Indian cable multi-system operator (MSO) InCablenet has deployed Entropic's CX2448x set-top box (STB) system-on-a-chip (SoC) technology.
The STB SoC will enable InCablenet to deploy advanced digital broadcast and broadband services to the 8.5 million cable-connected TV homes it serves across India. The CX2448x claims to offer high levels of performance in a format that saves space, reduces the external component count, cuts design time, and lowers overall cost.
India's digital switchover is due to be completed by December 2014, and each TV set in the home must have a digital STB. InCablenet is using Entropic's CX2448x as an affordable STB SoC solution to meet these digitisation mandates. By deploying Entropic-based Novabase STBs, InCablenet gains access to features such as DVR capability that will give it a competitive edge throughout the digitisation transition.
Ravi Mansukhani, managing director of IMCL, which owns InCablenet, said: "India's cable TV market is poised for a broad network upgrade to provide compelling, interactive and affordable digital services to more than 130 million subscribers. This opportunity has led us to strategic partners like Entropic, who have a reputable local presence with Standard-Definition SoCs, can minimise new product time-to-market with pre-established Conditional Access relationships, and can help us increase revenue by enabling value-added digitization services."
Michael Pauli, managing director of Novabase Digital TV, added: "Given the 'analog sunset' timeframe and the number of potential set-top boxes to be deployed, we worked closely with Entropic to customise a silicon solution for InCablenet's client devices. Our set-top boxes leverage Entropic's advanced silicon and software, which allowed us to focus on delivering a product-to-market quickly while ensuring flexibility, functionality, and cost optimisation all remained high priorities."
Mark Samuel, senior vice president and general manager, Set-top Box Group, Entropic, said: "With India's cable TV market undergoing a massive digital transformation, we are working with InCablenet to seamlessly migrate their subscribers from analogue to digital cable. We understand the market in India, and coupled with our field-proven, cost-optimised set-top box system-on-a-chip solution we are confident we can rapidly assist InCablenet in its wide-scale network upgrade to satisfy the growing needs of its subscriber base."
