EchoStar Europe Enters IPTV Market With New Hybrid HD Platform

Wednesday, March 25th, 2009
EchoStar Europe logo

  • EchoStar Europe Will Launch a New IPTV DVR at IPTV World Forum 09, London (Stand #350) — the Product Is Set to Be a Star Attraction at the Show and Marks the Company’s First Entry Into the IPTV Market
  • Visitors Can Also See a LIVE Demonstration of the Company’s Market Proven, Integrated SlingLoaded™ Home Networking and Place-Shifting Technology

STEETON, UK — EchoStar Europe (NASDAQ: SATS), a leading innovator and supplier of beyond the box, added-value applications and connected device solutions to the digital television industry, today announced that it will launch its first dedicated product for IPTV operators at IPTV World Forum, London. The new HDX-600 series digital video recorder (DVR) combines state-of-the-art cosmetics with high definition (HD) reception, advanced video coding (AVC) and hybrid functionality, providing IPTV operators with an added-value product solution. Using its award-winning 900 series platform and in partnership with SlingMedia, EchoStar Europe will also illustrate the benefits of integrating SlingLoaded™ technology, which allows consumers to Sling content to connected devices in numerous secondary locations both inside and outside the home.

As European IPTV operators continue to roll-out hybrid IPTV platforms, EchoStar Europe will showcase its feature-rich, high definition HDX-600 series product. Available with either an integrated hard disk drive or as a stand alone set-top box (HDX-400) with an upgrade path to DVR via plug-in hard disk drive, the unit offers a great deal of flexibility to IPTV operators wishing to offer personalised digital television services. The product supports AVC to reduce bandwidth requirements for video-based services and is compatible with the industry’s leading digital rights management (DRM), conditional access and middleware solutions. With the addition of a touch-sensitive front panel and stunning new cosmetics, these solutions provide IPTV operators a unique consumer proposition.

“IPTV is still a major growth sector in digital entertainment and as such presents us with great opportunities to bring our added-value solutions and technologies to market”, commented Rick Smith, Vice President Sales and Marketing at EchoStar Europe. “With new technologies such as SlingLoaded™ and EchoStar Europe’s unique content navigation systems, you begin to see how IPTV operators can add real value at the product level and seriously differentiate themselves. With our technology assets and in-depth market experience, we are strongly positioned to assist European IPTV operators in bringing new services to market and to grow their subscriber bases”.

At IPTV World Forum, EchoStar Europe will showcase its integrated SlingLoaded™ technology. Specifically developed to bring the benefits of market-tested, place-shifting and home-networking functionality to the STB market, the company will demonstrate integrated Slingbox™ functionality on its award-winning SlingLoaded™ 900 series hybrid DVR. These solutions provide a market-proven home networking technology that will not only enhance subscribers’ digital experience by placeshifting their home television content to their PC, Mac or mobile phone, but they will also provide operators with the ability to reduce churn. The technology picked up “Best of CES” at the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show and has been nominated in two categories at the IPTV World Series Awards to be held in London, 25 March 2009. The 900 series is also packed with innovation including a revolutionary point-and-click-based graphical user interface (GUI) and touch-pad remote control that enhances usability and puts the consumer within easy reach of converged content and services delivered via broadcast, IP/video-on-demand or over-the-top.

EchoStar Europe’s Ian Walker, Director of Sales and Marketing, EMEA PayTV, will be speaking at the show on the panel session entitled ‘Troubleshooter Clinic: Success factors for Hybrid DTT & DTH / IPTV Services.’

“I’m often asked ‘what is the magic ingredient to success in IPTV?'”, commented Ian Walker. “However, it’s not that simple. IPTV has launched around the world under differing market conditions with varied degrees of success. What I hope to point out on the panel is how embracing the right mix of complementary services — video on demand, high definition, hybrid services and over-the-top content — coupled with the right technology choices, can combine to provide operators with a real advantage over other sectors through a viable platform for subscriber growth”. See Ian’s panel on Wednesday 25 March 2009 at 15.05.

Visit EchoStar Europe at IPTV World Forum stand #350 and or contact Mark Goodburn at mark.goodburn@echostar.com to book your personal product demonstration.