Zodiac Interactive and ActiveVideo have partnered on a joint solution to enable pay TV operators of all sizes to provide cloud-delivered user experiences and new premium services on any installed set-top box.
The integrated solution combines the cloud virtualization capabilities of the ActiveVideo CloudTV platform with Zodiac's PowerUp Stack software and PowerUp AMS cloud platform to provide advanced UX and online video services delivered directly to the set-top box. Initial deployment by Cable Bahamas, which delivers video services to approximately 250,000 set-top boxes, is expected in Q2 2018.
The solution builds upon prior customer-specific ActiveVideo-Zodiac collaborations. The two companies, which will continue to maintain their existing customer relationships and independent sales channels, will demonstrate the joint solution at IBC2017 in Amsterdam.
"Working together, Zodiac and ActiveVideo have enhanced the ability of video service providers universally to deliver next generation capabilities and monetize premium service offerings on any device," said Zodiac CEO Brandon Brown. "Using the integrated solution, small or large pay TV operators around the world can deliver the industry's most advanced services to every subscriber in a matter of months."
"Combining CloudTV and PowerUp allows the cloud and the set-top box to work in tandem," said ActiveVideo President and CEO Jeff Miller. "The joint solution intelligently shares the workload between the cloud and the box to enable any pay TV operator to deliver state-of-the-art performance on every TV, using the same familiar installed STBs."
As deployed by Cable Bahamas, the solution is designed to provide a Personal Video Mosaic guide that displays live content from multiple channels. Full rollout is expected in the second quarter of 2018, and will offer a unified experience across all devices, a Web-like cloud-based guide and the ability to record and view content from anywhere.
"The ActiveVideo and Zodiac integrated solution was the best option available to us to meet all of our goals," said Cable Bahamas Vice President of Marketing and Media David Burrows. "We were looking for a way to unify and enhance our customers' experience regardless of where they watch content. Now that all of our technology will be leveraging both the cloud and device, our customers will have a unified user experience across our entire set-top base."