Metrological develops RDK App Emulator

RDK Management, LLC Announces App Developer Environment for RDK

PHILADELPHIA — RDK Management, LLC announced today the availability of a development environment for app developers to remotely develop and test apps on top of the RDK – thanks to Metrological, a leading TV application solutions company. Metrological combined their application framework with the RDK to create Metrological’s RDK App Emulator. Metrological will administer and distribute the new emulator to developers looking to create apps on top of the RDK, regardless of whether they are RDK licensees.

The RDK is a pre-integrated software bundle that provides a common framework for powering customer-premises equipment (CPE) from TV service providers, including set-top boxes (STBs), gateways, and converged devices. The new app developer environment uses the RDK and RDK Emulator to enable developers to prototype, develop and test RDK applications remotely on a laptop without using a physical RDK device or set-top box. Developers can access the Metrological’s RDK App Emulator directly by visiting the Metrological web site.

“Supporting app developers to create apps on top of the RDK is a very important part of the RDK mission,” said Steve Heeb, President and General Manager of RDK Management, LLC. “Thanks to Metrological, the RDK can attract an even larger base of app developers that can provide apps to operators. Our long term goal is for the app developer community to view the RDK as the premier platform that brings new levels of innovation to the video industry.”

“This new developer environment gives app developers of any size the ability to develop and test new RDK applications on their own laptops, which will help extend innovative new app experiences to the TV,” said Metrological’s CTO, Albert Dahan. “Metrological is proud to play such an important role in supporting the growing RDK app development community.”

The RDK was created to accelerate the deployment of next-gen video products and services. The RDK provides a common interface to SoCs, acting like a “universal SoC adapter,” which enables the operator to focus and innovate at the revenue-generating services layer. To date, the RDK has been licensed by more than 20 operators globally, but its reach is far broader. Operators can either license the software directly, or receive the software through a third party, such as a set-top box supplier, system integrator, or software vendor. The RDK now has more than 200 licensees including, CE manufacturers, SoC vendors, software developers, system integrators, and TV service providers.

The RDK is administered by the RDK Management, LLC, a joint venture between Comcast Cable, Time Warner Cable, and Liberty Global. The RDK software is available at no cost to RDK licensees in a shared source manner, and RDK community member companies can contribute software changes and enhancements to the RDK stack.