During the Independent Show, which is being hosted by the National Cable Telecommunications Cooperative (NCTC) in Orlando July 20-25, Entone will be touting an integrated product suite that one small operator said has put his company on equal footing with the big guys when it comes to advanced TV services.
Entone provides a Hybrid TV solution that is enabling cable operators to deliver a combination of traditional cable TV with over-the-top (OTT) services.
West Alabama TV Cable is among the most recent operators to adopt the approach, using a combination of products from Entone (Hybrid TV and WebVOD) and partners Confluent Technology Group and Minerva Networks.
West Alabama TV Cable is now offering its approximately 6,000 subscribers in Fayette whole-home DVR; an HD channel lineup; an extensive library of cloud-based video-on-demand content from Vudu; Internet radio from Pandora; social media via Facebook and Twitter; and other media services such as Flickr, Picasa and YouTube.
“We have moved into a realm of service expansion and feature-rich flexibility that previously was only available to the largest cable companies,” said Kyle South, general manager at West Alabama TV Cable. “Thanks to the collaborative efforts from Confluent, Entone and Minerva, we are able to leverage our existing broadband infrastructure to enhance the appeal of our service portfolio with a richer and more compelling TV service, while also deepening our relationship with our customers.”
Entone’s suite of Hybrid TV software and devices enables video over IP streaming and interactive applications that integrate a variety of broadcast technologies (QAM, ATSC, DVB-C, DVB-T, DVB-S). The solution supports networking options, including HomePNA, HomePlug, MoCA and carrier-grade Wi-Fi. With CableCard support, Entone’s Hybrid TV solution ensures compatibility with legacy conditional access systems and provides support for analog, digital and hybrid cable systems.
“We are working closely with a number of our cable customers that want to move beyond the limitations of legacy set-top systems to introduce advanced services without incurring the infrastructure costs normally associated with these capabilities,” said Mark Anderson, founder and CEO of Confluent. “Our integrated Hybrid TV solution is truly ideal for operators looking to maximize the capabilities of their existing RF cable system and broadband networks, providing digital video and advanced services without the upfront capital expenditures associated with plant upgrades.”
