PCCW Launches On-Demand Service Using Entone IPTV Products

Entone Technologies (Booth 526) announces that PCCW, operator of the worlds largest deployment of IPTV services, has selected Entone to support its deployment of on-demand service.

PCCW is recognized globally for its deployment of the worlds largest IPTV service, now Broadband TV, which has attracted more than 441,000 subscribers since its launch approximately two years ago. Broadband TV provides 24-hour,DVD-quality broadcast of 73 TV channels and 15 subscription-based audio channels. The service has been a global innovator in several aspects, including 22 channels of premium and local content exclusively available on the now Broadband TV service. The service also offers a lá carte programming giving consumers a menu of channel options.

PCCW also has on-demand service. This service enables viewers to enjoy TV viewing on their own schedule but without requiring the replacement of existing set-top boxes as required by DVR services.

To support its on-demand deployment, PCCW has selected Entones full suite of IPTV solutions for creating, managing and delivering digital assets, which include the following:

StreamLiner network video recorder (NVR), which is an open, highly scalable software architecture that transforms standard server and storage hardware from HP and IBM Corp. into specialized, high-performance video servers that ingest, store and stream on-demand video programming without the costs, risks and inflexibility typical with competing proprietary solutions.

Encoding Studio content ingest system, which is a solution for managing the process of capturing, encoding, quality assuring and staging digital assets through comprehensive workflow management.

Armada intelligent asset manager, which is a dynamic runtime system for distributing and cost optimizing the placement of digital assets across a network of video servers based on actual subscriber consumption patterns and operator-defined rules.

According to a recent IPTV Market Leader Report from Multimedia Research Group, Entone jumped out as a strong participant in the VoD server market at the end of 2004 with several wins in Europe and North America. Entones most significant win so far has been at PCCW in Hong Kong. Serving PCCWs more than 400,000 subscribers has moved Entone into the leading position in the IPTV VoD market.

The now Broadband TV service is a major growth driver for PCCW, with 92 percent of the companys new broadband data users also opting to subscribe to its television service, says Paul Berriman, head of strategic market development for PCCW. The Entone solution allows us to expand our service offering to include personal TV services such as time-shifted TV and movies on-demand. We are pleased to be working with Entone in supporting our ambitious plans.