CordCutter TV Stick to Bring OTA To Smart Devices

[theone]

Jan 5, 2016, 1:45 PM EST by Phil Kurz




Over-the-top and over-the-air always seemed like they should have a marriage made in TV heaven –especially for consumers eager to cut the cord and stream OTT entertainment.

However, there’s been one small problem: getting live, local TV on smart mobile devices, especially in a format that’s mobile-device-friendly.

ViXS Systems, a Toronto-based company specializing in development of media processors, seems to have overcome that sticking point.

The company will go to CES this week with its CordCutter TV stick, a consumer product that makes it possible for smart mobile device users to enjoy over-the-air TV on their devices, the company says.

The stick, which is due out this quarter, offers “a precedent setting, low cost, low power, small form factor” solution for watching live OTA TV, a company press release says.

The company’s Code 5505 chipset, which is available today, powers the CordCutter TV stick.

ViXS currently is uncertain whether it will make the stick available to consumers itself, or offer it as a reference design for other companies to build and distribute, says John Pomeroy, ViXS VP, marketing and business development.

ViXS focuses its business on silicon design, so the company doesn’t have a cdistributon channel for consumer products and would prefer to work with partners, he adds. However, if ViXS goes it alone it will use an online retailer, such as Amazon, to sell to the public.

CordCutter TV, which will be a little bigger than a USB memory stick, will connect to a home wireless router for distribution of TV content to smart devices. It can use OTA antennas ranging from rabbit ears to outdoor models, he says.

The CordCutter TV stick will receive off-air ATSC 1.0 signals, as well as DVB for consumers where that standard is used, and provides for Ethernet and Wi-Fi streaming of content. It supports both iOS and Android devices.

One important feature of CordCutter TV is its ability to transcode an incoming ATSC signal’s MPEG-2 HD program content into high-def H.264 video encoded as HTTP Live Streaming HLS for display on Apple iPads, says Pomeroy. An Android-friendly transcode will be available as well.

Both ViXS products will be on display at CES booth MP26055 in the South Lower Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

[SMok3dOUT]

Sounds interesting, wondering the range of connectivity and No mention of windows phones?