The IBC catchphrase in 2012 seems to be ‘over-the-top (OTT) television.’ A majority of the broadcast developers on the exhibit hall floor have plans to include a multi-screen, IP-centric offering in their portfolio. Mobile and digital TV solutions provider Access Co. will display its NetFront Living Connect solution that was recently selected to provide media sharing capabilities for Abox42’s OTT and IPTV set-top box (STB) line. Access is marketing the NetFront Living Connect offering as a DLNA Technology solution for multi-screen media sharing on consumer electronics and home networks.

   Access Vice President of Global Sales Neale Foster said the integration of NetFront Living Connect into Abox’s 42 B12 platform enables broadcast and OTT operators to provide consumers with advanced media sharing features that turn existing TVs into smart TVs.

   “This Abox42-powered solution is a great way for operators to evolve to a Smart TV, OTT and media sharing experience without the consumer needing to buy the latest generation of connected TV and better yet, operators don’t have to upgrade or replace any existing set-top boxes,” said Foster. “The STB product line also includes an Android application for smartphones and tablets that enables control of the set-top box and simplifies sharing content around the home.”

   System-on-Chip (SoC) solutions designer for home entertainment connectivity and control Sigma Designs announced that European STB manufacturer Televes selected a turn-key solution based on its SMP8670 SoC design for its free-to-air hybrid STB. Sigma will debut the device at the 2012 IBC show as the first Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV) deployment based on the Sigma SoC.

   Sigma Spokesman Waheed Rasheed said the solution is aimed at the HbbTV and hybrid DVB-T/IP markets that are looking to unite broadcast and broadband delivery of entertainment to the end-user through connected TVs and STBs. 

   “The HttvBOX solution offers best in class performance for interactive broadcast standards such as HbbTV,” said Rasheed. “The partnership between Sigma Designs and Httv has resulted in a highly interactive and cost-effective hybrid solution to the fast growing European free-to-air market. Televes is the first STB manufacturer to use the combination of our SoC and the HbbTV turnkey solution. The initial deployment is targeted to the growing hybrid market in Europe. With Httv’s expansion plans for Russia and Asia, we are well positioned to take full advantage of new market opportunities.”

   Broadcast and IP television head-end developer Appear TV will use its exposure at IBC to demonstrate its new multi-screen and OTT solutions based on its modular head-end architecture, including Appear TV’s unique range of encoding and transcoding solutions.

   Appear TV CEO Carl Walter-Holst said his customers were demanding multi-screen capability as a must-have element. “Customers that have launched with first generation solutions also tell us they have not always met operational efficiency and quality of service expectations,” said Walter-Holst. “We’re meeting these issues head on by the IBC launch of our hardware-based multiscreen offering that can co-exist with existing head-end solutions or be deployed with everything required from content acquisition through to content delivery in a broadcast quality head-end chassis.”

   When discussing Appear TV’s hardware-based approach to encoding and transcoding, Walter-Holst added that his company believes that hardware encoding is the right approach. “Hardware encoding delivers the operational efficiency required by operators and quality-of-service expected by consumers,” he said. “The performance advantages of dedicated video processing silicon over CPU processors will make a very significant improvement in video quality in a real time multiscreen environment going forward.”