What Cabletime does

Cabletime Limited is a UK-based designer and manufacturer of IPTV, AVoIP, streaming, and digital signage hardware and software solutions, marketed under the MediaStar brand. Founded in 1984 and headquartered in Newbury, the company builds a vertically integrated portfolio that includes the MediaStar IPTV headend platform (with hot-swap blades for content capture, encoding, and redistribution), bespoke MS Media Players supporting 4K and end-to-end HDCP 2.2 Pro delivery, HD encoders, multi-stream transcoders, IP re-caster gateways, HLS wireless streaming software, and the MediaStar Media Manager cloud and on-premise media asset management platform. Its proprietary hardware-plus-software stack is deployed across 3,000+ organizations worldwide and is supported by certifications including GSA contract approval, HITRUST, KLAS Research recognition, AVIXA, and licensing relationships with HEVC Advance, HDCP, HDMI, MPEG LA, SRT Alliance, Dolby, and PRO:IDIOM.

The company generates revenue through a mix of hardware sales (IPTV headends, media players, encoders, transcoders), one-time on-premise software licenses, and the newer Media Manager-as-a-Service cloud subscription. Go-to-market is executed exclusively through a global channel partner network of AV/IT specifying consultants, design build resellers, and systems integrators, supplemented by strategic integrations with Appspace (content management) and Netgear (network switches). Customer segments span hospitality, healthcare, corporate and enterprise, senior living, government and military, education, sports, and banking. Cabletime operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Uniguest, which acquired the company in 2022 and now markets MediaStar alongside its broader digital signage, engagement, and managed hardware portfolio. Prior to the Uniguest acquisition, Cabletime acquired roomioTV in June 2017 to extend its hospitality IPTV capabilities.

Name

Cabletime

Legal name

Cabletime Limited

Website

https://cabletime.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Cabletime Limited designs and manufactures the MediaStar suite of IPTV, AVoIP, streaming, and digital signage hardware and software, deployed across 3,000+ organizations in hospitality, healthcare, corporate, and government verticals worldwide, and distributed exclusively through a global channel partner network under Uniguest ownership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

IPTV and Digital Signage Distribution Systems

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment (3663), Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841)

akta.pro primary industry

Live TV Streaming (vMVPD/IPTV OTT) (MPACAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Content Supply Chain Orchestration & Workflow (Ingest-to-Publish, Automation) (MPAHALAG), DRM, License Delivery & Content Protection (Widevine/FairPlay/PlayReady) (MPAHAJAI)

Keywords

• IPTV distribution systems
• AVoIP streaming solutions
• Digital signage hardware
• Enterprise media management
• Video distribution software

Headquarters

HQ city

Newbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Media Manager-as-a-Service (Cloud Subscription): Customers opting for cloud-based management solution receive subscription access to MediaStar Media Manager. Delivers lower cost of ownership and improved scalability.
2. Hardware Sales: Sale of IPTV headend platforms, media players, HD encoders, transcoders, and related hardware.
3. On-Premise Software Deployment: Full on-premise deployment option for enhanced security and local management and control.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Cabletime designs and manufactures the MediaStar suite — an IPTV, AVoIP, streaming, and digital signage distribution and management solution. The product line includes IPTV headend platforms, media players, encoders, transcoders, re-casters, and HLS streaming servers, complemented by Media Manager software available in cloud or on-premise deployment. MediaStar is sold exclusively via a global channel partner network and is used by organizations to capture, encode, secure, and distribute video content to digital signage screens, TVs, desktops, and mobile devices.

Product overview

Cabletime (now part of Uniguest, acquired in 2022) offers the MediaStar product suite - a comprehensive IPTV, AVoIP, Streaming and Digital Signage distribution and management platform. The portfolio includes the MediaStar core platform for managing and displaying visual content, IPTV Headend for content capture and encoding, MS Media Players (hardware devices delivering 4K with HDCP Pro support), MediaStar Media Manager for cloud or on-premise media asset management, HD Encoders (798 series), Re-Casters and Transcoders (799, 469, 700 series) for stream conversion and distribution, and MediaStar Media Portal for cross-device content access. The solution supports both hybrid cloud and fully on-premise deployment models and is exclusively sold through the global channel partner network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MediaStar: IPTV, AVoIP and Streaming Hardware and Software Solutions for digital signage distribution and management

Products and services

• MediaStar IPTV Headend Platform for capturing and ingesting content from a wide range of sources and encoding and redistributing it across an IP network to Digital Signage screens via Media Players, a desktop video app, an Interactive IPTV Portal, or as a standalone TV feed. Features hot-swappable IPTV headend blades for simple maintenance. Targets enterprise and channel-partner-led deployments.
• MS Media Players Bespoke designed media players optimized for digital signage and IPTV delivery, capable of delivering 4K content with full encryption support and end-to-end HDCP 2.2 Pro delivery. Designed for enterprise digital signage and IPTV installations.
• MediaStar Media Manager Cloud and on-premise media management software providing full control of the media environment, reporting features, and the ability to manage capture, storage, and display of media assets to target content to the right audience at the right location and time. Cloud subscription model offers lower cost of ownership and improved scalability.
• MediaStar 798 HD Encoder HDCP Pro enabled encoder that takes protected content from external providers and distributes it to an unlimited number of screens through MediaStar 782 HDCP Pro enabled IPTV Media Players. Targeted at organizations distributing licensed video content.
• MediaStar 799 IP Re-Caster Gateway Distributes multiple live IP video streams between multiple remote sites over WAN, VPN, or Internet using the SRT (Secure Reliable Transport) protocol. Designed for multi-site enterprise and broadcast environments.
• MediaStar 469 HLS Wireless Live Streaming Server-based software that distributes video media in HLS format over a wireless network to iOS or Android tablets, phones, and BYO devices. Suitable for venues delivering live video to personal mobile devices.
• MediaStar 700-482 & 700-485 Multi-Stream Transcoders Provides video and audio format transcoding, stream rate regulation, and downscaling across multiple live IPTV streams for controlled re-transmission on an IP network. Used by enterprise IPTV operators.
• MediaStar Media Portal Web-based portal for PC and Mac OS enabling users to create, manage, and publish portal pages with Live Stream and iVOD content; two-click publishing, drag-and-drop, and customizable with corporate logos and backgrounds. Content accessible from iOS, Android, Mac, and PC devices.

Quantifiable outcome

• Deployed at 3,000+ organizations worldwide
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AppspacecoreTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration with Appspace delivers state-of-the-art content management solutions for MediaStar customers. Appspace partner certification applies to 782 IPTV and media players, enabling customers to access workplace experiences including digital signage, video, messaging and data.
• NetgearcoreTechnology or IntegrationWorking with Netgear provides fully integrated IPTV solutions using network switches. Netgear products are simple to set up, require little maintenance, and are suited to installations ranging from smaller to larger environments, providing greater control with multiple switch environments.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• ONELAN: ONELAN is a UK-headquartered digital signage and IPTV vendor focused primarily on EMEA markets, comparable to Cabletime's product set and overlapping in regional channels.

Direct peers

• YCD Multimedia: YCD provides enterprise digital signage and in-store video solutions for retail, hospitality, and banking, competing with MediaStar for multi-site signage deployments.
• Exterity (Harman Professional Solutions): Exterity provides enterprise IPTV, digital signage, and video streaming solutions for hospitality, corporate, and public-sector customers, directly overlapping Cabletime's MediaStar core offering and verticals.
• Scala: Scala is a long-standing digital signage and IPTV software platform serving retail, hospitality, healthcare, and transportation — a closely comparable category and customer set to MediaStar.
• VBrick Systems: VBrick delivers enterprise video streaming, IPTV, and lecture capture for corporate, government, and education, overlapping Cabletime's IPTV/AVoIP streaming stack and federal/enterprise verticals.
• BrightSign: BrightSign manufactures digital signage media players used in retail, hospitality, and corporate deployments; also a Cabletime partner, but its standalone players compete directly with the MS Media Player line.
• SpinetiX: SpinetiX offers digital signage players and a signage OS used across enterprise, retail, and transportation, competing with MediaStar's MS Media Players and Media Manager.
• Amino Communications: Amino supplies IPTV/OTT set-top boxes, media gateways, and managed video devices for hospitality and telco operators, competing with Cabletime's headend and media player hardware.

Emerging players

• ScreenCloud: ScreenCloud is a SaaS-native cloud digital signage platform competing for the same enterprise signage use cases as MediaStar Media Manager, especially in mid-market and multi-site customers.

Broad incumbents

• Crestron Electronics: Crestron is a broad AV/control incumbent whose portfolio includes room control, AVoIP distribution, and digital signage that overlaps with MediaStar in corporate and enterprise AV deployments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/uniguest
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@uniguest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uniguest
• Instagraminstagram.com/uniguest_official

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cabletime