Set-back box
The term set-back box is used in the digital TV industry to describe a piece of consumer hardware that enables them to access both linear broadcast and internet-based video content, plus a range of interactive services like Electronic Programme Guides (EPG), Pay Per View (PPV) and Video on Demand (VOD) as well as internet browsing, and view them on a large screen television set. Unlike standard set-top boxes, which sit on top or below the TV set, a set-back box has a smaller form factor to enable it to be mounted to the rear of the display panel flat panel TV, hiding it from view.
To date, set-back boxes have been mainly focused on the cable industry, having been rolled out in four major cable markets in the United States. As of February 2010, these devices are available in both standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD) versions, provide a DOCSIS 2.0 high speed return channel, and are able to receive transmissions in all industry standard compression formats, including MPEG-2, MPEG-4/H.264 and SMPTE-421M/VC-. This enables broadcasters to maximise their broadcast bandwidth while creating a new consumer TV experience.
In October 2009 the ADB-4820C set-back box was voted the TV Innovation of the Year,[1] by a panel of independent industry experts, overseen by IMS Research at the TV 3.0 Conference in Denver, Colorado, United States of America. The ADB set-back box was the first to use the latest HDMI-CEC technology, enabling a single remote control to be used for both the TV and set-back box and is tru2way compliant.
First DLNA-certified set-back box
The Pay TV industry’s first DLNA-certified set-back box was launched at The Cable Show in Chicago in June 2011.[2] The 4731CDM[3] , also known as Phantom, added a host of new features, including Advanced Digital Broadcast’s DVR-Lite™ technology, which enables video to be paused, time-shifted and recorded directly onto a solid state drive (SSD).
The Phantom set-back box supports industry standard CableCARDs™, can work with the conditional access systems currently available in North America, and can be used as part of multi-room Digital Video Recorder and home networking set-ups. It’s MoCA and DLNA standards compliance means the Phantom can share content with many third-party cable industry and Consumer Electronics devices around the connected home, including TVs, set-tops, gaming devices and smartphones manufactured by almost 250 companies.[4]