Amino, leading IPTV platform supplier, has announced the AmiNET125i to enter the blossoming Internet TV market. Details of this device, which promises to set a new benchmark for flexibility when viewing digital content at home, will be presented at a product launch event during IBC at 3:30pm on the 8th of September, at the Amino stand.

Based on the AmiNET125 series, the AmiNET125i is a flexible device which allows consumers to browse and access video content from the Internet on their television, hence making Internet TV more attractive to a wider consumer audience.

Internet TV is being heralded by many analysts as the next potentially 'disruptive technology' that, in time, will overshadow conventional telco, cable or satellite TV. "Fuelled by the rise of both premium content and user-generated video sites such as iTunes™, Google™ Video and YouTube™, the ad-supported and pay market for Internet TV is expected to reach a combined $16.2 billion by 2010," said Michael Wolf, Principal Analyst for Digital Media at ABI Research. "As interest from consumers to watch Internet TV grows, they will increasingly look to view this content where they're most comfortable, the living room. Devices such as the AmiNET125i will help consumers to bridge the chasm between the PC and the TV."

This opinion is also supported by the unparalleled success of websites such as MySpace™ and the role they are beginning to play in the careers of mainstream artists both in the music and film industries. Content ranges from the very niche, such as extreme sports programming, to the mainstream, such as past editions of the BBC's Panorama programme, which can be streamed from the BBC website to a PC using Windows Media ® Player or Real Player™ multimedia software.

"Internet TV is an exciting new market offering many niche programmers an opportunity to make it into the living room," explained Bob Giddy, CEO of Amino Technologies. "We see great potential in this technology, which has already captured the imagination of millions of consumers worldwide who will now be able to comfortably watch video content on their TV in their living rooms and elsewhere."

The AmiNET125i is a multi-codec unit, designed to deliver Windows Media 9 and MPEG-4 video streams to a TV. The product features a low-cost digital signal processor (DSP) supporting a range of decoders which are widespread in the world of Internet-based content. There is also a powerful host processor to ensure the user experience is on a par with that of a PC-based web portal. In anticipation of DRM issues, the AmiNET125i supports Microsoft ® Windows Media Digital Rights Management 10 (WM DRM10), which prevents the interception and piracy of digital content. The unit will also integrate an embedded HTML 4 browser providing JavaScript. This allows content to be resized to fit the larger TV screen, regardless of its dimensions, ensuring the best possible user experience.

Amino is partnering with Narrowstep, a provider of IP-delivered video content, to bring true Internet TV to the living room. "The combination of Narrowstep and Amino technologies provides a low cost end-to-end solution that can be rapidly deployed," comments Iolo Jones, founder and Chief Strategic Officer of Narrowstep. "As well as appealing to ISPs and network providers, it will enable broadcasters and content owners to launch their own services, cutting out the need to work through traditional distributors. For the first time individual channels will be able to launch a 'TV station in a box' solution."

Giddy concluded, "Amino has been an active driver of the IPTV industry and we expect to use this engineering expertise to facilitate the rise of the Internet TV market. There is no doubt that the concept of internet TV is attractive but as much of the content is currently from smaller niche providers, they do not have the hardware background to make the transition from PC-based Internet to living room mainstream entertainment. Amino adds that missing link and is positioned to shape this new industry alongside the established IPTV services for which we have built a global reputation."