Las Vegas —International CES— EchoStar formally launched SAGE here this week, showing off a platform that is anchored by a TV-connected set-top-like device, called the SAGE Hub, apps for Android and iOS devices, and a mix of wirelessly-connected components elements that will let consumers monitor and use their lighting, cameras, locks, cameras and thermostats remotely.
One way EchoStar will try to differentiate is through the SAGE Hub, a Linux-powered device that lets users manage the system via the TV while still watching their shows through a scaled down video window. The device accomplishes this by securely passing through the pay-TV signal through an HDMI cable that links the SAGE Hub to the set-top box. Comcast recently integrated its Xfinity Home product with the TV, though that application is currently limited to customers who are on the MSO’s X1 platform.
Among other features, the SAGE mobile app will support a feature called “My Local 911” that's designed to ensure that security alerts are patched through to law enforcement authorities that are tied to the customer’s home address rather than basing it on the physical location of the user’s mobile device.
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