This week, several outlets, including CED, highlighted the recent announcement that WOW! will offer its Ultra TV customers that subscribe to Netflix access to the streaming content through a Netflix app integrated into leased ARRIS set-tops.
Separately, Digital TV Europe reported that ARRIS has partnered with African TV service provider ZAP to offer network DVR (nDVR) and video on demand (VOD) services using the APEX3000 chassis-based edge QAM platform.
In other industry news, Rapid TV News ran a story about newly published research from Parks Associates, which found that Europe has surpassed the US in the number of households with a PC connected to the TV, and FierceOnlineVideo reports that cord cutters may be more likely to return to pay-TV if they have a bad streaming experience with OTT services.
Finally, a story from Broadband Technology Report notes that global shipments of Ultra HD-capable set-top boxes are projected to reach 48 million by 2020, while the market for HEVC set-top boxes will hit 88 million units, according to a study by ABI Research.
Check back next week for the latest industry news.
WOW! tunes in Netflix on ARRIS boxes (Nov. 12) By Mike Robuck, CED: WOW! will be offering its Ultra TV customers that subscribe to Netflix access to the streaming content through a Netflix app that works on ARRIS boxes in their homes. Developed for WOW! by ARRIS, the Ultra TV set-top box integrates a Netflix app into the leased boxes.
ZAP partners with ARRIS for African nDVR and VoD (Nov. 12) By Staff Writer, Digital TV Europe: Sub-Sahara Lusophone African TV service provider ZAP has partnered with ARRIS to offer network DVR (nDVR) and video on demand (VOD) services. Satellite TV provider ZAP is to use ARRIS’s APEX3000 chassis-based edge QAM platform to merge network traffic and increase channel capacity, with system integrator Satcab deploying the solution.
European connected TV market surpasses US (Nov. 12) By Joseph O’Halloran, Rapid TV News: Europe is a hot spot for connected TV driven by rapidly expanding broadband and over-the-top (OTT) services according to research from Parks Associates.
Bad OTT experience could chase cord cutters back to pay TV (Nov. 12) By Samantha Bookman, FierceOnlineVideo: While a new generation of cord nevers may be willing to put up with occasional poor streaming quality of online video, cord cutters--that coveted group of past pay-TV subscribers who have ditched linear video service for Internet viewing--might return to the pay-TV fold if their streaming experience is bad.
UltraHD, HEVC Set-Tops Set to Boom (Nov. 11) By Staff Writer, Broadband Technology Report: According to ABI Research, worldwide shipments of 4K/UltraHD-capable set-top boxes will reach 48 million by 2020, while HEVC set-top shipments will reach 88 million units. The research house expects about 60,000 set-top high-end gateway set-tops with UltraHD and HEVC capabilities to be deployed in 2014.
