IneoQuest has expanded its family of products for monitoring, analyzing, troubleshooting and reporting performance of Microsoft Mediaroom deployments with the addition of IQDialogue Mediaroom Platform Manager. IneoQuest has also added the IQDialogue IPTV probe to its line of products for monitoring, remote testing and analyzing traditional IPTV infrastructure. As the most comprehensive suite of solutions, IneoQuest’s product line assists providers with the ability to offer superior, cutting-edge features and services while helping to improve their quality of service and quality of experience for subscribers.

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IneoQuest Expands Exclusive Line of Microsoft Mediaroom Quality Assurance Solutions

SureWest has selected Comtrend’s NexusLink as the ADSL2+ solution of choice for a new video services rollout over its copper-based network. SureWest’s new IP video service is being marketed as Advanced Digital TV powered by Microsoft Mediaroom, and is available over both its existing fiber-to-the-home and copper networks.

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SureWest Selects Comtrend Gateway for IPTV Rollout

Humax and ANT have
partnered to deliver the first Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV set-top boxes to market.
Humax, one of the world’s largest set-top box manufacturers, selected the ANT Galio
HbbTV Platform for its new iCord HD+ set-top box, which began shipping to German retail
outlets in December 2009 to become the first HbbTV set-top box to be deployed. The
iCord HD+ allows consumers to access hybrid services including ARD Mediathek, Tagesschau,
ARTE, internet radio, Maxdome and Wikipedia via the set-top box.

The HbbTV initiative was announced in August 2009 as a new pan-European activity to
combine the richness of broadcast and broadband content through connected TVs and
set-top boxes. Led by a cross industry consortium including software providers, hardware
manufacturers, broadcasters and satellite operators its aim is to enhance TV offerings
with interactive hybrid services such as Video on demand, catch up TV, interactive
advertising, personalisation, games and social networking. The availability of Humax’s
iCord HD+ set-top box marks a significant step forward for the initiative.

ANT developed the ANT Galio HbbTV Platform, a complete go-to-market solution to provide
full support for Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV services.

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Humax Partners with ANT to Deploy HbbTV STB

3view makes
available to the UK market the world’s first Internet connected HD set-top box with
free-to-air capabilities. This means retail partners now have access to the first
commercially available set-top box which combines the ability to receive high definition
free-to air programming with a raft of Internet capabilities. This turns people’s
television into a connected device, allowing them to use a range of new TV over IP
services. In addition, people will also be able to browse the web and keep up with
Facebook and Twitter friends, all at the same time as watching both Standard and High
Definition free-to-air television channels in the UK.

The 3View box provides users with access to HD television channels through a purpose
built Interactive Programme Guide. Its also acts as a home hub and PVR, with 320 GB
of storage allowing for hundreds of hours of TV to be recorded and watched back when
desired. With 3view pausing or rewinding live TV is made easy, as well as featuring
a dual tuner which will record one TV programme whilst another is being watched. In
addition 3view’s purpose-built search technology not only lets users search past and
up and coming programme schedules, but also Youtube, pictures, movies and music on
an associated home networked.

In addition to letting users view a range of web-based IPTV services, custom-built
applications allow access to Internet services such as web-browsing, full-screen Youtube
videos, live Facebook and Twitter updates and email. An optional plug-and-play keyboard
and mouse also brings the experience closer to that of using a computer. Internet
connectivity ensures any new widgets can be updated when they become available.

The company is making the device available to a variety of retail distribution channels,
with the aim of having the first 3view box in high-street stores in March.

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3view Announces UK Launch of Internet-Connected HD Free-to-air STB

Dell’Oro Group reports that the worldwide
Set-top Box market fell 10 percent sequentially during the third quarter of this
year to $2.6 billion. During the third quarter, vendors like Motorola and Cisco, who
both have a high degree of exposure to the North American market, saw large contractions
in IP STB unit shipments due to the decline in net subscriber additions. In China,
Huawei continued its strong growth putting more pressure on ZTE and UTStarcom. ZTE
however, retained its grip on being the third largest vendor in the worldwide IP STB
market.

Credit:
Weak Economy Helps Lift Lower-End STB Market in Q3 of 2009