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Power Ethernet Gives AV Installers a Route to YouView Installs with its Evaluation Pack (30/7/2012)

Power Ethernet is helping AV installers to offer simple and low-cost installation services for the new connected TV service YouView. Internet connectivity is required for YouView’s catch-up TV services and, with only a wired broadband connection on the set-top box, Power Ethernet is already seeing increased enquiries from both trade and consumers for its integrated powerline electrical sockets despite the product only hitting shelves today. In response Power Ethernet is offering AV and home automation installers an evaluation pack* of 2 Power Ethernet Sockets for only £99 +VAT, against a retail price of £111 per socket, so they can test the product and demonstrate to customers.

In shops now, the YouView set-top box offers consumers a combination of over 70 digital TV channels and catch-up TV services from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. Its subscription-free service is expected to rapidly drive the adoption of connected TV services by UK households and hence demand for home network installations. Power Ethernet sockets are the first product to integrate powerline communications (PLC) directly into electrical sockets, offering installers an elegant and professional alternative to powerline adaptors or CAT 5 cabling. PE Sockets enable AV installers to effortlessly build a rock-solid network, capable of coping with the demands of Connected TV services, online gaming and audio and video streaming from a media centre PC or network attach storage, using existing electrical wiring.

Power Ethernet marketing director, James Gardiner said: “As a mass-market connected TV service, YouView presents AV installers with a huge opportunity to win new business and expand their customer base. Many buyers will need a home network if they’re going to access catch-up TV services but won’t want the cost and disruption of installing a CAT 5 network. Power Ethernet sockets give installers a more professional and higher specification alternative to powerline adaptors.”

Based on the HomePlug AV standard for Powerline networking, the PE Socket provides 4 Ethernet network ports connected to a managed switch and a filtered power socket in a device that replaces a standard double power socket in a wall and uses electrical cabling for data networking.  Installing two or more PE Sockets creates a discrete yet highly capable network, connecting any of the PE Sockets to a broadband service enables the sharing of Internet connectivity and digital content among all the devices plugged into them.

The sockets offer a number of benefits over WiFi and traditional Powerline plug-in adaptors:

1) Simple, professional, permanent
Installing new Ethernet cables throughout walls and redecorating afterwards is a huge task and costs quickly mount up.  Power Ethernet Sockets offer a reliable and simple installation as easy as replacing an existing power socket.  There is no need of specialist knowledge of computer networks in order to set up a Power Ethernet network.

2) More robust and reliable than WiFi
Although WiFi provides the freedom and convenience to access the network wherever there is coverage, it degrades too quickly over moderate distances with coverage black spots and makes it unreliable to stream movies and services such as iPlayer effectively.  With the built-in managed switch, Power Ethernet Sockets are capable of providing the Quality of Service throughout the home to run a mixture of different bandwidth applications, allowing users to stream video content and play online games at the same time.

3) Multiple sockets, multiple uses
Unlike Powerline adapters, each Power Ethernet socket contains a 4-port Ethernet managed switch, enabling multiple devices to connect to a single socket.  Need to extend the network? Purchase another Power Ethernet Socket and it will automatically join the network.

4) Advanced filtering
The built-in filtered socket along with the latest in advanced Powerline design carefully filter out unwanted signal noise from the disruptive devices such as mobile phone charges and transformers means that the PE Sockets can communicate at best possible speeds.

Power Ethernet sockets are available from UK AV distributor, Arktron.

* The Power Ethernet evaluation pack is being offered on a not-for-resale basis and the offer is restricted to one per company.

Installers can up sign for the evaluation pack at:

www.powerethernet.com/installers