EchoStar Europe is aiming at over-the-top video services with the HDX-200, an IP set-top box based on Google's Android operating system.
The HDX-200 supports Adobe Flash Player 10.1 and a WebKit-based browser. That's similar to Google's own Google TV platform, which features its Chrome browser, that the Internet company has licensed to consumer-electronics makers. According to the EchoStar Europe, operators will be able to tap into the global pool of Android application developers.
EchoStar Europe announced the product Friday at IBC in Amsterdam. In addition to over-the-top applications, the HDX-200 is positioned as a multiroom IP client device for pay-TV operators.
"The objective was to develop a flexible, cost effective and universal IP product that can suit a number of applications in the field," EchoStar Europe general manager Rhod Williams said in a statement.
The set-top supports multiple codecs, including MPEG-2, MPEG-4/H.264 AVC, WM-9/VC-1, VP6, AAC and MP3. The HDX-200 offers HDMI, Ethernet 10/100, S/PDIF and USB 2.0 interfaces, with options for powerline and 802.11n wireless networking.
EchoStar Europe, a business unit of EchoStar Technologies, has its headquarters in West Yorkshire, England.
