ADB Launches Hybrid DTT/IP Set-Top Box for Freeview HD

Geneva-based set-top box/digital TV technology provider, Advanced Digital Broadcast (ADB), said Tuesday that it will soon introduce its i-CAN Easy HD hybrid set-top box in the UK. According to the company, the device--which represents its first UK consumer product and which is designed for use with Freeview HD, the newly launched HDTV service of the UK's free-to-air digital terrestrial platform, Freeview--will be available in stores in time for the soccer World Cup (begins June 11th), and will provide access to over 50 standard- and high-definition channels, together with access to programming catch-up services.

Key features of the new set-top, according to ADB, include:

• "Plug and watch" auto-installation.
• A fast and easy-to-use interface that includes an eight-day EPG and parental controls.
• Support for HD video and Dolby Digital Plus stereo output to TV or home theater systems.
• A compact design.
• Support for Internet-based interactive TV services, as well as for catch-up TV.
• Support for premium channels that might be rolled out on Freeview in the future.
• Embedded over-the-air update capability.

In other set-top box news:

• 3View says that it will begin taking orders for its new hybrid Freeview HD DVR on April 7th. The box, which is priced at £299 and which now has a 500GB hard drive (it was originally expected to have a 320GB drive), combines the ability to receive standard- and high-definition linear-TV programming from Freeview with various Internet/OTT capabilities, including the ability to access over-the-top video services (e.g. the BBC iPlayer and the Sky Player), browse the Web, and use Facebook and Twitter via special preloaded widgets. For an extensive overview of the new box, see the article that was published on itvt.com, December 9th.
• TiVo announced Monday that its new $299 TiVo Premiere and $499 TiVo Premiere XL HD DVR's are now available for purchase at Best Buy retail stores or via tivo.com. Key features of the new boxes include integrated search across broadcast programming and broadband video, the ability to browse content via category or topic via a full-screen menu, a discovery bar that displays content that is similar to content the user has previously viewed or that is popular with other users, and a new interface designed for HD. Because the devices are built on Adobe Flash, TiVo says, they offer "a pathway to other application experiences and development opportunities." "TiVo Premiere is designed to serve as the one box that replaces your cable box as well as being your movie box, Web box, music box and DVR too," TiVo's general manager of product marketing, Jim Denney, said in a prepared statement. "While other hardware and service options may seem less expensive, TiVo combines everything you need into one box and we offer service pricing well below most cable offerings. And this new platform is built on Adobe Flash software, which provides a strong foundation for continued innovation to allow for the future roll-out of new features and functionality."
• Pirelli Broadband Solutions recently launched the P.VU3000I, a hybrid IPTV HD set-top box, powered by the Intel Atom Processor CE4100. According to the company, the new box is designed for "usage scenarios that converge premium digital TV from broadcast and IP channels, with over-the-top (OTT) and personal media sharing use cases." When used with Pirelli's Epicentro software framework, the company says, the P.VU3000I "becomes a platform that allows service providers to extend the level of engagement with end-users by involving contributions from third parties--such as applications and widgets--within the controlled and fully managed architecture provided by the Pirelli remote management backend technology."