We are driving the shift from broadcast to IP video delivery says Patrick Henry, president & CEO, Entropic Communications
over-the-top (OTT) video services, increase average revenue per user (ARPU) by extending their services to more IP-based clients, and provide far better search and discovery experiences to their subscribers.
Patrick Henry: ‘a watershed event’
The connected home market is undergoing a shift, whereby payTV service providers are migrating from traditional broadcast to IP-based systems. This transition is being driven by a movement to more cost effective gateway/client home architectures.
A market that is growing from $2.3bn in 2011 to $3.5bn by 2015, the connected home
industry has opened up a number of opportunities within the technology space that serves this market. For starters, many payTV service providers are transitioning from QAM- to IP- based systems with increased in-home connectivity. With this move to IP-based video systems, payTV operators can bring new video services to market quickly, expand their opportunity to offer
Recognising early this transition, and payTV service providers’ interest to bridge content to the consumer, Entropic acquired the set-top box (STB) system-on-a-chip (SoC) business from Trident Microsystems in April 2012. This transaction was a watershed event in the company’s history, evolving into a broader platform company with world-class SoC products and technology optimised for the delivery of traditional pay-TV broadcast with support for streaming IPTV video services. The STB SoC products,
paired with Entropic’s innovative MoCA (Multimedia over Coax) solutions, meet service provider needs as they transition their video delivery network from broadcast to streaming, and
adopt cloud-based user interface technologies. Additionally, Entropic’s direct satellite broadcast (DBS) outdoor unit (ODU) product line complements the MoCA-based home networking solutions by simplifying satellite operator installations and enabling a home network capable of MoCA transport. This product combination allows satellite operators to take advantage of the broadcast to IP video transition trend – rolling out products to leverage the same new applications and services as cable, telco and free-to-air operators.
Primarily focused on the IP Client market, Entropic is assisting payTV operators in enhancing consumers’ TV engagement experiences by giving them new capabilities to enjoy TV programming, search and discover content, connect to cloud and web-based information, and manage their account. In May, Entropic
Opinion
announced its SoC silicon and software would be integrated with the Comcast Reference Design Kit (RDK) to provide device manufacturers an opportunity to more quickly develop and bring- to-market IP-Client devices. Driving the next wave of consumer TV interactivity, Entropic’s IP-STB silicon and software solutions provide an ideal platform for manufacturers wanting to develop IP-Client devices that connect to Comcast’s whole- home video gateway and advanced DVR platform, over the in-home network.
As a leading silicon vendor for ODU, Home Network Connectivity and STB SoCs, Entropic is preparing solutions that allow developers and OEMs to rapidly bring-to-market new topologies, including IP-Client boxes capable of seamlessly connecting to a cloud-based DVR server or an advanced gateway in the home. For more information on Entropic’s leading STB SoC and Connectivity Solutions, visit the Company at our IBC Meeting Suite. 5.C21