Sezmi Lays Off 20

Sezmi, the upstart set-top box maker that plans to deliver television through a combination of over-the-air transmission and broadband, today laid off 20 percent of its staff, or 20 employees, according to The New York Times.

Sezmi President and Chairman Phil Wiser denied that his company was facing problems but said the landscape is very different now than it was two months ago, and told the Times, “Any executive that does not take these changes very seriously would be irresponsible.”

Wiser also said that his company has raised a new round of funding that it would be announcing soon. We know that back at the beginning of August, Sezmi was looking to raise $50 million and that the company, formerly known as Building B, had previously raised $18 million.

We’re suspect of the company and its solution to deliver on-demand TV. It’s a combination of broadcast transmission and broadband delivery struck us as overly complicated for people to abandon their current cable or satellite subscription. The company says it just finished up successful technical trials of the product with three local broadcasters in Seattle, and is prepping for a larger trial next year.