Ziggo launches ‘cloud-based’ cable TV

Dutch cable operator Ziggo has launched what it describes as the world’s first interactive cloud-based cable TV service.

Ziggo is using IP and standard DVB-C TV in combination to deliver a service that can be recieved by subscribers without dedicated high-end in-home hardware, enabling viewers with inexpensive digital receivers to access interactive services including video-on-demand.

Users of Humax and Samsung cable boxes can now access advanced interactive services, with more devices to follow.

Ziggo is delivering TV services via DVB-C with interactivity delivered over IP. The graphical user interface is delivered from the cloud via a headend-based ‘virtual set-top box’. The GUI is based on HTML5 and streamed via a temporary personal TV channel on the DVB-C network.

The cloud-based nature of the service means that the same Ziggo services can be received via a range of devices, according to the company.