Hardware (DVD, TV, PMP, Set-top Box, …) News

Thailand adds 2.8 million households to DTV voucher scheme
Oct 15, 2014 – Thailand's National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission has approved a plan to add 2.8 million households to those eligible for its digital TV vouchers.
News categories: National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, Takorn Tantasith, Digital TV, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Terrestrial, Thailand

Sling Media and ViXS team on Network Transcoder for MSOs and MVPDs
Oct 15, 2014 – Sling Media (NASDAQ: SATS) and ViXS Systems (TSX: VXS) have announced their collaboration on Sling Media's new network transcoder, a plug-and-play, stand-alone Slingbox targeted at MSOs and MVPDs.
News categories: ViXS Systems, Sling Media, Sally Daub, Michael Hawkey, Cable TV, Digital TV, IPTV, Mobile, Placeshifting, Satellite, Semiconductor, USA

CPE revenue to expand by $1.8 billion this year
Oct 15, 2014 – The global market for broadband consumer premises equipment (CPE) will end 2014 with the highest growth in revenues since 2010, increasing by 20 percent from 2013 to reach nearly $11 billion, according IHS Technology (NYSE: IHS).
News categories: IHS Technology, John Kendall, Broadband, CPE, DOCSIS, Fibre, Market Research, Worldwide

Walmart makes customers' DVDs available on VUDU
Oct 14, 2014 – VUDU and Walmart have launched InstaWatch. Instawatch gives customers a digital copy on VUDU of every eligible DVD or Blu-ray that a customer buys at Walmart, either in store or online.
News categories: VUDU, Walmart, Apps, Blu-ray, Digital TV, Mobile, Streaming, USA

Entone, Etex and i-Velozity offer turnkey Hybrid CATV solution
Oct 14, 2014 – Entone has announced that it has partnered with Etex and i-Velozity to offer a Hybrid CATV solution. The solution includes Entone’s hybrid QAM/IP devices, Etex’s hosted middleware and CAS/DRM service, and a VOD library from i-Velozity.
News categories: Entone, Etex, Bill Hughes, Larry Montgomery, Jeff Young, i-Velozity, Cable TV, Content Protection, Digital TV, Middleware, Set Top Box, USA, Worldwide

Set-top box market hits $4.8 billion in 2Q14
Oct 14, 2014 – According to Infonetics Research, while quarterly set-top box unit shipments are up, on a year-over-year basis shipments are down. And though nearly all STB product categories saw volume increases in 2Q14, satellite shipments continue a downward trend.
News categories: Infonetics, Jeff Heynen, Cable TV, Digital TV, IPTV, Market Research, Satellite, Set Top Box, Streaming, Terrestrial, Worldwide

33 Billion Internet Devices by 2020
Oct 14, 2014 – Nearly 12 billion internet-connected devices will be in use worldwide by the end of 2014, according to Strategy Analytics. That is equivalent to 1.7 devices for every person on the planet, a ratio which will rise to 4.3 by 2020.
News categories: Strategy Analytics, David Mercer, Digital TV, Market Research, Mobile, Smart TV, Worldwide

Cyfrowy Polsat launches updated satellite set-top box
Oct 13, 2014 – Cyfrowy Polsat has announced the availability of its new HD 5500 satellite set-top box. The new model is manufactured in Polsat's own factory which has already produced more than 6 million set-top boxes.
News categories: Cyfrowy Polsat, Digital TV, Poland, Satellite, Set Top Box, Streaming

Nagra enables hybrid OTT and DTT service for Vodafone Spain
Oct 13, 2014 – NAGRA (SIX: KUD.S) has announced that its QuickStart Hybrid solution is enabling a combined over-the-top (OTT) and digital terrestrial television (DTT) offering for Vodafone España.
News categories: NAGRA, Vodafone, SmarDTV, Thierry Legrand, Isaac Mendoza, Content Protection, Digital TV, IPTV, Middleware, Set Top Box, Spain, Streaming, Terrestrial