Verimatrix announced a technology alliance with Motorola and the integration of the Verimatrix Video Content Authority System (VCAS) with its leading series of IP set-top boxes (STBs). Motorola's advanced VIP1900 series is the first line of their IP STBs to fully support the VCAS solution. The VIP1900 series is fully functional with High Definition (HD) and Standard Definition in MPEG-2 and H.264 (MPEG-4), and Digital Video Recorder (DVR) support including time shift. Verimatrix is demonstrating VCAS integrated with HD STBs and DVRs at TelcoTV 2006 Booth #927.

Amino has announced a multi-year set top box agreement to support SES AMERICOM's IP-PRIME service. As part of the agreement, Amino will provide its AmiNET130 set top box, a fully flexible standard and high definition, MPEG-2/4 AVC/H.264 capable device, to enable SES AMERICOM's end-to-end delivery of its IP-PRIME IPTV service to consumer homes throughout the U.S.

Rural telephone companies in three cities are already in advanced trials of IP-PRIME, which enables telcos and broadband service providers to greatly cut deployment costs and accelerate time to market.

Stratacache has integrated its OmniCast content distribution software on the Amino family of set-top boxes (STBs), enabling the use of Amino devices as distribution points for corporate video in branch locations. With OmniCast integrated on Amino STBs, enterprises, banks, and retailers can enable live or on-demand corporate video access from branch locations. The solution powers applications such as distributed e-learning, corporate communication, and associate training.

You may be using an Amino IPTV set-top box during your next hotel stay or cruise thanks to an agreement between Amino and On Command Video Corporation. On Command has commercially deployed the Amino AmiNET series to provide the in-room interactive entertainment and guest service systems to hospitality customers around the world. The AmiNET range of set-top boxes ensures pre-tested interoperability with major system components, facilitating rapid deployment essential for the hospitality industry. In these deployments On Command has used Amino products to create a solution that enables them to optimise their existing deployments whilst still utilising the hotels' coaxial cabling.

Motorola has been selected by two leading telecommunications providers to supply its Linux-based VIP range of IP set-tops for IPTV services. Deutsche Telekom subsidiary T-Com Croatia and Lithuania-based TEO LT have chosen Motorola to help them enter the era of digital TV and offer subscribers both IP-based and terrestrial broadcasts. The move highlights the rapid growth and broad customer demand for IPTV services across the EMEA region in which Motorola is well placed to offer a flexible, 'reduced risk' service to providers in a nascent market.

Microsoft and leading set-top box manufacturers Cisco Systems Inc., Motorola Inc., Philips and Tatung Co. announced at Broadband World Forum Europe that advanced system-on-a-chip (SoC) set-tops, which will greatly enhance the Internet Protocol television (IPTV) user experience, are now available to support Microsoft IPTV Edition software platform deployments with leading telecommunications carriers worldwide. An integral part of the IPTV ecosystem, SoC set-tops will enable service providers to begin delivering high-definition TV (HDTV), digital video recording (DVR) and picture-in-picture functionalities as well as other advanced features in the future, enhancing consumers' television-viewing experience.

The most advanced IPTV developments to date from Pace Micro Technology plc were on show this year at IBC2006.

The best of both worlds - going hybrid

For satellite operators looking to compete more effectively in the changing TV landscape, Pace demonstrated its satellite-IP hybrid set-top box.

IPTV for advanced digital services

Pace also showed, for the first time, its next-generation TIP850 reference platform. Using the latest silicon, this draws together today's most advanced digital TV services into just one device.

Amino, leading IPTV platform supplier, announces the first ever demonstration in Asia of the AmiNET125 at IPTV World Forum Asia 2006. Roy Kirsopp, VP and General Manager of Amino will also be talking about IPTV technology during his 'Creating the connected home' presentation at 2pm on 28th September.

OpenTV Corp., a leading provider of enabling technologies for advanced digital television services, and Innovative Systems, a leading supplier of advanced telephony technology and services, announced a strategic partnership to provide integrated, turn-key IPTV solutions for telcos. This solution will enable telcos to include advanced digital video, interactive television, and advanced telephony services as part of their offering.

Espial IPTV unveiled the latest version of the Evo service platform during IBC 2006 in Amsterdam this week. With new features and applications, Evo offers IPTV operators the fastest UI performance in the industry combined with an incomparably cool subscriber experience that is fully skinnable and brandable. In addition, Evo continues to be the IPTV industry benchmark for openness and flexibility, adding support for a range of new standards and customization tools such as HTML 4, JavaScript 1.5, AJAX, and Flash 7.

Oregan Networks, a provider of embedded software for Internet media services and communications, has developed UI mechanisms that empower CPE equipment providers and service operators to deliver a true high definition experience on a variety of set top box platforms. With Oregan TV Browser 3.0, high definition IPTV and Video on Demand portals can be created using AJAX technologies, utilising the latest web server-to-client communication methods.

Minerva Networks, a leader of next generation open-platform, carrier-class IPTV solutions, and Advanced Digital Broadcast (ADB), a supplier of digital TV Set-Top Boxes, announced that the two companies have integrated Minerva's iTVManager middleware on to ADB's latest generation of advanced, IPTV set-top boxes. The two companies will collectively market solutions to telecommunications operators worldwide.

Entriq, Inc., a company that provides pay media solutions to manage, protect, and monetize multimedia content worldwide, announced the availability of its new IPTV service. The company has also announced that the new solution has been selected by SevenSenses, ProSiebenSat.1-Group's Digital TV Company and its strategic partner 1&1 Internet, to enable their recently in Germany launched Video on Demand service maxdome.

IntAct, an Amino Technologies plc company, announced that its internet protocol television (IPTV) software stack and MPEG-4 AVC codecs are now being demonstrated on Texas Instruments Incorporated's (TI) DaVinci technology. IBC visitors can see demonstrations of the most popular IPTV solution in the market running MPEG-4 AVC on TI's flagship technology for digital video.

China-based Konka Group Ltd. has developed a new Internet Protocol (IP) set-top-box (STB) solution based on DaVinci technology from Texas Instruments Incorporated. The Konka IPB5310, ideal for home video and audio entertainment, delivers a low cost solution that is easy to implement, boosting the adoption of IPTV services in China and worldwide.