Orb Networks™ Integrates Software with Futarque™, Leading Low-Cost Set-Top Box Manufacturer, to Serve World DVB Marketplace
EMERYVILLE - March 15, 2007 - Orb Networks announced today the company has integrated its software with the Futarque DVB platform. Futarque is a leading set top box design company. Together, the companies bring to the world's Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) market a new, low-cost "hybrid" solution - a single set-top box for service and PayTV operators that serves up both broadcast programming and all of the personal digital media on the consumer's home PC directly onto the living room TV screen. Orb's MyCasting software acts as the technology bridge between the PC and the set-top box to bring personal digital media to the TV without additional cost or devices to install.
The integration, using the Futarque DVB set top box technology, is a low cost platform based on leading silicon chipsets that has been productized by a number of manufacturers across Europe, making it faster, easier and cheaper for service and PayTV operators to bring this "hybrid" solution using one device powered by Orb, to its customers, today. Moreover, conditional access solutions have already been ported to the platform - making it a platform well suited for Free to Air DVB-T or PayTV service offerings.
"Our integration walks away from traditional thinking that the PC and the set-box can't work in harmony. By marrying the set-top and the PC, we bring to the service operator and the broadcaster a "lean-forward / lean-backwards" offering, which engages the consumer in the programming and personalization choices making the service more sticky," said Herve Utheza, Vice President and General Manager of TV Properties for Orb Networks. "When you consider more than 120 million DVB receivers are in use globally today, it's important to create an integrated service where operators can provide, and consumers can enjoy, the benefits of a hybrid solution using the devices already deployed."
The integration of the Orb's free MyCasting service to Futarque's set-top box technology gives customers the ability to enjoy all of the personal digital content on their home PC or anything on the Web directly on their TV screen. This includes home and online video, as well as their entire library of music and photos. The platform also allows users to create personal "shows" of their favorite videos, music and photos for their friends and family to enjoy on their own TV screens, thousands of miles away.
"Giving DVB customers the control to program their media choices - be it broadcast, their own personal media content, or premium and on-demand, online content - delivered over IP and using the power of the open Internet - finally delivers on the true promise of IPTV," said Utheza.
The integration also mark's Orb first integration as part of the AMD's® Active TV initiative introduced at CeBIT this week, to bring together a variety of technology partners in order to extend the PC to the TV while delivering the best digital experience.
About Futarque
Futarque is a technology company that provides software and hardware solutions for the reception and presentation of broadcast media following the DVB standard. Founded in 2001, the company has an extensive portfolio of customers and partners including some of the world's largest suppliers of semi-conductors. Futarque, a privately-held company, is located in Aalborg, Denmark. For more information, please visit www.futarque.com
About Orb Networks, Inc.
Orb Networks is an award-winning developer of software and services that unlock the digital media stored on personal computers. Orb MyCasting gives consumers secure, free, instant and everywhere-access to everything from their photos and video to TV and music on virtually any Web-enabled device. The company's partners and affiliates include: AOL Winamp, AMD, Creative Labs, Hauppauge, Hutchison, Nokia, Orange and Vodafone. Orb Networks is a privately held company in Emeryville, Calif. For more information about Orb Networks and the Orb MyCasting service, please visit www.orb.com .
Orb and MyCast are trademarks of Orb Networks, Inc. All other trademarks and/or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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