Miniweb, Metrological and Intel Collaborate to Provide a Next Generation Converged TV & Internet Video Experience

03 August 09

Miniweb, Metrological and Intel Collaborate to Provide a Next Generation Converged TV & Internet Video Experience

Integration enables OTT and Broadcast video on Intel® Media Processor CE 3100 Powered Consumer Devices to provide a high-quality TV consumer experience

London, UK, Aug 3, 2009 – Miniweb, the Interactive Service Provider that is enabling internet video, interactivity and targeted, web-style advertising on TV, and Metrological Media Innovations, a leading provider of middleware and reference designs based on the Intel® Media Processor CE 3100 and part of the Intel Consumer Electronics Network, today announced that the companies have collaborated to provide CE 3100 powered devices with converged internet and broadcast video services for a high-quality TV experience. The collaboration integrates the Metrological Metroconnect OS and the Miniweb services platform and will be available to a range of Intel-based CE devices, including Satellite, Cable and Terrestrial hybrid set-top boxes and integrated Digital TV sets.

The CE 3100 is the first in a new Intel family of purpose-built System on Chips (SoCs) for Consumer Electronics devices based on the company's popular Intel® architecture. The CE 3100 has been developed for Internet-connected consumer electronics (CE) products such as optical media players, connected CE devices, advanced cable set top boxes and digital TVs.

“We believe that extending Intel architecture into consumer devices is one of the best routes to providing consumers with the high quality entertainment experiences that they crave,” says Eric Kim, Senior Vice President, Intel, Digital Home Group. “The main aim of  Intel® CE Media Processors is to provide the industry with the best silicon platform for innovation and to advance bringing rich Internet content to the TV. This solution is designed to fully support the TV industry’s development roadmap for years to come. We look forward to working with Metrological and Miniweb to provide consumers and operators with what they need and the business models to support a next generation TV experience.”

The combination of the Miniweb platform, Metrological’s middleware and hardware platform with the Intel CE 3100 provides, for the first time, an end-to-end platform for the delivery of a fully converged high-quality broadband and broadcast experience. This platform will be as equally attractive to Internet Service Providers looking to converge broadcast content with their existing broadband offering as it will be with cable, satellite and DTV operators that want to combine broadband enabled OTT video with their existing broadcast services. This platform includes support for web-style interaction; centralized video search & recommendations, community functionality as well as advertising and payments services. The platform is now integrated and ready to order now on a 2 month delivery.

“Our partnership with Metrological is an important element in the next generation TV experience,” says Ian Valentine, Founder & Chief Architect, Miniweb Interactive. “The Miniweb Internet Gateway and Services Platform will combine with Metrological’s solutions and the Intel CE 3100 to enable the closest convergence ever of broadband and broadcast content. Broadband delivered content has never before been fully integrated with mainstream TV viewing; with this development viewers can use Minweb’s industry leading search and recommendations capabilities to find video from a variety of different sources based on the media or channel being watched. I’m very excited about the prospects of Miniweb and Metrological working together to converge broadcast video services with the widest range of internet video content and a slick modern user interface, thanks to the power and flexibility of the Intel chip set.”

“Both Miniweb and Metrological have the ambition of changing the face of television; by collaborating we can work together to fulfill this ambition,” says Albert Dahan, Founder and CEO of Metrological. “The combination of our Mediaconnect TV STB reference design and Metroconnect OS middleware which is able to play all forms of Internet Video, with the Miniweb Platform, which enables the discovery of any Internet Video from any Internet Source is incredibly powerful. By providing all the services necessary for broadcasters and content owners to interact with and reach the consumer, this combined solution really does offer the best of Internet video and traditional TV in one exciting high-quality service.”

About Miniweb Interactive

Miniweb is an Interactive Service Provider operating a services platform and internet gateway that enables internet video on broadband connected TV devices. Our open, standards-based platform addresses business and consumer needs for converged broadcast and broadband entertainment delivering internet video, recommendations, search, and personalised web-style interactivity for TV viewers. The platform enables network, media and TV device companies to benefit from the global growth in broadband enabled TV services allowing monetisation of viewer interaction with linear and internet delivered media. This provides consumers with a wide choice of broadband video content to complement their broadcast viewing and allows video content owners and aggregators to gain new distribution channels and revenue streams. Miniweb’s contribution to broadcast and broadband convergence has been recognised through recent award wins including: Best Interactive Service / Application at the IPTV World Series Awards 2009, Pick Hit Award for Innovation at IBC 2008, and Red Herring Europe 100 Winner 2008. For more information please visit: www.miniweb.tv