Alticast’s HDMI Media Express Recognized as 2014 Leading Lights Finalist

Light Reading Recognizes Alticast’s Innovative “Set-top Box on a Stick” Technology

 Alticast, a global partner for the delivery of media entertainment, was selected as a finalist in Light Reading’s Leading Lights 2014 Awards. The company’s HDMI Media Express “set-top box on a stick,” which Alticast recently unveiled at CES 2014, was recognized in the “Best New Product – Cable” category. At a time when the TV industry is increasingly emphasizing “TV Everywhere” services, Alticast’s HDMI Media Express solution represents a new paradigm for multiscreen IP video delivery, either directly from the Cloud or as a client to a home-based gateway.

Alticast’s HDMI Media Express leverages both the Reference Design Kit (RDK), the popular pre-integrated software bundle endorsed by leading cable operators, and Alticast’s HTML5 application framework.  The size and shape of a USB thumb drive, it works in conjunction with a home gateway or the Cloud to enable operators to securely deliver live and on-demand programing to any TV or other HDMI-capable consumer device in the home or on the go. Additionally, its HTML5 Application Framework operates side-by-side with Android, allowing operators to deliver a multi-functional entertainment solution. Advancing to the final round of the prestigious Leading Lights awards program is a recognition of Alticast’s efforts to untether the TV viewing experience and that the industry is choosing technologies that support the shift to “TV Everywhere” experiences.

“Having our HDMI Media Express reach the finals of such an esteemed awards program respected by the global telecom industry shows that the industry is really investing in technologies of all types to expand the TV experience,” said John Carlucci, CTO, Alticast US. “There isn’t going to be one single product or approach to enable a truly ‘TV Everywhere’ experience, but for HDMI Media Express to be considered as a best new product in the cable industry is an obvious nod to the potential of our RDK-based HDMI software solution.”

Light Reading, a highly respected news website that covers the global telecommunications industries, isn’t the only organization to recognize Alticast’s efforts to reinvent multiscreen IP video delivery. Alticast’s HDMI Media Express has also received tremendous interest from several of the top consumer electronics OEMs as well as major cable operators in the U.S. and abroad.

The winners of Light Reading’s Leading Lights Awards will be announced at the Leading Lights awards dinner, which will be held during the first evening of Light Reading’s Big Telecom Event on Tuesday, June 17, at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago.

Postcard from the Road... NCTA

If you missed us at NCTA, here are a couple of pictures from the show.

John demonstrated the HDMI Media Express at Imagine Park:

And for those of you that missed it, Alticast was a sponsor of the Whiskey  A Go-Go party in Hollywood.

It was a very busy, very fun couple of days!

Alticast's HDMI Media Express is a Leading Lights Finalist

We got some exciting news here recently.  Alticast's HDMI Media Express is a finalist in the Best New Product (Cable) category for the Leading Lights Awards!

Awards will be handed out on June 17th so we will be crossing our fingers until then.

Alticast Expands EMEA Business Team

Industry Veteran Joins Alticast Lead EMEA Business Development Activities

AMSTERDAM – May 5, 2014 – Alticast, a global partner for the delivery of media entertainment, announced today that Mr. Tiaan Schutte has joined the company as President, for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). An industry veteran with more than two decades of experience, Schutte is the latest addition to Alticast’s Amsterdam-based EMEA operations. Schutte’s most recent position prior to Alticast was with Three Media Associates.

Schutte is well versed in numerous technologies including interactive video, IPTV, mobileTV, cable, DTT, VoIP, satellite and OTT services. He has served in executive level positions at such industry heavy weights as Technicolor, Lucent, Irdeto and nCube. 

“Tiaan brings a wealth of experience to our efforts in the EMEA market. We are delighted to have him join Alticast to guide our EMEA business activities,” said Alticast CMO Thomas Jung. “Tiaan is well known and respected by operators and OEMs; we believe his experience and leadership will ensure that Alticast continues to grow our presence in the EMEA markets and anticipate and meet the needs of our customers.”

Widespread Wi-Fi Combined with HDMI Sticks Create the Perfect Recipe to Untether the TV Experience

Watching TV on the go is about to get easier than ever with MSOs looking to dramatically increase the number of Wi-Fi hotspots deployed across the United States. The CableWiFi Alliance, which is made up of leading MSOs, including Comcast, Cablevision, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications and Bright House Networks, recently announced that it now offers access to more than 250,000 Wi-Fi hotspots at no additional charge to qualified customers. Comcast also just unveiled its plan to target 8 million Wi-Fi hotspots by the end of 2014 on top of the 1 million already active Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspots.

The increasing ubiquity of Wi-Fi is a smart move by operators as they expand their TV Everywhere services – and is an ideal complement to our HDMI Media Express “set-top box on a stick” solution.

The size and shape of a typical USB thumb drive, our HDMI Media Express sticks enable subscribers to untether the viewing experience from the living room TV and enjoy it on any HDMI-enabled device, either via a home gateway or by accessing cloud-based content.  This means that you can take your cable content with you on a business trip to watch on your hotel screen.

Clearly, subscribers want to watch TV anywhere – in both the home and on the go – and it behooves MSOs to utilize multiple methods to ensure that their TV Everywhere services are as everywhere as possible.   HDMI sticks and ubiquitous Wi-Fi are definitely two major enablers of TV that can be enjoyed anywhere, anytime and on any devices. More details about the CableWiFi Alliance’s recent announcement and Comcast’s Wi-Fi hotspots news are available at CED Magazine.