3 Screen Solutions (3SS), leading provider of customized software solutions and services for multiscreen digital entertainment, announces that Sweden’s largest cable operator Com Hem Group selected the 3READY Android TV Client with custom launcher to power its new Android TV UHD-4K Hybrid STB, the Com Hem TV Hub.
Now live, Com Hem TV Hub is the world’s first major Android N deployment based on Android TV Operator Tier providing a fully customized experience with integrated Google TV services. The accomplishment is more remarkable in that separately branded Android TV UHD-4K user experiences were enabled for subscribers on Com Hem’s two technologically discrete and separately branded services, Com Hem Play and Boxer. Com Hem Play broadcasts via DVB-C (cable), IPTV and OTT with Boxer transmitting in DVB-T (terrestrial TV) and OTT. With a phased rollout, the 3READY-enriched STB is being deployed to serve Com Hem Group’s combined 1.4 million Swedish subscriber households.
The two Com Hem systems run in parallel with a high degree of efficiency thanks to 3READY’s ability to seamlessly incorporate and apply customization to services, including different content configuration, user features and branding. Com Hem and Boxer subscriber bases will benefit from immersive, easy-to-search UI/UX’s, and a brand-specific custom launcher.
“For Android TV expertise, no one else comes close to 3 Screen Solutions, so our choice was clear” commented Com Hem Group CTO Thomas Helbo.
“Moreover, as the project progressed towards deployment and launch, the 3SS team powerfully demonstrated their software engineering excellence, deep understanding of distribution networks, and their design creativity as they helped bring all these elements together, delivering both game-changing efficiencies and next-generation viewing experiences,” he added.
Agile Development
3SS delivered the project with maximum efficiency and speed, in rigorous compliance with SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework), the increasingly popular and practical experience-based software development framework designed to accelerate and optimize system deployments. In the run-up to launch, 3SS chaired regular workshops which helped Com Hem engineers build closer relationships with technology partners, facilitating interactive information exchange. Rigorously organized project update sessions ensured all stakeholders were kept abreast of status of all objectives and detailed roadmap of deliverables.
Sitting at the hub of the system architecture, 3READY will support the rollout of future service enhancements including UHD channels as they are added to the Com Hem Group’s service offerings.
Trailblazing new UI and EPG says goodbye to the TV guide
The new Com Hem platform delivers a simple and truly intuitive experience as well as discovery of all content types including Live TV, Catch-up, SVOD, TVOD and content of partners including Netflix, SVT and TV4 under one umbrella
Complexity is reduced and discoverability in enhanced via a new Remote-Control concept with state-of-the-art design combined with a trailblazing new UI and EPG which says goodbye to the traditional TV Guide.
In a brand-new viewing experience, Com Hem has banished the TV Guide grid and numbered channel listings, while redefining zapping. Ultra-intuitive navigation makes live channel surfing a more visual experience. Super-smooth scrolling immediately shows what’s playing now, what is available from the past seven days of broadcasts, and enables impulse selection and instant start of catch-up content.
3SS engineered 3READY to have a high level of automation, including the ability to perform systematic A/B testing. This enables the operator to experiment, for example to speedily test via a subset of subscribers, effectively creating a focus group, whether a new feature will be popular with viewers.
Com Hem took advantage of 3READY’s A/B testing, combined with usability testing, to fine-tune its new EPG based on direct feedback from a sample group of subscribers. Therefore Com Hem was able to debut its new TV Guide and user interface with confidence, based on verified user feedback data enabled by 3READY.
“To be entrusted by Com Hem to deliver its new Android TV platform is a huge honor,” said Kai-Christian Borchers, Managing Director of 3 Screen Solutions.
“We are especially proud that 3READY is offering millions of Swedish consumers a unique new viewing experience, one which breaks all the old rules and transforms the user’s ability to find the content he or she wants.”
“The combination of innovations made possible by 3READY, and the many appealing features of today’s Android TV, is a game-changer which we believe is enabling Com Hem to set a new benchmark in digital entertainment,” he added.
The 3READY-enhanced Android TV solution complies with the latest Android TV Operator Tier guidelines and features of Android N. Com Hem subscribers now benefit from an array of special features alongside Google’s rich Android TV feature set including:
- GoogleCast
- Access to extensive array of apps from Google Play Store
- Google Assistant enabling unified search across all apps
- Netflix
- TV4 Play
- SVT Play
- Partner apps accessible directly via remote-control
The custom launcher enabled by 3READY helps operators launch innovative new services faster, while featuring the operator’s own branding to build powerful relationships with subscribers.
3READY is optimized for Android-based STB and Multiscreen deployments, which are becoming increasingly popular among operators. 3READY is currently being rolled out internationally in several major projects.
At 3READY’s core is a flexible best-practice frontend pre-engineered to deliver today’s most compelling functional requirements. So an operator can introduce branded services faster with state-of-the-art application architecture ready to customize to the operator’s needs.
About Com Hem
Com Hem offers broadband, TV, play and telephony services to Swedish households and companies. Our powerful and future-proofed network with speeds of up to 1 Gbit/s, covers half of the country’s households, making the Com Hem Group an important driver of creating a digital Sweden. We bring our 1.45 million customers the broadest range of digital-TV channels and play services via set-top boxes as well as on-the-go for tablets and smartphones. The company was founded in 1983 and has approximately 1,100 employees. Com Hem Group is headquartered in Stockholm and operates through four subsidiaries: Com Hem AB, Boxer TV Access AB, Phonera Företag AB and iTUX Communication AB. In 2017, Group sales totalled SEK 7,136 million. Since 2014, the Com Hem share has been listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. www.comhemgroup.com
About 3 Screen Solutions
3 Screen Solutions delivers world-class software solutions to service providers and technology innovators to bring video on any screen. We design and engineer bespoke front end and back end solutions for TV & Video. Our ground-breaking 3READY Android STB + Multiscreen Solution solves broadcasters’ and operators’ challenges. 3SS’ customers include major satellite, cable, IPTV, OTT and mobile TV operators including Swisscom, Com Hem, Vodafone Kabel Deutschland, Liberty Global (UPC, Unitymedia), SES, ProSiebenSat.1, Eutelsat and O2/Telefonica. www.3ss.tv
