Zattoo is pioneering TV distribution tech once again by launching HbbTV on its latest state of the art Android TV Operator Tier certified 4K/UHD set-top box.
The availability of established broadcast technology such as HbbTV gives Zattoo's operator customers the flexibility to both benefit from the latest and greatest in TV tech while giving subscribers access to their proven features and functionality.
HbbTV’s self stated goal is to “harmonize the broadcast, IPTV, and broadband delivery of entertainment to the end consumer through connected TVs and set-top boxes”. HbbTV is much like teletext for the 4K television era. It has successfully enabled the offering of novel use cases and a range of new possibilities to viewers.
The most common implementation of HbbTV is that of a content aggregation application published and maintained by broadcasters/content owners to be offered via traditional broadcast methods. These HbbTV compliant applications can offer a mix of live, on demand and interactive services, the latter used mostly during multi-event sports tournaments such as the Olympics, in addition to rich data driven services such as local news, weather and financial markets information.
The look and feel of the HbbTV application is defined by the broadcaster/content owner, as is the hosting, delivery and surfacing of content within the HbbTV app. The user navigates and interacts with the HbbTV app using the quick access 4 colour code buttons and directional pad (D-pad) available on the STB remote control.
Michal Jurczyk, Android Tech Lead at Zattoo comments: “We see the TV experience as the chance to engage viewers in a positive, enjoyable and relaxing experience. By implementing HbbTV within the Zattoo Android TV application, we have the opportunity to further enhance this experience by engaging the viewer from within the context they are consuming content from.
It also gives Zattoo a well standardised platform to offer access to these additional content services offered by broadcasters in a quick and efficient manner. Whilst this implementation provided us and our partners at Fraunhofer FOKUS with some interesting challenges with it being one of the first such integrations of HbbTV into a TV service centric Android TV application, we are very happy with the results, as we expect our viewers will be.”
The Android TV 4K/UHD set-top box has been successfully deployed by Zattoo TV platform customers and can be leveraged by any operator or media company who wants to expand their IPTV/OTT offering. Among Zattoo’s first customers are 1&1, leading DSL and mobile communications provider in Germany, the Swiss telco Azienda Multiservizi Bellinzona (AMB), and the Swiss network operator senseLAN.
Android TV is a trademark of Google LLC.
About Zattoo With more than 30 customers and several million active users per month, Zattoo is one of the leading TV-as-a- Service platforms in Europe. Its customers include Tier 1 operators like 1&1 in Germany, eir in Ireland, Salt in Switzerland and Monaco Telecom, for whom Zattoo offers fully hosted and managed IPTV, OTT and TV Everywhere services. The focus is on a White Label product with state-of-the-art features and applications for all relevant devices and covering all common ones: Android TV for operator set- top boxes as well as Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Smart TVs and mobile devices (iOS / Android / Windows 10). Zattoo gained recognition for its achievements in 2020 with the awarding of the Technology and Engineering Emmy® Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
About Fraunhofer FOKUS Fraunhofer FOKUS offers research services ranging from requirements analysis to consulting, feasibility studies, technology development right up to prototypes and pilots in the business segments Digital Public Services, Future Applications and Media, Quality Engineering, Smart Mobility, Software-based Networks, Networked Security, Visual Computing und Analytics. With about 450 employees in Berlin and an annual budget of 33 million euros, Fraunhofer FOKUS is one of the largest ICT institutes of the Fraunhofer Society. Around 80 percent of its budget is generated through projects from industry and the public domain.
For more information: fokus.fraunhofer.de
Contact Hanns Schempp, Head of Marketing TVP hanns.schempp@zattoo.com
