German cable operator Unitymedia Kabel BW will equip its multimedia box Horizon with several new features soon.
Customers will be able to access a considerably larger linear TV and on-demand offering through 3G mobile networks, Daniel Hesselbarth, head of product innovations, said at German media congress TV Komm. in Karlsruhe. More than 90 TV channels will then be available on smartphones and tablets outside the reach of the customer’s local Wi-Fi network.
Another new feature will be cloud recording: The TV content will then not be stored on the receiver’s hard-disk, but on an external server from which it will be streamed.
Unitymedia Kabel BW will also soon activate Horizon’s remote recording function, said Hesselbarth. Customers will then be able to externally set recordings of the Horizon box in their living room, for example from the office.
A multi room solution will also soon be added, according to Hesselbarth. Through small add-on boxes, further TV sets in the household will gain access to all Horizon content, for example in the bedroom or kitchen.
In the five European countries in which Unitymedia Kabel BW’s parent company Liberty Global has introduced the Horizon box so far, the mark of one million customers in total has recently been reached. Germany is currently the fastest growing Horizon market, said Hesselbarth. Around 250,000 German customers have so far opted for the device which acts as the household’s central entertainment gateway.
Unitymedia Kabel BW also wants to further expand its internet service: The maximum download data rate will soon be increased from 200 to 250Mbps, said Hesselbarth. The company plans to offer 400Mbps by the end of the year.
