www.tvbeurope.com
TVBEurope Supplements
April 2015
Smart set-top box solutions for IPTV/OTT and Hybrid DVB In association with
In association with
30 TVBEurope
Supplement
Setting the top standard for connected TV As IPTV moves from purely linear products to a complete TV experience, Oliver Soellner, VP of business development and sales at ABOX 42, outlines what is required from today’s set-top boxes t’s true: there is nothing as permanent as
To make their operations successful and cost-
change. And right now nowhere is that more
effective, those companies already providing
true than in the field of set-top box (STB)
their customers with hybrid DVB projects must
I
solutions for IPTV, OTT and hybrid DVB. The brave
demand from manufacturers of STBs, and
new (well, relatively new) world of connecting
associated equipment, innovative upgrade
television to the internet is presenting a whole
solutions which capture the best of traditional
host of new opportunities – and yes, challenges –
linear TV and combine it with the exciting – some
to those operating in that environment.
might say, thrilling – functionalities of network
The industry has witnessed transitions from a purely IP approach to the development of
‘There is an urgent requirement for upgrades that incorporate the modern third generation solutions for those companies already operating in the IPTV environment. And that means equipment that supports all the major standards for both streaming and applications’
PVR, VoD, catch-up TV and third-party services. And the onus is surely on those equipment
hybrid smart STBs. These bring together traditional
providers, because the emergence and
DVB with IP-based services and apps. And
expansion of OTT services is only set to continue,
of local and specialist channels to be accessed by
such developments are essential in today’s
and those who fail to meet the challenge –
the worldwide audience.
maturing market.
whether STB makers or service providers – will
But whatever the scenario, smart STB platforms
surely fall by the
are essential for the advancement of today’s
wayside.
versatile viewing experience, combining
Of course, one of the advantages for
traditional TV services with all that the internet can readily provide.
new entrants in the market is that they
Generation gap
can build on all the
So, what are the demands on STB manufacturers?
development work
To begin with, there is an urgent requirement
of the last few years
for upgrades that incorporate the modern third
and use OTT to deliver
generation solutions for those companies already
services without
operating in the IPTV environment. And that
actually incurring the
means equipment that supports all the major
expense of owning
standards for both streaming and applications.
or building a network
The first generation IPTV was mainly used in
infrastructure. Such
DVB STBs with native DVB GUI and certain IPTV
services can be
extensions. The second generation offered
deployed globally
embedded middleware solutions with first
on an extremely
interactive functions like network PVR, VoD
cost-effective basis,
and custom implementation of apps. Now, the
enabling a whole host
third generation solution allows operators and
TVBEurope 31
April 2015 www.tvbeurope.com
Supplement
systems integrators to quickly build modern and
STBs in the field? This second point is becoming
requirements of demanding IPTV, OTT and hybrid
advanced IPTV solutions. These latest generation
increasingly more important for modern operators.
DVB services. A smart STB product line should
platforms are designed around HTML5 and
Another question might be: “What is your
offer the best price-performance and latest
open standards, meaning operators are not
experience in adaptive streaming, HbbTV and the
technology for even the most challenging IPTV,
restricted to a proprietary STB platform. Utilising an
integration of multiple third-party TV apps that will
OTT, hybrid DVB and cloud TV services.
open approach allows the ready integration of
help in the speedy development of services?”
functionality such as third-party VoD applications
And, of course, we must never forget ‘the
In fact, the latest solutions in this everexpanding – and innovative – field allow
and cloud-based services and provides complete
cloud’. Does your potential supplier offer a
operators, perhaps for the first time, to provide
control over user interface and upgrades.
unique collection of software as a service (SaaS)
a full TV experience to television receivers over
facilities for the installation, deployment and
unmanaged internet lines.
Next, it has to be recognised that not all operators have the same requirements in order to fulfil the service to their customers. So, manufacturers must provide units that can readily be customised to meet unique demands. Put another way, today’s STBs need to offer ‘smart’ solutions. And alongside that, bearing in mind the
‘The onus is on equipment providers, because the emergence and expansion of OTT services is only set to continue, and those who fail to meet the challenge – whether STB makers or service providers – will surely fall by the wayside’
amazing speed at which this section of the media industry is expanding, the ability to produce such solutions must be just as rapid. So, short production cycles are essential.
operation of the STB deployment in the field and
At the end of the day, the user of IPTV, OTT and
to upgrade the functionality of those deployed
hybrid DVB services must be in a position to
Qs and As
services over time? Of course, those companies
enjoy the same TV experience that is available
One of the keys to finding the right provider
operating with existing networks do not need to
with traditional DVB-C or multicast IPTV. In
of such equipment is to ask some pertinent
switch to new technologies overnight. However,
reality, viewing must be a seamless experience,
questions; and then demand proof that the
the time will come when changes will prove
whatever the source of the programme.
responses can be fulfilled.
necessary in order to provide customers with an
For instance, it is worth asking for examples of
Whatever solution is employed, the OTT DVB
almost limitless choice for special interest ‘niche’
solution must technically combine features
how economical and short set-up times have
channels. And those extra channels will provide
required for television using OTT protocols and
already been achieved right across Europe
added income for the operating company.
market-proven standard headend systems over
utilising that supplier’s kit.
public internet. Such solutions will allow operators
Single application
to build and quickly roll out third generation
IPTV set-top box platform, which is not only offering
Modern hardware platforms are designed
HTML-based IPTV services. And that will provide
the latest technology on the hardware side, but
to meet today’s requirements from a single
consumers with what they expect – make that,
also provides a complete solution to manage the
application project up to complex project
demand – from their viewing experience.
Or how about enquiring about an innovative
In association with
32 TVBEurope
Case Study
Telecom Liechtenstein’s IPTV network upgrade was enhanced to offer a complete multiscreen solution
Next generation IPTV
and Swiss broadcasters z Support of third-party VoD services for SVoD and TVoD solutions z Support multiple DRM Systems for telco grade security and Hollywood approved content security
Telecom Liechtenstein’s IPTV refresh provides a recent case study of the work being done by ABOX42 in upgrading first generation IPTV systems to third generation interactive solutions
z End-to-end lifecycle management and software as a service of the set-top box for secure updates and upgrades in the field z The user interface, middleware and headend
T
elecom Liechtenstein, member of the
TV solution, Telecom Liechtenstein could manage a
Telekom Austria Group, wanted a complete
smooth transition to an advanced TV solution that
upgrade of its existing first generation IPTV
allows them to outperform all traditional TV offerings
Zattoo’s key features
provided by cable operators or ISPs.
z Rich multimedia EPG
system in order to provide a platform for a new,
are provided by Zattoo as a fully managed service
z Network PVR
complete multiscreen experience.
ABOX42 features
z Network time shift/pause TV
had to be seamlessly upgraded to a third generation
z Latest generation set-top box hardware
z Restart TV
IPTV proposition with advanced first screen features
(ABOX42 M20-series) for advanced operator
z Seven-day catch-up TV
(provided by a modern STB platform) in combination
requirements and with advanced performance
z Unified UI for first and second screen
with a full multiscreen offering for mobile devices.
z Modern HTML5 GUI (supported by the ABOX42
z Mobile applications including full
By choosing ABOX42’s Smart STB platform in
Developer IDE/SDK/Toolkit)
PVR management
combination with Zattoo’s managed B2B Multiscreen
z Support of HbTV Applications from German
z Branded UI for all screens
To facilitate this, the first generation IPTV network
ABOX42´s advanced Set-Top-Box Solutions for IPTV/OTT & Hybrid
GERMAN QUALITY & ENGINEERING
VISIT US OTT, IPTV and Hybrid Smart Set-Top-Box Product Lines ABOX42 Smart STB´s are latest technology based, operator proven and offer best in class price-performance
OPX SaaS and Cloud TV Services Full Management of the Set-Top-Box deployment in the field including health status information
TV Connect, London Booth #78 28. - 30. April 2015 ABOX42´s Industry Breakfast Crowne Plaza Hotel 29. April 2015 8:30 - 10:00
OPX TV Services
Smart SDK & Developer Program
Modern and comprehensive OPX TV client and OPX Cloud TV services for IPTV, OTT and Hybrid operator projects.
Advanced ABOX42 Smart SDK speeds up customers development of IPTV Apps and IPTV & OTT projects
TV Connect Asia, Singapore 12. - 13. May 2015
CommunicAsia, Singapore 02. - 05. June 2015
ANGACOM, Cologne 09. - 11. June 2015
ABOX42.com
In association with
34 TVBEurope
Supplement
Chief
executive
perspective Matthias Greve, CEO and founder of ABOX42, concludes our supplement by reflecting on the advances made in set-top box (STB) and IPTV solutions, and how his company’s business has adapted to changing market demands
been offering a full range of hybrid smart STBs that can combine traditional DVB with IP-based services and apps. On the product side, we started with an advanced SDK that allows operators and application developers to create applications and
What was the catalyst behind the
Has the company’s strategy changed since that
company’s birth?
initial founding stage?
We have been providing B2C products in this
From a technical perspective our vision is still
providing a comprehensive solution with our OPX
industry for many years, during which time many
unchanged. We wanted to move the project-
TV services, the full TV user interface, and our
international operators have approached us
driven business of STBs, where every operator
OPX middleware and backend services.
looking for more advanced smart STB platforms,
project brings with it specific requirements for a new
directly because of our activities in the B2C
‘smart platform’ approach, to one where ABOX42
a development environment for a modern TV
segment. More and more of these operators
develops a unique hardware platform which can
service or as a total solution to quickly deliver
were demanding modern and consumer
be shared by many operator projects with minimal
new TV services with essential TV features.
oriented products with more advanced features.
adjustments. You can compare our approach
At the same time we recognised initiatives like
with the transformation from embedded feature
What are the specific and most complex
HbbTV (bringing new services to TV) gaining
phones to modern smartphone platforms, where
technical challenges you have faced in
ground in mature markets, so we decided
the software is making the difference, all based on a
developing next generation IPTV solutions?
to form ABOX42 as a manufacturer of latest
powerful, scalable and mature hardware platform.
When we started ABOX42, we built up the
generation smart STBs for the global operator and telco market.
We started with an IP-only approach, focussing on IPTV and OTT projects. Lately, we have also
integrate mature TV applications. Since the end of last year, we have also been
Our Smart STB platform can now be used as
ecosystem with key stakeholders such as chip set vendors, middleware providers and factories,
TVBEurope 35
April 2015 www.tvbeurope.com
Matthias Greve, CEO and founder, ABOX42
Supplement
and we are still a high volume, project-driven business. Over time, we have redesigned the entire supply chain and manufacturing process to be able to handle continuous supply requests and demand from operations in new businesses. With regard to engineering, we design hardware as well as the entire software platform in-house, with the aim of having the most modular and agile software platform, which can easily be adapted to operators’ requirements. What type of advances are we seeing with the latest generation of IPTV and STB solutions, and
“For existing operators, the key advantage in using OTT/IPTV technologies is that they can now react to market needs and launch new features and services more quickly over time”
how different and developed are they from their
How markedly do you think the TV industry as we
first generation iterations?
know it today will change in the next five to ten years? Consumers in the future will demand much more
The first generation of IPTV products worked like a traditional DVB receiver with IP input. The user
who want to access domestic content from
control of where and especially when they watch
interface was ‘hard coded’ and the services very
wherever they are.
their preferred content. So, I believe that time shift,
For existing, well-established operators, the
network PVR and full catch-up TV for all channels will
brought new features, but were still built as
key advantage in using OTT/IPTV technologies
be mandatory for viewers in a couple of years. What
embedded middleware solutions, meaning that
and modern solutions is that they can now react
is also pretty clear is that once TV habits change
any changes for operator projects were hard to
to market needs and launch new features and
and people start to explore new ways of consuming
do, very costly and time consuming.
services more quickly over time. Within traditional
content, there is no way back. Users come to expect
DVB networks, the rollout of new services took
these new features and the freedom of watching
built around HTML5 and open standards. Our
years. With OTT/IPTV delivery and a modern smart
preferred content at any time.
customers are not tied into a proprietary STB
STB platform, it is much more cost-effective; since
platform. With this open approach, our operator
internet technologies are built for easy and cost-
is a TV rights issue as the technical solutions are
customers can integrate third-party VoD
effective scalability and can be used even in lower
already in place today.
applications, cloud-based services and other new
bandwidth networks, thanks to highly efficient
functionality into their platform very quickly. The
streaming formats (eg HEVC) and adaptive bitrate
What should media entities be factoring in to their
operator has full control over the user interface and
technologies (eg HLS or MS Smooth Streaming).
business models and strategies to ensure they
limited. The second generation of IPTV solutions
Our new third generation platform is completely
How fast these new technologies are launched
remain competitive and relevant in a future digital,
upgrades of their services. Where do you see the next innovations in the
mass-IP-enabled marketplace?
Where do you think the broadcast market is in its
IPTV/OTT/cloud TV space?
Since the user wants to decide when, where and
understanding of the true meaning of IPTV and
For ABOX42, the next innovation will be integrating
what they consume, TV operators need to be more
OTT solutions?
DVB into OTT/IPTV. Operators with existing networks
flexible with time shift, network recording and catch-
Many operators and broadcasters have a good
do not have to switch entirely to new technologies,
up TV. When the user gets such a diversity of access
understanding of the advantages of OTT and IPTV.
but can gradually extend their service offerings.
to TV content (e.g. Netflix), the operators have to
Nowadays, everything is possible in a technical
For example, a cable operator can use the hybrid
deliver a competitive solution, where the user can
sense as the market continues to prove, so the
DVB platform to offer new services via IP. The linear
decide according to his or her preferences.
operator is now more able to concentrate on
television is still distributed via DVB-C. Network
shaping its business model around its services.
PVR, network time shift, restart TV and catch-up
Coming back to the company’s progress, and
are provided via the IP connection. Even now it is
your role within that, what elements of ABOX42’s
Do you think that OTT is seen by some to be a
possible to freely mix DVB and IP live TV channels
development to date satisfies you the most as
greater advantage to new entrants to market?
in the same channel list, without any difference
founder and CEO, given the increasing rate of
Naturally, it offers great opportunities for new
in terms of user experience. Operators can have
change in the industry, and the competition
entrants, but equally, it opens up new avenues of
an unlimited number of special interest channels,
you face?
exploration for broadcasters. Where do you see
which do not occupy bandwidth on the DVB-C
We are very happy that our decision to build a
the true business benefits of OTT and IPTV for both
network, but only use bandwidth when accessed
flexible software foundation for our Smart STBs
incumbent operators and new entrants?
by the user. These new services mean new income
and our modular cloud TV/SaaS platform was
For new entrants in the market, the advantage
streams for operators and a unique service offering
exactly the right decision at the right moment in
of OTT is the ability to deliver TV services without
in competitive markets.
time. Our customers need flexible solutions and
owning or building a network infrastructure and
Also for DVB-T/T2 markets, hybrid DVB is a great
a solid hardware platform that can be deployed
with very little fixed costs. New services can be
way to extend services. DVB-T is used for free-to-
quickly. We get more and more enquiries from
deployed cost-effectively on a global scale – an
air channels and pay-TV can be handled via the
operators who consider current suppliers too
example of which is Ethnic TV – where local TV
internet. We see more and more projects that
inflexible to handle projects in the new fast
channels can be broadcast worldwide to people
make use of a ‘best of both worlds’ strategy.
moving consumer environment.
INVITATION
ABOX42´s
INDUSTRY BREAKFAST 29 APRIL 2015 08:30-10:00 CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL - next to ExCeL London / TV Connect hosted by
INVITATION Visit ABOX42´s Industry Breakfast during TV Connect 2015 in London.
during the
ABOX42 Partners:
Hosted by ABOX42, key stakeholders of our industry will share their experience and future view on modern first screen Set-Top-Box platforms, new multiscreen TV solutions and the challenges of a fast changing TV landscape.
REGISTER TODAY www.abox42.com/industrybreakfast industrybreakfast@abox42.com
ABOX42.com
hosted at
ABOX42´s Industry Breakfast 29 April 2015 - 08:30 - 10:00 Crowne Plaza London - Docklands Royal Victoria Dock, Western Gateway, London, E16 1AL