Broadband ISP TalkTalk UK Launch Netgem Powered TV 4K Box

Budget conscious UK ISP TalkTalk has today finally made their new Netgem powered pay TV (IPTV) platform and “TV 4K Box” device available to both new and existing customers on their fibre broadband plans (FTTC and FTTP). On top of that, the provider also claims to be the “first ISP in Europe” to launch TikTok on a TV set-top-box.

Last year we reported that the provider had adopted Netgem’s new managed “Content as a Service” platform, which can operate across a wider range of devices. But they’re also harnessing the same set-top-box kit as Netgem’s other UK partner ISPs (here). The first customer “tests” of all this began soon after, albeit initially only with customers on their full fibre packages (here).

The good news is that the new service has today gone live and it costs an additional £4 per month to take (i.e. the same as their old service). Customers can access more than 70 TV channels and on-demand players through the Netgem TV interface, which also supports 30 apps (e.g. Netflix, Amazon (Prime Video) and YouTube – all in 4K) and that now includes TikTok.

The box itself also supports WiFi, Personal Video Recorder (PVR) functions (via an external USB flash drive) and comes with a voice remote.

Talk Talk TV 4K Box Specification

CPU & MEMORY
● Processor: BCM 72604
● DMIPS: 7K dual core
● 3D graphics: OpenGL ES 3.0
● System flash: 4GB eMMC
● RAM: 2GB DDR4

AUDIO / VIDEO
● Resolution: 4K@60 (UHD 3840×2160 p50/60)
● HDR10, HLG, Hardware Color Conversion
● Video decoder: HEVC/H265 (4Kp60-10bit Profiles 4.1 5.0 5.1), VP9 (4Kp60-10bit Profiles 0 and 2), AVC/H264 (1080p60, level 4.2), MPEG-2
● Audio decoder: MPEG-1/2 layer I/II/III, AAC/MPEG-4, HE-AAC, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital+, Dolby ATMOS passthrough

SECURITY
● HDCP 2.2 over HDMI
● Hardware compatible with all major CAS and DRM (MS PlayReady, Verimatrix …)
● Watermarking (Civolution, Verimatrix)

CONNECTIVITY
● HDMI 2.0 (UHD) with CEC and ARC
● S/PDIF digital audio out (optical)
● USB 2.0 Type A (500mA) support for USB HDD
● Ethernet 10/100 BaseT
● Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac 2×2 dual band (2.4GHz – 5GHz) with Access Point mode
● DVB frontend T2+T+C
● Infrared receiver for Standard Remote Control
● Bluetooth for Voice Remote control
● Bicolor LED on front panel (Blue/red)

DIMENSIONS
● 128x128x38mm, rounded corners

POWER
● External power supply
– In: 200-240V AC
– Out: DC 12V 1.5A (TBD)
● Power consumption: typical < 10W
● Low power mode: < 0.5W

CERTIFICATIONS
● CE
● RoHS
● EU Code of Conduct

Other features include the universal search function, compatible with Alexa devices from Amazon, which enables customers to easily search for their favourite TV or movies across services.

Jonathan Kini, MD of TalkTalk Consumer and Direct Business, said:

“Our priority is to ensure we provide the best entertainment and fibre packages on the market, at great value. That’s why we’re delighted to partner with Netgem to release the TalkTalk TV 4K Box – bringing next level entertainment to our customers and easy access to TikTok, Netflix and Prime Video.”

Admittedly, set-top-boxes like this are unlikely to best the offerings from more established Pay TV providers, such as those from Sky and Virgin Media, but they do fill a useful role for those who haven’t already found a Pay TV, streaming box or internet connected TV solution that suits their needs.

UPDATE:

It’s worth noting that some Android based TV boxes already ship with TikTok support, although these aren’t offered by any ISPs.