Entone debuts residential gateway

Entone Technologies announced today that it would launch a new residential IP video gateway next week at the Telco TV show in Orlando, Fla.

The Hydra Gateway supports up to three simultaneous video streams as well as broadband Internet access over existing coax cabling. Perhaps most important, though, at this early stage of the telco video market is its ability to reduce the cost of installing IP video by eliminating the requirement for a set-top box.

"The elephant in the room is the installation cost," said Steve McKay, CEO of Entone Technologies.

While previous generations of gateways required a set-top for each television, the new Hydra acts as a set-top for up to three TVs. At the same time, the unit can be shared by six different TVs. The objective is to eliminate the need to pull Ethernet cabling inside the home or reduce the number of physical devices.

"Once the network is in place, by far the biggest variable in the business case is the CPE," McKay said. Most people focus on the capex only, but if you use IP set-top boxes you have to pull Ethernet cabling all over the house. That ‘s completely economically unviable. It costs on average close to $400 per home just for the installation."

While performing like a network interface device similar to Zhone Technologies’ gateway, the Hydra is specifically meant to sit inside the home and includes coax outputs. Users control channel changes and other video functions with an RF remote. Future versions will include options for high-definition TV.

"The big issue is the connectors to the primary television," McKay said. "Most of the people that have invested in a high fidelity TV want to use all of its functions."