Midco picks Evolution Digital’s 4K Android TV box for 2020 service

Cable operator Midco has picked Evolution Digital’s eSTREAM 4K Android TV set-top box to go along with its IPTV service launching in early 2020.

The box will launch directly to Midco's app-based TV service while also providing customers with access to third-party apps through the Google Play Store. The box will be integrated with the TiVo user experience that Midco is using for its IPTV service.

Midco will also use Evolution Digital's Device Manager, a software platform for management, control, monitoring and analytics of devices. It also allows for deployment of device-specific software, firmware and security updates.

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"We are thrilled to continue our long-standing relationship with Midco as they embark on deploying its next-generation IPTV platform on Android TV," said Marc Cohen, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Evolution Digital, in a statement. "As Android TV is becoming pay-TV providers' chosen ecosystem, Evolution Digital provides the necessary ongoing elements that come with building, certifying and maintaining Android TV in-production, while helping operators, like Midco, build a strong foundation for current and future innovation to outcompete in the market for many years to come."

"After reviewing the many options available in the industry, we turned to our trusted partner, Evolution Digital, as our Android TV platform provider for their cutting-edge and world-class technology," said Bill Chatwell, Midco's director of video systems, in a statement. "As we begin to make a major migration to cloud-based video, we trust Evolution Digital's expertise to help lead us in to the future of streaming, providing our customers an unparalleled TV service at scale."

Midco serves more than 385,000 residential and business customers in more than 400 communities in South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Kansas and Wisconsin.