HBO Europe, which provides premium TV programming in 15 European countries, has selected and deployed RGB Networks' transcoding and stream-packaging systems for its HBO Go "TV Everywhere" online-video service.
Separately, Ericsson said Thursday it has signed a five-year contract to manage the playout and media management services for HBO Nordic's TV service, set to launch next month. HBO Nordic is a joint venture between HBO and Parsifal International that will provide a broadband-only video subscription service in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark.
HBO Europe's HBO Go service is available exclusively to subscribers of the TV channel, over any broadband connection, as it is in the U.S. The European versions, which provide access to more than 1,400 hours of programming plus a live stream of the linear networks, is currently being rolled out across the region with most subscribers now able to access the service.
HBO Europe is using RGB's Video Multiprocessing Gateway and TransAct Packager for transcoding and packaging video in Microsoft Smooth Streaming format.
"The ability to access content at any time on any device is redefining the entertainment industry today -- the success of the HBO Go live streaming service is testimony to this fact," said Ramin Farassat, RGB's vice president of product marketing and business development.
HBO Europe, owned by Time Warner Inc., currently provides basic and premium channels to 15 countries: Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Romania, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Moldova, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the Netherlands, the service is a joint venture between HBO and Ziggo.
