HickoryTech Corporation, a service provider for business and residential customers in the upper Midwest, has selected Amino’s HD set-top boxes as part of its IPTV (News - Alert) service offering.

As part of the pact, Amino will provide its A140 HD set-top boxes to HickoryTech, which operates a 4,100-mile, state-of-the-art fiber network across five states, including Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Amino Aminet A140 is the next generation MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 high definition IPTV/OTT set-top box (STB) for HD deployments. High definition capability and over-the-top (OTT) functionality are becoming must-have features in new IPTV deployments worldwide.

Officials with Amino said that the Aminet A140 is a cost-effective HD STB that provides the perfect balance between price, specification and high performance. Stylish and compact, the Aminet A140 now enables IPTV providers to deliver a compelling mix of broadcast, on-demand and OTT services with new features including HTTP live streaming (HLS) and HTML5 technologies.

Company officials said that the A140 is complemented by an extensive range of set-top box middleware, browsers, conditional access and DRM options. All STB functions can be controlled from a browser using the Amino JMACX system.

“HickoryTech has a great heritage and is very forward-looking in its deployment of fiber to deliver great entertainment experiences. The combined approach of Power & Tel (News - Alert) and Amino underlines how our partnership approach with distributors and key middleware providers is underpinning our progress in securing new customers in this key market,” said Donald McGarva, CEO of Amino, in a statement.Mark Sharpless, senior manager of network engineering for HickoryTech, said that HickoryTech’s mission is to be the best choice for progressive communications services that enrich how the company’s customers work and live.

“Amino has a very good reputation for quality and reliable technology – a key factor in helping us deliver entertainment services cost-effectively,” said Sharpless.

Recently, KartinaTV announced that its Russian language TV service will now be available via Amino HD set-top boxes.

The service provider has launched an advertising campaign to promote the service initially to the European market and later to the global Russian speaking audience.

An IPTV/OTT pioneer, KartinaTV delivers TV content over the open Internet to Russian-speaking communities in Germany, the U.S., Israel and the U.K.