Vewd, the global market leader in enabling OTT, and Opentech, one of South Korea’s leading set-top box manufacturers, announced a multi-year contract that adds Vewd Core, and Vewd’s award-winning HbbTV 2.0.1 and newly released Operator Applications modules to their set-top boxes.
The new agreement will result in the first deployment of set-top boxes supporting the new HbbTV Operator Application standard.
HbbTV is a global standard reaching more than 120 million households in 35 countries that enables interactive TV experiences over broadcast. The latest addition of HbbTV operator apps will allow operators to:
- Create one application that transforms any connected set-top box with an operator’s look, feel and applications
- Offer more engaging, branded and customized user experiences
- Create applications that can meet cord-cutters and cord-nevers on their preferred screen
- Gain scale with their OTT solutions by investing in a widely-deployed international standard
In total, these benefits transform how operators streamline and even reduce set-top box capex investments and simplify device procurement through the adoption of standards. Everyone wins when an operator embraces HbbTV Operator Apps. Consumers can have free choice among set-top box offerings and freedom from monthly fees for hardware rental. An operator’s balance sheet is also transformed by removing set-top box costs and ending an operator’s costly reliance on systems integration projects for bespoke hardware.
Opentech utilizes operator apps to scale their set-top box platform distribution with a lightning fast time-to-market. Once an operator has created an HbbTV Operator App, Opentech’s set-top boxes can immediately be deployed within that region. Furthermore, Opentech can launch a specific set-top box in multiple markets without customizing hardware for each operator.
“HbbTV operator apps allow us to scale effortlessly in more markets and serve even more operators with our market-leading set-top box solutions,” said Juyong Lee, Managing Director and Head of STB Division, Opentech. “Vewd has been the world leader in enabling HbbTV on connected TV devices for years and given their early investments in the modern evolution of this standard, they were the clear partner of choice for launching HbbTV operator apps.”
Vewd has been an integral member of the HbbTV steering group for over six years. Last year, Vewd’s implementation of HbbTV 2.0.1 was named “Best Multiscreen HbbTV Service” by the HbbTV Association.
“We’ve been excited about HbbTV operator apps since we first began discussing the concept with the HbbTV Association, and we’re proud to launch the world’s first operator app solution together with Opentech,” said Aneesh Rajaram, CEO, Vewd. “The world of pay TV is changing rapidly. HbbTV operator apps offer Pay TV operators a chance to improve their balance sheets and achieve wider scale with a multitude of potential hardware partners.”
About Vewd
Vewd is the global leader in enabling entertainment, connecting consumers anywhere to the content they love. By making OTT possible on nearly 50 million connected devices each year, Vewd leads the way in defining the future of entertainment. Our suite of products and services are crafted to simplify complexity and offer solutions that unite the entire value chain, from silicon vendors to end users. Market leaders such as Samsung, Sony, Verizon, TiVo, and many more rely on Vewd products and services. Follow us, as we make OTT extraordinary. Visit Vewd.com to learn more.
