i3 delivers IP set-top boxes for the interactive digital TV solution offered by Siemens to Belgacom in Belgium
BelgacomTV, the IP TV service of Belgacom, Belgium’s largest carrier, was commercially launched on 28 June 2005. Since then, i3 micro technology is delivering IP set-top boxes to Belgacom. The IP TV solution, delivered by Siemens, is one of the first major commercial deployments of IP TV in Europe.
The Belgacom digital television solution, which has been developed by Siemens and Belgacom, features IP set-top boxes (STB) from i3 micro technology and middleware from Siemens, as well as best-of-breed components from TandbergTV, C-COR and Verimatrix. i3 is delivering Mood 300 IP Set-top Boxes (STB) for volume deployments.
“We are enthused at the opportunity to supply Belgacom with IP set-top boxes for their roll-out of IP TV services,” says Jan Werne, CEO at i3 micro technology. “Our Mood 300, that now supports both PVR and decoding for MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 AVC, meets what the market is asking for. We expect significant volume sales of set tops deploying this technology.”
Mood 300 enables various types of interactive and personal viewing services, such as an electronic program guide (EPG), pause and trick-play of live content, plus instant record and replay, as well as a variety of new services such as video-on-demand, local information, e-shopping, e-mailing, games and surfing the web via the TV.
“Video will be an expected ingredient for many of the services we will consume in the home and it will affect much more than what we today consider as a TV service. The IP TV viewing and communication experience is about to radically change and new technologies like MPEG-4 AVC and PVR are prerequisites for making this happen,” says Chris Chalkitis, CTO at i3 micro technology. “Our Mood 300 helps service providers make this happen and cost effectively handles an upgrade from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 without needing to reinvest in new set-top boxes.”
The Mood™ product portfolio consists of IP set-top boxes (STB) for advanced IP streaming media and Internet services, web browsing and e-mail. Mood STB allow service providers to offer a wide range of interactive IP services on existing TV and audio equipment.
The following link is to Belgacom’s press release announcing the commercial launch of the company’s IP TV service http://www.streampower.be/belgacomtv/en/.