Entone (News - Alert), Inc., a provider of IPTV home connectivity solutions, has been selected by HickoryTech for IPTV (News - Alert) rollout in Minnesota.

 

As per the agreement, Entone will deploy its award-winning Hydra IP video gateway.

 

"We are delighted that Hydra was chosen by HickoryTech for their high-definition IPTV rollout," Steve McKay, CEO of Entone, commented. "Our Hydra HD is the only solution of its kind on the market and offers profound cost savings over other set-top box offerings, especially for HD services and multi-television homes. We are extremely pleased to add HickoryTech to the roster of progressive operators using Hydra, many of which have commercially launched HD services in the first half of 2007."

 

Entone offers service providers the ability to reliably deliver integrated video and broadband services with the help of existing in-home networks.

 

Headquartered in Mankato, Minn, HickoryTech delivers integrated communication products and services to business and residential customers via a regional fiber network. The company’s telecom sector delivers local voice, long distance, high-speed Internet, digital TV and IP networking services to residential and business customers through its facilities in Minnesota and Iowa. In addition to this, the company’s Enventis sector offers IP-based voice, data and network solutions to businesses across five states.

 

 "Entone's Hydra HD IP video gateway enables us to offer HD and advanced services to our subscribers while minimizing our operating expense and reducing our capital investment," Damon Dutz, president of HickoryTech's consumer and network solutions division, was quoted as saying in the report. "Hydra's reliability and cost savings allow us to deliver enhanced video services."

 

Hydra IP video gateway is a part of Entone's Connected Home Solution. The solution eliminates the need to use multiple set-top boxes or new home wiring for IPTV services. Hydra is a patent-pending technology that has the capability of offering multiple video streams over a single DSL or Ethernet connection with the help of existing in-home coax cabling. As a result, users experience significant cost savings vis-à-vis single decoder IPTV set-top box solutions.

 

Entone's Hydra HD IP video gateway delivers high-definition video services by employing MPEG-4 (H.264/AVC) compression technologies. Hydra HD is available with various advance service options, which include the HomePNA (News - Alert) 3.0, modular Digital Video Recorder (DVR) with up to 1 Terabyte of storage, integrated Caller ID, as well as an ATSC tuner that enables the reception of over-the-air broadcast television.