TEST REPORT IPTV Operator Software System – Part 2

AmiNET130M
The back panel sports an HDMI output,
optical audio output and network inter-
face as well as USB connection.

IPTV receiver The box comes complete with a sort

of pedestal which you may use in case

Thomas Haring

■ The TELE-satellite website as presented via

• Now that we‘re the Amino IPTV set-top box

through with the

features and potential of
the NetUP IPTV Combine
4x server it‘s time to 0.52
have a closer look at one
of the compatible IPTV
boxes. We have selected
the AmiNET 130M
from manufacturer
Amino. One of the most
striking characteristics
is its small size,
which measures only
114x102x35 mm, and
its solid build quality.
The chassis is made
of genuine aluminium,
which suggests the box
is built to last.

All you can

see on the front
panel is a status
LED indicat-
ing the current
operating mode.

36 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/2011 — www.TELE-satellite.com

1 6

2 7

3 8

4 9

5 10

38 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/2011 — www.TELE-satellite.com

11 16

12 17

13 18

14 IPTV receiver OSD

1. Favourites list with EPG
2. EPG overview of all available channels
3. List with IPTV channels
4. Additional channels can be purchased
and added by simply using the remote
control
5. VOD content by genre
6. Access to personal user account
7. The current channel package can be
changed directly on the set-top box using
the remote control
8. Customer account overview (credits /
debits)
15 9. A PIN code can be activated to avoid
unauthorised access to the IPTV box
10. IP status information
11. Available OSD skins
12. The OSD can be translated into
additional languages by the operator, if
required
13. Marking an event in the EPG overview for
automatic channel switching
14. Listing and editing timer entries
15. Keying in an address in the web browser
16. Favourites list of the web browser
17. Info bar with details about the current
event
18. Language selection

www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/2011 — TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 39

19
you want or need to place
the receiver in an upright
position to save valuable
space. Also included in the
package are HDMI cable and
remote control with a con-
venient design and nicely
laid out buttons that pro-
vide just the feedback you
require. At the time of our
test the operating manual
20
was available in Russian
only, but even with addi-
tional languages provided
in future chances are you
will never need to open it.
This is because – contrary
to a satellite receiver – an
IPTV box receives its entire
OSD and control interfaces
from the IPTV server and
requires no user input in
this regard.
21
Installation
Before we even begin
with the first step we have
to discard conventional
thinking stemming by and
large from satellite receiv-
ers. Terrestrial, cable or
satellite receivers come
complete with pre-set soft-
ware and all we need to
do is hook up all required
cables and press the ON
22 button. It‘s a totally differ-
ent story with an IPTV box,
which runs via middleware
and therefore has no inte-
grated default operating
software. With the middle-
ware structure an IPTV box
connects to the IPTV server
which then provides the
user software. This is to
make sure both IPTV server
and IPTV box are perfectly
compatible with each other,
23
and it makes setting up a
new box so much easier.
After all, there‘s nothing
you can do wrong if the
19. Each channel can be stored with a short station description and
channel logo (seen here: Das Erste HD from Germany)
20. Each channel can be stored with a short station description and
channel logo (seen here: MBC 4 from Dubai)
21. Changing the rate plan
22. Radio stations can be transmitted as well via the IPTV network
23. Selecting VOD content from the dedicated menu item using the IPTV
set-top box software
40 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/2011 — www.TELE-satellite.com
IPTV server takes over the
task of setting up your box.
All required settings and
parameters are provided
by the IPTV server, which
means they will always be
correct.
While in theory this
almost sounds to good to
be true, in actual use the
DHCP server of the IPTV
Combine 4x must be acti-
vated so that each new
IPTV box within the existing
IPTV network is assigned
an individual IP address
immediately and automati-
cally. This at the same time
makes sure the box is able
to receive IP data from the
server and its DNS server.
So we first have to acti-
vate all required functions
via the web interface of the
IPTV Combine 4x and define
a range of IP addresses to
be assigned to IPTV boxes.
Only then can we connect
the AmiNET130M to our flat
screen TV via HDMI and to
the IPTV network with an
RJ45 cable. Finally, we con-
nect the supplied power
unit to the mains. The box
powers up, immediately
detects the IPTV Combine
4x server and downloads
all software elements. One
minute later this process is
finished and we are asked
to key in a valid activation
key.
Everyday use
With regard to the IPTV
Combine 4x we have men-
tioned before that the acti-
vation key is required to
customise the IPTV box
and to create a tailor-made
channel list, channel avail-
ability and billing system for
each registered customer.
As we have already created
a specific customer account
through the billing feature
of the IPTV Combine 4x we
can quickly key in the acti-
vation code generated by
the system. The code con-
sists of a total of six blocks
with five digits each.
We did not specifically
define each and every
option for our test environ-
ment, so the AmiNET130M
first wants to know our pre-
ferred skin and presents us
with all available OSD lan-
guages.
As soon as these basic
settings are determined the
IPTV box switches to the
first available channel and
TV viewing please is about
to begin. With a touch of
the MENU button the main
menu pops up on screen
and is divided into six sec-
tions with the skin we have
chosen before: TV chan-
nels, Video-on-demand,
Radio, Personal account,
Settings and Extras.
The ‘TV channels’ section
shows a list of all TV con-
tent available to the respec-
tive customer. If required,
individual entries can
added to a favourites list for
quick access. EPG data is
available either for a single
channel or as an overview
so that it is easy to check
at a glance what is cur-
rently shown on available
channels. It is of course
possible to call up EPG data
for events on coming days,
and timer entries can be
created directly by mark-
ing an event so that the box
will automatically switch to
the corresponding channel
before that event starts.
The system we tested,
however, does not support
a PVR feature for selecting
events to be recorded.
42 TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine — 02-03/2011 — www.TELE-satellite.com
The ‘Radio’ section is not
shown right below the ‘TV
channels’ section, which
presumably is for commer-
cial reasons. We should still
like to mention it at this
stage, as it is organised
just like the TV section.
The second menu item
deals with ‘Video-on-
demand’ content, which
is organised according to
name, group or genre.
Every available film is
shown on the upper area of
the screen complete with
its title. The screen sec-
tion dedicated to EPG infor-
mation in TV mode shows
extended information about
each video-on-demand
(text, cover image, price,
etc.). If you decide to buy
content you only need to
press the OK button, with
the price of the film being
deducted from your credit.
Purchased on-demand con-
tent is shown in a dedicated
sub-menu that lists all con-
tent you have purchased
with your available credit.
This is also the menu sec-
tion you may use to select
and activate near-VOD con-
tent.
Thanks to the sheer size
be
of the IPTV server hard
disk it is possible to make
available quite an impres-
sive range of on-demand
content, and a virtual key-
board assists customers in
looking for specific content.
User-friendliness is the
key to success,
and with
the solutions provided by
NetUP chances are custom-
ers will use the on-demand
feature more readily.
The ‘Personal account’
section provides access to
user data, selected pack-
ages and account credit.
Here, customers can also
upgrade to an extended
package or look at all past
transactions (credit top-
up, used credit). With this
feature in place customers
can change packages, buy
on-demand content and
keep a check on purchases
without requiring assis-
tance from hotel staff (as
in our test scenario). This
gives customers full control
while not wasting valuable
staff resources. In the ‘Set-
tings’ menu it is possible to
change OSD language and
appearance, and for service
technicians to call up infor-
mation on IP data and other
relevant network param-
eters.
The range of features of
the AmiNET130M is com-
pleted with the ‘Extras’ sec-
tion of the main menu. All
timer entries can be listed
here, and a rather basic but
nonetheless very functional
web browser is available for
surfing the web. To that end
a virtual keyboard is shown
on screen, and frequently
visited sites can
even saved
onto
a favourites list for easy
access at a later stage.
During our test we noticed
that NetUP has also thought
about implementing basic
functions in TV, radio and
on-demand modes. For
example, the colour-coded
function keys can be used
to change the language of
the current event (in case
more than one is available),
and a smartly designed
info bar is inserted in the
lower section of the screen
every time a new channel is
selected. Apart from chan-
nel name this info bar also
shows program informa-
tion for the current chan-
nel. We were impressed at
how quickly a new channels
shows up on screen – it only
takes about one second,
and together with very fast
reaction to commands sent
from the remote control
zapping is real fun with the
AmiNET130M.
During playback of on-
demand content it is of
course possible to rewind
and fast-forward (at dif-
ferent speeds) and pause.
A PVR system at large,
however, cannot be imple-
mented with the IPTV
set-up tested by
us.
 As far as security and without default software, that comes with the IPTV and logical control of the
access control are con- which means our conclu- box. Apart from its high- box which should be self-
cerned either the entire sion covers the Amino box quality appearance it can explanatory even to the
IPTV box or only the pur- as the hardware component also be used as a universal technologically challenged.
chasing function can be on the one hand, and NetUP remote to control all cur- If you add to that the com-
blocked by way of an access as software provider on the rently available TV panels
plex control module of the
code. other hand. To put it short, – who could ask for more?
IPTV server for business
the Amino hardware leaves
applications the two are
nothing to be desired. Thanks to the fact that
Conclusion What‘s more, the build server and receiver are in
a perfect match. With a
The AmiNET130M IPTV whole range of customis-
quality achieved by Amino perfect harmony the IPTV
box from Amino is a per- surpasses that of many box is in a brilliant posi- able settings the IPTV Com-
fectly capable and well- competitors and easily sets tion for exploiting all fea- bine 4x together with the
built IPTV box. Contrary to an example when it comes tures provided by the IPTV AmiNET130M should to the
DVB-S, DVB-T and DVB-C to workmanship. The same Combine 4x. In particular, trick for almost any scope
reception IPTV boxes come goes for the remote control we appreciated the simple of application.

ENERGY
DIAGRAM

Apparent Power

Mode Apparent Active Factor

Reception 11.4 W 6W 0.52

Active Power

Active use with channel switching and watching live TV during the first 15
minutes, standby during the second 15 minutes.

TECHNICAL
DATA
Manufacturer Amino Technologies, Buckingway Business Park,
Anderson Road, Swavesey, Cambridge CB24 4UQ,
United Kingdom

Fax +44 (0) 1954 234 101

Email info@aminocom.com

Model AmiNET130M

Function IPTV Set-top-Box

HDMI connector yes (HDMI 1.2a with HDCP)

Scart connector no

Audio/Video output analogue no

YUV output no

S-Video output no

Digital audio output yes (optical)

Ehternet yes

WLAN no

USB connector yes

Codecs MPEG-2 MP@HL, MPEG-4 pt10 A, VC/H.264 HP@L4

Video resolutions up to 720p and 1080i

Input Voltage 5V DC

Dimensions 114x102x35mm

Weight 262g

www.TELE-satellite.com — 02-03/2011 — TELE-satellite — Global Digital TV Magazine 43