After building its own set-tops in-house for the early deployment of its hybrid streaming/ATSC 3.0 pay TV service, Evoca TV is now working with CommScope to build a device that blends the Android TV UX with ATSC 3.0 and ATSC 1.0 tuners.
Dubbed the Pilot, CommScope's new VIP7802-ATSC is purpose built for Evoca TV's nascent 80-linear-channel service, which combines low-bandwidth internet and ATSC 3.0 broadcast distribution. The service, which distributes the bulk of its programming data via NextGen TV signals, is designed for rural areas that might not have the bandwidth for 4K streaming.
“Evoca TV’s Pilot provides a cost-effective way to roll out our unique Next Gen TV service to subscribers as we launch in multiple television markets,” Evoca TV President and CEO Todd Achilles said, in a statement. " This is also a significant advancement for the industry, and we intend to make a similar product available to other broadcasters.”
Also read: From Evoca to STIRR to VUit, How Broadcasters Are Tapping into ATSC 3.0
After rolling out in beta in its home market of Boise, Idaho last year, and expanding to neighboring city Twin Falls, Idaho, Evoca TV is getting ready to expand its service to Phoenix, Arizona in September.
According to an Evoca rep, the company began a "big media push" in Boise earlier this month, where the service is currently promotionally priced at $9.50 a month, and Evoca TV has plans for expansion into three additional markets "in the pipeline.
Evoca TV isn't revealing any subscriber data just yet.
Evoca launched with CPE, dubbed "Scout," which it built in-house because, as Achilles explains it, the start-up "didn't have a choice."
As for CommScope, it announced plans in April to spin off its Home Networks division, which houses its ailing pay TV set-top business. Home Networks saw a 28% revenue drop to $457 million in the second quarter.
“Leveraging CommScope’s expertise to develop the innovative VIP7802-ATSC set-top solution is enabling Evoca to offer a unique television and entertainment content offering,” said Ken Haase, VP of product management for CommScope. “Evoca will provide their [sic] subscribers with a solution that will enhance their viewing experience and will also deliver aggregated streaming content."
