The Dreamgallery™ Hybrid Concept integrates any regular digital TV solution (cable, satellite or terrestrial) with interactive IPTV content such as VOD services, radio channels, voting features, etcetera.

Dreamgallery™ Hybrid Concept - the Best of Both Worlds!
By using the Dreamgallery™ Hybrid Concept you can offer your customers regular digital TV services together with new interactive content through IPTV. The hybrid concept is perfect for (1) cable operators moving towards IPTV, and still wanting to reutilize investments in digital technology for the DVB-C network, (2) cable or satellite operators wanting to offer interactive services to its existing customers, and (3) VOD or IPTV providers wanting to take advantage of free-to-the-air DVB-T channels.

In a hybrid set up, TV channels may be received through any of the sources supported by the STB, i.e. DVB-C, DVB-S, DVB-T, or IP. Interactive services will reach the STB through the IP network.

Transparent End User Experience
The end user experience will be exactly the same for pure IPTV and hybrid scenarios for as long as Dreamgallery™ is handling both the TV portal and interactive functionality as TV zapping and EPG functionality. End users will not notice the difference between zapping to a DVB-C channel and zapping to an IP channel (if parameters other than the middleware do not cause differences in zapping time or picture quality, etcetera).

Browser-based Application
Dreamgallery™ is a browser-based application, meaning that JavaScript APIs are used to control DVB-C/S/T and IP hardware of the box. Among the advantages of running the complete application (including TV zapping and EPG) in the browser are:

• Extremely cost efficient application development compared to traditional digital TV frameworks.
• Extremely short time to market for new services and applications compared to traditional digital TV frameworks.
• Independency towards STB suppliers.
• The same user interface on all STBs.
• Outstanding branding possibilities.
• Independency towards other component suppliers, such as VOD streamers, etcetera.
• True openness, providing an “easy way out” from the middleware supplier(s).
• Possibility to change the full application on the STB in a few seconds (e.g. a special EPG could be provided for the World Cup enthusiast).

Portal Only Alternative
If the operator for some reason would like to stay with the current solution for the TV zapping and EPG functionality, Dreamgallery™ could work as an interactive portal add-on.

Stand Alone Application
The Dreamgallery™ client application runs locally in the STB, which means that TV zapping and EPG functionality will work even when IP connectivity is down.