcatel’s network access experience, IBM’s proven server solutions and Microsoft’s software expertise and comprehensive IPTV Edition software platform is expected to speed time to market for IPTV services while improving system performance and architecture scalability for telecommunications service providers. In addition, with the pre-investment in performance testing and integration, the cooperation also has the potential to improve performance and lower CAPEX for service providers, the release adds.

    “As the key services integrator and partner to many of the world’s largest service providers seeking to deliver triple play offerings, our customers rely on us for guidance across all areas of their projects,” says president for Alcatel’s fixed solutions activities Monika Maurer. “By working with established leaders like IBM and Microsoft we maintain tremendous confidence in the capabilities of the ecosystem, while providing our customers with the flexibility and reliability necessary for their next-generation network deployments.”

    “IBM is pleased to be a key server platform and storage provider in delivering integrated IPTV solutions to Alcatel and Microsoft customers,” says IBM’s Systems and Technology GroupVP Jim Pertzborn. “Leveraging the breadth of IBM’s System x ™ and BladeCenter ™ technologies will enable Alcatel and Microsoft to deliver reliable, scalable and cost-effective IPTV solutions to their customers.”

    “Our joint collaboration with Alcatel and IBM is a significant validation of the growing IPTV industry,” adds Microsoft TV Division GM Marketing Christine Heckart. “By working with these industry-leading companies we can continue to strengthen the Microsoft IPTV Edition platform while enabling service providers to cost-effectively deliver exciting new TV experiences for consumers.”