Amino has been named as the top vendor of pure IPTV Set-Top Boxes worldwide by ABI Research for the third consecutive year. Amino has recently been ranked as the world leader in a new classification from ABI Research entitled ‘Pure IPTV’. The focus of this segmentation is to classify and separate ‘Pure IPTV’ and ‘Hybrid IPTV’ services. The latter typically involves a traditional broadcast service (terrestrial, satellite or cable), coupled with IP for limited interactivity and for VOD.

Making the transition from Hybrid to Pure IPTV requires that the deployed equipment has sufficient IP capability to handle all service requirements. Some hybrid systems currently available do not have the IPTV technology elements to do this.

“We are very pleased to be recognized as the leading manufacturer of Pure IPTV STBs by ABI Research. For several years ABI Research has led the way in publishing comprehensive research and analysis of the IPTV domain, including detailed segmentation of the market,” said Bob Giddy, CEO at Amino. “We are delighted that ABI Research will now include Hybrid IPTV vs. Pure IPTV as one of the axes of segmentation, differentiating ‘enhanced broadcast’ from the more radical and innovative ‘everything over IP’ approach.”

Cesar Bachelet, Senior Analyst, Multi-Channel Video at ABI Research, commented, “The STB is particularly important when it comes to assembling an end-to-end IPTV solution, since it represents a significant proportion of the per-customer CapEx. If hybrid is seen as an interim technology, then what happens when the delivery mechanism switches entirely to the IP domain? Service providers must ask this question when selecting an STB. It’s for this reason that ABI Research has begun to separate Hybrid IPTV and Pure IPTV STBs in its detailed research, with the latter increasing in importance as the value of IP-centric IPTV solutions continues to grow.”