Triax, Unitron and Entropic Partner to Provide Single-Cable Outdoor Unit Products to Direct Broadcast Satellite Operators

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, Sept. 12, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (IBC, Entropic Meeting Suite G106/G107; Hall 13) – Unitron Group and Triax have entered into a partnership to provide the Direct-to-Home (DTH) industry a full portfolio of single-cable outdoor unit (ODU) products based on Entropic's leading analog Channel Stacking Switch (CSS™) single-cable integrated circuit (IC) technology. By working together, Unitron and Triax are enabling greater market reach for ODU products that support multiple tuners off a single-cable run; which means simpler satellite installations, reductions in subscriber acquisition costs (SAC) and lower subscriber churn.

The new product portfolio will include a number of Multi-Switch solutions based on advanced IC technology from Entropic ENTR, a world leader in semiconductor solutions for the connected home. Entropic's analog CSS ICs, the EN5288 and RF5218, are the preferred CSS ICs as they are field proven with deployments worldwide in multiple Tier-1 satellite operator networks.

The Triax/Unitron partnership enables end customers and Multi-Dwelling Unit (MDU) managers the availability to offer multiple High-Definition (HD) and Ultra HD (UHD) Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) video streams within each dwelling. Unlike traditional satellite installations, which require a unique cable for each tuner/demod from the satellite dish to the set-top box (STB), Entropic's CSS technology enables the delivery of multiple video streams from individual or multiple satellites into the home over a single-cable. This single-cable architecture offers multiple operator benefits including:

• Simplified cabling to make the deployment of STBs, with multiple tuner/demods in multiple rooms, a very cost-effective installation and virtually eliminates retrofitting and the need to rewire rooms;
• Easy STB upgrades with plug and play installation, which allows all levels of installers, from professionals to consumers, to reuse existing cabling to quickly set up an in-home satellite system;
• Converged broadcast and broadband video for the streamlined deployment of whole-home personal video recorder (PVR) applications, such as multi-room PVR, using Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA®) home networking. By combining CSS with MoCA, DBS operators gain a flexible way to allocate traffic on the subscriber's coax wiring; future-proofing potential bandwidth expansion needs required for capacity-heavy home networks.

"Unitron is pleased to work with leading electronics supplier Triax and silicon-leader Entropic in supplying a full range of single-cable solutions for the DTH industry," said Willy Lamaire, CEO, Unitron. "We believe the European Retail and Operator markets are looking for advanced ways to distribute satellite HD and UHD content to multiple set-top boxes in the home simultaneously off a single-cable run, providing end-customers with the most robust, highest quality video connection in an aesthetically pleasing package."

Peter Lyhne Uhrenholt, product director, Triax continued, "By partnering with two premier DBS ODU vendors, we gain new opportunities to broaden our product reach in the marketplace. Unitron is a recognized leader in single-cable solutions and Entropic is the only IC vendor that is trusted across the globe with its proven digital and analog Channel Stacking Switch solutions. Together we are strengthening the overall market potential for single-cable systems and are allowing DBS operators to offer more advanced services from video on demand to advanced home networking with MoCA."

"The Triax/Unitron alliance demonstrates the value of single-cable ODU products beyond reducing the capital costs associated with new subscriber installations and existing customer upgrades," said Al Servati, vice president, Marketing, Entropic. "Operators can now gain a significant competitive customer service advantage in their ability to offer the most reliable streaming of multiple HD and UHD video, audio and data traffic into and throughout the home with CSS and MoCA home networking solutions."

Availability

Products are generally available from Triax today. For more information on Entropic's analog CSS technology, visit Entropic's website here.

About Triax

Triax is a leading international provider of innovative, high-tech solutions for the reception, processing and distribution of digital television, radio and data signals. Triax products are manufactured in Denmark, United Kingdom and China and provide customers with superior performance, economic efficiency and investment security. Triax employ´s approx. 400 employees and have subsidiaries in Germany, Austria, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Hungary and Sweden. Triax products are sold worldwide through own subsidiaries and via more than 60 distributors.

About Unitron Group

Unitron Group is an international group of companies, offering state-of-the-art headend technologies and digital TV accessories, for providing TV distribution to multi-dwelling and residential buildings. Unitron's solutions are available to many Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) customers and TV-operators, under their own brand-names. Installers and customers have access to our 'Johansson' branded products via a worldwide network of distributors.

About Entropic

Entropic™ ENTR is a world leader in semiconductor solutions for the connected home. The Company transforms how traditional HDTV broadcast and IP-based streaming video content is seamlessly, reliably, and securely delivered, processed, and distributed into and throughout the home. Entropic's next-generation Set-top Box (STB) System-on-a-Chip (SoC) and Connectivity solutions enable Pay-TV operators to offer consumers more captivating whole-home entertainment experiences by transforming the way digital entertainment is delivered, connected and consumed – in the home and on the go. For more information, please visit Entropic at: www.entropic.com, read our blog Entropic Topics, or get social with us at @Entropic_News, or on Facebook, Google+, YouTube and LinkedIn.

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Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical in nature constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Entropic's analog CSS and MoCA technologies, their related prospects and their role in the future of connected home entertainment. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause Entropic's actual results to be materially different from historical results or from any results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, competition, risks associated with Entropic dependence on a limited number of customers and suppliers, technology risks, the risk that the market for HD video and multimedia content delivery solutions may not develop as Entropic anticipates and other factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of Entropic's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2014. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Entropic is providing this information as of the date of this release and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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