Entone’s new FusionTV is a managed service that the company says provides telco operators with the ability to offer over the top (OTT) content blended with linear HDTV programming.
FusionTV is a Hybrid TV service that combines linear HDTV programming and OTT media into a single, unified user experience. With FusionTV, linear HDTV is delivered by traditional programming sources such as cable TV, IPTV, or OTA broadcasts. Live HDTV programming is complemented with online media services such as VoD, music streaming, photo sharing, social media, and other popular web content and services.
“Consumers are clearly looking for alternatives to premium subscription TV services, but few are willing to ‘cut the cord’ altogether,” said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst at Parks Associates. “At the same time, there are numerous operators who have chosen not to deploy IPTV solutions but want to offer a more strategic video service than just reselling satellite services. Entone’s Hybrid TV model has the potential to align these interests.”
The IPTV Edition of FusionTV is based on Entone’s recently announced WebVoD solution which allows IPTV operators to offer web-based VoD services with a simple software download to Entone’s media hubs. The Broadband TV Edition creates a completely new service model for telco operators that have not deployed IPTV, either entirely or in certain markets. With FusionTV, telcos can now bundle a rich array of video services with their broadband internet service without the cost of deploying a full-scale IPTV system.
“The demand for hybrid solutions among pay-TV operators continues to rise, as consumers become accustomed to greater diversity in content choices and access to online services,” commented Paul Erickson, senior analyst at IMS Research. “In the 2010 edition of our report, ‘The World Market for Hybrid Set-top Boxes,’ we expect hybrid pay-TV services to reach more than 380 million households worldwide by 2015.”
FusionTV is currently being deployed and trialed by numerous video service operators and is immediately available in all US markets.
