Softier Inc., a leading provider of IP set-top-boxes, announced the availability of Wave-300, an H.264 IP set-top-box which allows telecom operators to expand revenue streams by offering IPTV and other advanced IP services to their customers.

Softier's Wave-300 IP set-top-box combines the flexibility of DSP-based design and the cost effectiveness of single-chip implementation, creating a highly flexible media delivery platform that supports the spectrum of next generation video formats including H.264, MPEG-4, and Windows Media Video 9 (VC-1) as well as MPEG-2 for backward compatibility. The Wave-300 is powered by Texas Instruments' DSP-based DM64x generation of digital media processors, and runs on a Linux operating system.

Chinese wireline operator Shanghai Telecom Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Media Group (SMG) will be collaborating with Siemens Communications in connection with the commercial introduction of its Home Entertainment solution, the two companies announced today at a press conference in Shanghai (China). The solution has been in successful test operation since mid August. By the end of February 2006, 5,000 households in the Shanghai borough of Pudong will be able to enjoy digital television over the Internet (IPTV). Siemens Home and Office Communication Devices will deliver the Gigaset M358 IP set top box, that has been adapted for the Chinese market.

Conexant Systems, Inc. announced that Coship Electronics Co., LTD, China's largest manufacturer of set-top boxes (STBs), has based their new Anysight220c IP receiver on the company's MPEG-4/H.264 high-definition digital broadcast television solution. Coship's IP STB allows consumers to receive standard and high-definition television programming over broadband access networks. Coship's IP STB is slated for deployment by service providers in Asia beginning in January of next year.

Amino announced that its market-leading consumer premises technology for internet protocol TV (IPTV) services, has been selected by Galaxy Satellite Broadcasting Ltd for its Hong Kong IPTV deployment. The company ordered a significant volume of AmiNET110 set-top boxes and launched the SUPERSUN service to deliver up to 40 channels of broadcast programming and movies to subscribers in Hong Kong.

Amino announced it has been selected by Novis, a major Portuguese Telco, for a residential service to be branded as 'Clix Smartv'. A commercial test launch with AmiNET110 set-top boxes is scheduled for December 2005 in Lisbon and Porto, with full commercial deployment planned for 2006 in all major cities. The service will include an electronic programme guide (EPG), Video on Demand (VOD), and a personalised choice of channels.

Siemens Communications Inc. today announced the integration of Entone Technology's Hydra IP Video Gateway set-top box as part of the Siemens SURPASS Home Entertainment portfolio of Internet protocol television (IPTV) solutions. With Entone's set-top box, service providers can use existing coaxial wiring for video distribution within homes.

Amino Technologies plc, the Cambridge based broadband network software and systems company, announces that it has signed a major licence agreement with AS Intercom Ltd, a company incorporated in Cyprus but with principal operations within the Russian Federation.

The licence agreement allows Intercom to manufacture and supply AmiNET MPEG2 and MPEG4 IPTV set top boxes within the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan and the Ukraine. A measure of the potential size of this market is the number of telephone subscribers which exceeds 30 million.

Celrun Co, Ltd. has announced its four year contract with MagiNet, a Singapore based hotel VoD service provider. MagiNet will launch its first-to-market MPEG-4 AVC HD VoD service in Q1-2006, using the IP set-top box supplied by Celrun.

Through the first trial and second deployment, Celrun delivered Mpeg-2, Mpeg-4 part 2 set top box to a core group of renowned hotel groups in the Asian region through MagiNet this year.

Sagem Communication and STMicroelectronics announced the immediate availability of the world's first MPEG4 set-top boxes (STBs) based on a single-chip decoder. The new advanced range of STBs from Sagem employs ST's next-generation MPEG4 decoder chip for high-definition TV (HDTV), the STB7100.

Cisco Systems, Inc., and Scientific-Atlanta, Inc., today announced a definitive agreement for Cisco to acquire Scientific-Atlanta. Scientific-Atlanta is a leading global provider of set-top boxes, end-to-end video distribution networks and video system integration. The combined entity creates a world class, end-to-end triple play solution for carrier networks and the digital home. In addition, upon closure, the market opportunities represented by this acquisition will become part of Cisco's Advanced Technology portfolio.

Advanced Digital Broadcast, a leading supplier of digital TV systems and software solutions for interactive television, announced today that it has received a substantial order from FASTWEB for the supply of its 3800TW New Generation set-top box (STB). This unit is ADB's latest single chip IPTV platform based on the STi7100 chipset from STMicroelectronics.

Conexant Systems, Inc. has teamed with Espial and Tematic to deliver a complete platform for telecommunications operators looking to quickly deploy low-cost, high-performance set-top boxes (STBs) for IPTV networks. "IPTV" refers to the delivery of services such as multimedia and digital video over a broadband IP network. The optimized hardware and software platform enables operators to offer a powerful and customizable client IP STB that supports revenue-generating services such as video-on-demand (VoD) straight out of the box. The platform is based on Conexant's advanced video coding MPEG-4/H.264 coprocessor and standard definition host decoder, Espial Evo IPTV middleware and applications, and Tematic's IPTV software.

Amino announced that it has enabled leading independent telecommunications holding company SureWest Communications as it prepares to become the first US broadband service provider to offer high-definition (HD) television services over IP. Through its current beta testing phase, SureWest has already rolled out Amino's AmiNET120 HD set-top box to a core group of subscribers in the Sacramento, California region. With the first high-definition IPTV roll-out of its kind in the USA, SureWest customers will be able to enjoy the same live sports, Hollywood films, and other high-definition content with the added benefits of IPTV.

BT set out its vision for nationwide next generation TV as it announced that Europe's largest electronics company Philips has been selected to supply the set top box to deliver a range of unique services. Every set top box will include a personal video recorder (PVR) capable of storing up to 80 hours of programming and capable of delivering High Definition content. The BT-Philips partnership builds on the recently announced alliance with Microsoft, which will provide Microsoft TV IPTV Edition as the software platform for BT's TV over broadband service.

WealthTV, the premier lifestyle and entertainment network in high definition, announced that it has signed an affiliation agreement with Eagle Broadband to bring the network's lifestyle and entertainment channel to IPTV viewers across America via IPTVComplete, the multi-channel, turnkey video solution for service providers offered jointly by Eagle Broadband and France Telecom subsidiary GlobeCast. Eagle Broadband will offer WealthTV in both digital and high definition formats.