Service Brings Together Operators and Potential Cord Cutters
Cupertino, California (November 2, 2010) – Entone, Inc., a leading provider of Connected Home solutions, has unveiled today FusionTV™, a managed service that provides telco operators with the ability to offer “over the top” (OTT) content blended with linear HDTV programming. With this offering, subscribers get the best of both worlds – the timeliness and quality of live television and the flexibility of online media.
FusionTV is a Hybrid TV service that combines linear HDTV programming and OTT media into a single, unified user experience. With FusionTV, linear HDTV is delivered by traditional programming sources such as cable TV, IPTV, or OTA broadcasts. Live HDTV programming is complemented with online media services such as video on demand (VOD), music streaming, photo sharing, social media, and other popular web content and services.
“Consumers are clearly looking for alternatives to premium subscription TV services, but few are willing to ‘cut the cord’ altogether,” said Kurt Scherf, Vice President and Principal Analyst at Parks Associates. “At the same time, there are numerous operators who have chosen not to deploy IPTV solutions but want to offer a more strategic video service than just reselling satellite services. Entone’s Hybrid TV model has the potential to align these interests.”
The IPTV Edition of FusionTV is based on Entone’s recently announced WebVOD solution which allows IPTV operators to offer web-based VOD services with a simple software download to Entone’s media hubs. The Broadband TV Edition creates a completely new service model for telco operators that have not deployed IPTV, either entirely or in certain markets. With FusionTV, telcos can now bundle a rich array of video services with their broadband Internet service without the cost of deploying a full-scale IPTV system.
“The operators are clearly under threat from the pure-play OTT services where more and more compelling content is available online and on-demand,” asserts Ameer Karim, vice president of Hybrid TV for Entone. “However, the operators also understand that consumers place great value on live TV, premium content, true HDTV programming, and the ability to record their favorite shows. FusionTV unites these themes into a single user experience, whether delivered as part of a premium IPTV service or bundled with a broadband Internet service.”
With FusionTV, subscribers receive:
- High-speed Internet
- Live HDTV programming
- Full-featured digital video recorder (DVR) & electronic program guide (EPG)
- Web media services (VOD, photo sharing, music streaming, etc.)
- Personal media sharing within a home network
- Place shifting of content throughout the home or on-the-go
“The demand for hybrid solutions among pay-TV operators continues to rise, as consumers become accustomed to greater diversity in content choices and access to online services,” commented Paul Erickson, Senior Analyst at IMS Research. “In the 2010 edition of our report, ‘The World Market for Hybrid Set-top Boxes,’ we expect hybrid pay-TV services to reach more than 380 million households worldwide by 2015.”
FusionTV is currently being deployed and trialed by numerous video service operators and is immediately available in all U.S. markets.
Entone will be demonstrating FusionTV at the TelcoTV show in Las Vegas from November 10 -11 (Entone booth #443). To schedule a private demonstration of the service, please contact Don Martin at don.martin@entone.com
About Entone
Entone is a market leader in Hybrid TV and Connected Home solutions. Initially established in 1999 by the team that deployed the world’s first and largest commercial IPTV service, Entone’s proven technology enables service operators to reliably deliver integrated IP-based video and advanced broadband services using existing in-home wiring.
Entone’s technology seamlessly integrates broadcast television, whole-home digital video recorder (DVR), web media services, personal media sharing, and place-shifting. Entone’s Hybrid TV solution is the next-generation entertainment platform for delivering a rich and unique television service over existing broadband networks. As part of the Entone Hybrid TV solution, Entone’s media hub products deliver next-gen services throughout a networked home without requiring a separate set-top box at each TV set.
Over 100 of the world’s leading service operators are deployed with Entone to support their IP and Hybrid TV video services.
Entone is a privately held company with headquarters in Silicon Valley, California and offices in Europe, Hong Kong and China. The company is backed by leading venture capital firms such as Menlo Ventures, Scale Venture Partners and Coral Group. For more information about Entone, www.entone.com.
About Parks Associates
Parks Associates is a market research and consulting company covering consumer technologies. The latest report ‘Television Services: Global Outlook (2nd Edition)’ analyzes the current and future market for consumer TV services around the world and the emerging services that will define the future of television. It examines service provider activities and trends in developed and emerging regions, competitive positioning,and changing regulations. The report details emerging features such as VOD, TV Everywhere, catch-up TV, 3D TV, and interactive services. It also includes global forecasts for television services through 2014.
