BT selects DS2 chips to drive Self Install BT Vision IPTV service

LONDON, UK — DS2, the leading supplier for Universal Powerline Association (UPA) technology, announced today that its powerline chips have been selected for BT Vision to enable the self-installation option of its digital TV services.

BT selected UPA powerline products because of their capacity to provide high quality service and full self-installation for BT Vision customers.

The DS2 solution includes a unique reference design for the development of powerline products that incorporates a female socket that saves the customer’s power outlet for use with other devices. It provides a simple one-touch set-up for HDTV-speed home networks in seconds as well as an environmentally friendly standby mode for energy saving when not in use.

Richard Griffiths, Director of Technology, Strategy & Development for BT Retail and BT Vision, commented: “BT chose DS2 because it delivers a simple to install and very reliable networking technology. We anticipate a big demand for the service and we’re delighted to be working with DS2.”

UPA technology processes at a maximum gross speed of 200Mbps. BT rigorously tested all networking technologies and found that the capacity of DS2 chips delivers excellent IPTV viewing capabilities. The technology supports the development of products that are fully plug-and-play enabled so there is typically no need to have a technician call to install the service or lay cables, or to use a computer to configure the devices.

Jorge Blasco, President and CEO of DS2 stated: “Using DS2 chips and Reference Designs allows service providers such as BT to offer a simple “power and go” IPTV service. As a chip supplier we are always looking to the future and continuously developing to ensure a first-rate consumer experience. We are now reaching the levels of integration and low silicon costs to support the next step in the development of multimedia applications over Powerline, which will be to embed the technology, as a first step, inside the set-top box. We are excited to be working with BT to deliver innovative new solutions that will take digital TV to the next level.”

The Universal Powerline Association (UPA) is an international body that has created specifications and compliance testing worldwide. The UPA Plugtested seal is a guarantee of compliance and interoperability between products. UPA offers the largest choice of interoperable high speed powerline products available on the market.