YouView CEO: Don't count us out yet

Even though its launch was delayed more than once, YouView is still a viable IPTV service that will succeed, Richard Halton, the company's chief executive, said during the IBC 2012 Conference in Amsterdam.

Because IPTV is relatively immature in the U.K.--as far as market size is concerned--YouView believes it has an opportunity to build share. YouView has "become the debut platform for some content services," Halton said, according to a story in USwitch. "The lack of U.K. penetration to date of Apple and Google also gives a clue that we are not behind."

U.K. households are already accustomed to plugging smart TVs into set-top boxes, so Halton expressed confidence that the YouView model of selling boxes would succeed.

YouView may have launched late, but now that it's operating it is taking advantage of the latest trends within the industry, including exploring second screen offerings, Halton added.

"There are different partnership opportunities, so what I am looking for is how you treat this in the home, using a second screen app," he said in a BroadbandTVNews story. "The cloud is too far away to control the TV, so you're looking at Wi-Fi."

YouView isn't the only one looking at Wi-Fi. Set-top box maker Amino Communications will now be using a Wi-Fi USB solution from chipset5 and software provider Celeno Communications, according to an article in Advanced Television

The Amino Wi-Fi USB dongle will be especially important for service providers that want to enable after-market IP set-tops to wirelessly receive HD content, the two companies said.

For more:
- see this USwitch article
- check out this BroadbandTVNews story
- read the Advanced Television story

Related articles:
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YouView brings 'simplicity,' CTO says in interview
Amino debuts Freedom Live media gateway at IP&TV World Forum