Dune HD goes minimalist with Wi-Fi 'compact stick' for OTT, IPTV

Taiwanese set-top box maker Dune HD has developed what it calls the "world's smallest full HD set-top box," although in reality the Dune HD Connect product is more of a stick and less of a box.

However it's defined, the new product's goal is to turn "standard 'dumb' screens into smart TVs" via a device that plugs into a TV's HDMI socket so content can stream through built-in Wi-Fi via a home Internet connection, according to company news release.

According to Dune HD, the product can be installed in minutes. Subscribers need only plug it into the HDMI port on the TV and add it to the existing Wi-Fi network, after which they can "access operator OTT and IPTV streaming services without needing specialist technical support," the news release said.

In addition to its OTT capabilities, the Dune HD Connect can be optionally provisioned as a cable or terrestrial digital TV tuner as well as offer full 3D video support, the company said. On top of that, it contains a micro SD slot and USB port so it can be directly connected to local media content.

"The market for streaming services is growing dramatically, particularly for operators delivering consumer, hospitality and ethnic content. The Dune HD Connect enables them to deliver this content to the widest range of subscribers without replacing their existing TVs or having to find room for bulky set-top boxes," Konstantin Dyshlevoy, Dune HD's CEO, said.

Dyshlevoy cited the combination plug-and-play and compact size as a reason operators should consider using the product, adding, "like all our products, the Dune HD Connect can be easily tailored to meet individual operator needs."

The company apparently has at least one early believer. Vitaly Starodubov, COO of MegaLabs, the "innovation arm" of Russian mobile operator MegaFon, hailed the new device as a "compact and simple way to deliver our content" and "strengthen our position in the Russian digital TV market."

For more:
- Dune HD issued this news release

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