Freesat turns to Arris for third-generation set-top

UK free-to-air digital satellite TV provider Freesat has turned to Arris to provide its Generation 3 (G3) set-top box.

The new box, to be launched in 2019, will allow Freesat to offer 4K UHD content, and provide users with the latest on-demand services. Using the KreaTV software platform from Arris, Freesat said it would be able to leverage the OTT framework for services including Netflix, Amazon, YouTube and others.

The new line-up of boxes will feature four devices with 500GB, 1TB and 2TB hard drive options for DVR, plus one option without a hard drive.

The partnership between Freesat and Arris will also seem them offer end-to-end TV solutions to expand into further international markets across Europe, based on the combination of Freesat’s Metaphor full stack, and the Arris KreaTV middleware.

Freesat suffered a significant reverse earlier this year when it failed to strike a deal with UK public broadcaster Channel 4 for the carriage of its HD and on-demand services following a change in the way it charged for transmission of linear channels. As a result Channel 4 HD and on-demand service All 4 disappeared from the platform.

“This is a very significant move for us, because for the first time we will control the entire supply chain for our set-top box. It will be a great product, allowing us to offer customers ultra-high-definition viewing while continuing to provide viewers with access to the TV they want, when they want and in the format that they prefer,” said Alistair Thom, managing director of Freesat,

“We’re thrilled to be working with Freesat and entering the dynamic retail space in the UK. Looking ahead, the combination of Metaphor and KreaTV has great potential. It will allow us to deploy cutting-edge television to global customers through a hybrid platform that is quick, flexible and cost-effective to install, delighting viewers and advertisers alike,” said Anthony Zuyderhoff, Arris’s SVP and general manager of international CPE.