Danish cable operator YouSee has ordered hybrid set-top boxes from French firm Netgem in order to deliver video-on-demand services to customers outside its cable footprint, using over-the-top (OTT) broadband delivery.
YouSee will deploy Netgem’s latest N7700 hybrid set-top box and middleware to facilitate access to the VOD-only service on users’ televisions, using adaptive bitrate to ensure optimum picture quality.
The set-top boxes being supplied support Ethernet, dual-band Wi-Fi and HDMI connectivity, as well as Universal Plug and Play (UPnP), while the middleware being supplied would be capable of supporting linear TV services in the future if needed, along with external PVR functions, home network media sharing and Web browsing.
By ordering these set-top boxes to deliver video services outside its cable footprint, YouSee appears to be taking seriously the revelation by US subscription video service Netflix earlier this month that it plans to launch in the Nordic countries (including Denmark) by the end of 2012.
YouSee is the largest TV provider in Denmark and provides TV signals for approximately 46% of all Danish households. YouSee offers cable TV, IPTV, broadband services and telephony.
