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Press Release

Sumitomo Electric Releases Hybrid 4K Set-Top Box with Android TV™ Built-in

Products & Technologies

August 10, 2017
Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
*This press release was originally published in Japanese on July 20, 2017.

Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. is pleased to announce that on July 20, 2017, it began providing the Cable Plus STB, a hybrid 4K set-top box with Android TV built-in, to cable-TV providers across the nation through KDDI Corporation.

The Cable Plus STB is a 4K set-top box that supports cable television broadcasting that is transmitted on a radio-frequency (RF) system using coaxial cable (digital terrestrial television broadcasting, BS digital broadcasting, and CATV broadcasting) plus video distribution services using the internet.*1 This is a triple tuner set-top box that can record up to two programs*2 while watching another cablecasted program. It enables users to watch 4K content, such as that accessed through Cable 4K, and 4K videos available through video-on-demand services.

Hybrid 4K Set-Top Box

Hybrid 4K Set-Top Box "Cable Plus STB"

Main features

1. Improved user experience
(1)
Featuring Android TV, a platform supporting TVs and set-top boxes

You can enjoy movies, music, games, and community information on your TV or mobile device by downloading a wide variety of applications.

  • Voice search
    Simply by speaking into the microphone located on the remote control about the information that you want to know, the Cable Plus STB automatically searches related programs, recorded content, content on video-on-demand services, and websites to display the results.

  • Screencasting
    The Cable Plus STB, supporting Chromecast built-in, can cast the video or service application displayed on your mobile screen or TV.

(2)
Supports G-Guide EPG

The Cable Plus STB supports the G-Guide EPG, offering an automatic program recording function by using program listings for up to one month in advance and searching for programs by various search parameters, including favorite programs, categories, fields, and person names.*3

2. Enhanced interactions with mobile terminals and the internet
(1)
Interactions within the home
  • Server function in a home network
    Since the Cable Plus STB can distribute an on-air or recorded program to a player device supporting DLNA in a home network (smartphone, tablet, or other device), you can watch it at various places in your home.

  • Player function in a home network
    The Cable Plus STB enables the TV to play a program that is being received or was recorded by a device with the DLNA server function.

(2)
Interactions outside the home
  • Remote viewing, remote recording, and recorded program copying
    By accessing the Cable Plus STB away from home, you can watch on-air programs or recorded content, and program the set-top box to record programs. Furthermore, you can copy content that was recorded through the Cable Plus STB on a mobile device.*4

3. Improved maintenance service by cable television companies and community-based services

The Cable Plus STB is equipped with a remote maintenance function that enables TR-069*5-supported remote firmware updating and confirmation/change/resetting of device settings. It supports a viewing information collection function, thereby helping to improve customer service.*6
Since the start screen can be customized to suit to the cable television company, each provider can offer its own community-based services.

Specifications

platform Android TV (Android™ 6.0, Marshmallow)
Media device Dual Core ARM 15, 12K DMIPS
Video output format 4K (3840 x 2160), 60 fps max.
Video decoding H.265/HEVC Main 10 Level 5.1,*7,
H.264/AVC High Level4.1, MPEG2 High, VP8, VP9
Transcode H.264/AVC, MPEG-2 (HD) -> H.264/AVC (720 p / 480 p)
Video/audio output
interface
Digital video/audio :
HDMI 2.0*8 / HDCP 2.2*9-compliant (back of main unit)
Expansion interface USB3.0 x 2 (one port each for front and back)
Wired network
interface
10Base-T / 100Base-TX / 1000Base-T (back of main unit)
Wireless network
interface
2x2 MIMO-supported
IEEE 802.11a/n/ac (5 GHz) / IEEE 802.11b/g/n (2.4 GHz)
*Either 5 GHz or 2.4 GHz can be used.
Bluetooth 4.1 (BDR / EDR / BLE)
Tuner function Triple tuner (watching 1 program + recording 2 programs max.)
*QAM (256QAM-supported), OFDM: 3 tuners
Remote control Communication method: Bluetooth Low Energy, IR (for TV)
Main unit power consumption Approx. 18 W max. (for normal operation)
Main unit weight 840 ± 45 g
Dimensions 190±1.5 mm x 164±1.5 mm x 53±2 mm
(excluding projections)
JLabs certification JLabs SPEC-001/003/004/005/007/017/018/019/020

*1 The Cable Plus STB enables users to watch and program it to record cablecasted programs without internet access through an RF transmission system.

*2 A separately sold external hard disk needs to be connected to the Cable Plus STB. Programs can be recorded on a DLNA-supported recorder within the same home network. For DLNA-supported recorders, refer to the following link.
http://www.jlabs.or.jp/judging/judging-dlna/dlna-equipment (Japanese only)

*3 The electronic program guide used is G-Guide, which was developed by U.S.-based TiVo Corporation. Some of the functions of G-Guide cannot be used without internet access. Even without internet access, program listings for eight days (one week) can be displayed.

*4 To communicate from a mobile device to the Cable Plus STB, a communication app needs to be installed.

*5 TR-069 (Technical Report 069):
Technical specification that prescribes application layer protocols to control end user devices by remote control

*6 Users can arbitrarily select whether or not to send viewing information on the setting screen.

*7 High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC):
Another name for the video compression standard H.265 (ISO/IEC 23008-2 HEVC), which has roughly twice the video compression performance compared to the conventional standard (H.264).

*8 HDMI2.0:
The latest standard for HDMI, an interface between TVs and peripheral devices

*9 HDCP2.2:
Copyright protection standard used when 4K images are transmitted through HDMI

  • Cable Plus STB is a trademark or registered trademark of KDDI Corporation.
  • Google, Android, Android TV, and Chromecast built-in are trademarks of Google Inc.
  • TiVo, G-Guide, G-GUIDE and G-Guide logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of TiVo Corporation and/or its subsidiaries in Japan.
  • DLNA is a trademark or registered trademark of U.S. Digital Living Network Alliance in the U.S. and other countries.
  • HDMI is a trademark or registered trademark of U.S. HDMI Licensing LLC in the U.S. and other countries.
  • Bluetooth is a trademark or registered trademark of U.S. Bluetooth SIG Inc. in the U.S. and other countries.
  • Other company names, product names, and service names contained in this press release are trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective companies.
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