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EchoStar Goes Hybrid with New Android™-powered DVB and IP STB

STEETON, England, Sept. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- EchoStar (NASDAQ: SATS), a leading supplier of added-value, connected device solutions to the digital TV industry, announced today that it is expanding its portfolio of Android™-powered set-top boxes (STB) with the introduction of a new hybrid DVB and IP solution the HDX-410.

This highly effective product is designed to receive DVB and IP-delivered content and services whilst home networking support ensures that it can also act as a powerful multi-room solution. The HDX-410 will enable TV operators and telcos to deliver a wide range of DVB and IP-based services to their customers cost effectively, including broadcast and on demand TV plus Smart TV applications. The HDX-410 supports the industry's leading digital rights management and middleware solutions and ultra-low power operation to meet European energy efficiency requirements.

The HDX-410 platform is based on widely-established open standard technologies. Compatibility with industry standard protocols ensures that the HDX-410 can interact with other devices within the home, enabling TV operators to extend services from a central gateway to other display devices throughout the home network. Offering a wealth of connectivity, interfaces include high quality HDMI®, wireless networking to the 802.11n standard, Ethernet, S/PDIF and USB 2.0. Being highly compact in design, the HDX-410 will fit unobtrusively into any location within the home.

Shipping with software that supports the most advanced methods of advanced video coding (AVC), the HDX-410 boasts support for MPEG-2, MPEG-4, VC-1 and VP8. This ensures that TV operators and service providers can combine and deliver the best user experience, high quality video and audio whilst optimising the available bandwidth to deliver entertainment services cost effectively.

The HDX-410 supports the Android™ 4.0 operating system and includes Adobe® Flash® Player 11.x and a WebKit-based browser. The Android™ community developed and highly efficient suite of application development tools is freely available and provides an extensive, scalable Internet-centric application development platform. This enables an operator to access an extensive pool of experienced and highly skilled entertainment application developers to readily support the supply engaging apps and services.

"Following close collaboration with the market following the introduction of our first Android-powered IP platform at IBC last year, we were aware that it was important to follow up with the addition of broadcast and DVB support to add to the versatility of the product," commented Rhod Williams Senior Vice President and General Manager of EchoStar in Europe. "Initially appealing primarily to IP and over-the-top service providers, this updated platform adds an even higher level of flexibility and targets TV operators who wish to combine broadcast TV services with entertainment delivered over the IP channel in a single cost effective platform."

Incorporating the latest advanced System-on-Chip silicon solution, the product will be showcased for the first time at IBC2012 on both EchoStar's stand (#1.F76) and in Marvell's balcony suite (hall 1, #BM3).

EchoStar's HDX-210 Android™-powered IP STB has been nominated for 'best IPTV technology or service' at the Cable and Satellite International Awards to be announced at IBC2012.