Sagemcom and SoftAtHome announce that they have collaborated to develop the first hybrid MPEG4 HD universal Set Top Box that combines IPTV, Satellite and Terrestrial delivery and content sharing through DLNA with a removable hard disk drive. The solution is being deployed by Orange, one of the world's leading telecommunications operators, to deliver premium services to its subscribers in France.

Sagemcom has developed its fifth generation of MPEG4 HD STB platform, using the high performance ST7105 chipset from STMicroelectronics. This next generation platform is a hybrid solution, offering IP, satellite and terrestrial TV receptions, and runs over Linux Operating System. The SoftAtHome Operating Platform STB Edition provides 3rd party developers and Services Providers with extensive functionality and APIs to develop convergent applications and deploy them across different devices including Home Gateways and STBs. The two companies have worked together to optimize the SoftAtHome Operating Platform to leverage the flexibility and high performance of the Sagemcom STB.

The combined solution provides operators with a very flexible yet feature rich solution to deliver on the promises of the Digital Home. Thanks to a hybrid design, operators can deploy the same solution throughout their whole subscribers' base to receive live TV service through the most appropriate technology: IP, Satellite or Terrestrial. The removable hard disk adds even more flexibility by enabling operators to address all their needs ranging from low cost receivers to high-end digital media recorders for users who want to build complete digital video libraries. Operators and 3rd party developers can also easily develop and add new and innovative applications by leveraging all the different services through standard languages such as Flash and HTML. And finally, full support for DLNA enables subscribers to access content stored on their PC or any other DLNA enabled device in their home.