“Further to the December 23 announcement of their intention to
collaborate on developing a next-generation set-top box
incorporating the Linux operating system and USA Video
Interactive’s Wavelet and Video-on-Demand technologies, the three
companies signed a contract last week to produce the world’s first
Linux-Wavelet set-top box by the Spring of 2000. In signing this
landmark contract, USA Video Interactive…Eagle Wireless…and
Urbana.ca…will produce an enhanced set-top box that makes true
Video-on-Demand and the advantages of rapidly growing
Linux-accessed Internet accessible to millions of people who can
not yet get costly and sparsely available broadband
service….”
“Linux and Wavelet combined here let us offer all kinds of
‘next-generation’ services to our customers through these set-top
boxes,” said Jason Cassis, President of Urbana.ca. “With IBM…and
other companies getting more and more involved with Linux, we
believe its possibilities are expanded enormously by the addition
of USA Video Interactive’s Wavelet compression and Video-on-Demand
technologies. I think we are setting a new standard for
performance, reliability and flexibility in meeting the
market-driven demands of our customers.”
“The contract states that Eagle will embed the Linux
operating system and USA Video Interactive’s Wavelet and patented
Video-on-Demand technologies into a new set-top box being developed
for deployment by Urbana. The companies also will share
technical expertise in research and development of this and other
new products to be announced in the future such as Video Email,
Video Conferencing and other technologies. As part of the contract,
USA Video Interactive also will supply Wavelet-equipped video
servers and other equipment to Urbana for its upcoming
deployments.”