Hardware (DVD, TV, PMP, Set-top Box, …) News

Freeview Play launches on Sony BRAVIA televisions
Dec 4, 2017 – Freeview and Sony have announced the roll out of Freeview Play on selected Sony BRAVIA TV models in the UK. The subscription free catch-up and on-demand platform provides access to BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4, Demand 5 and UKTV Play.
News categories: Freeview, Sony, Guy North, John Anderson, Digital TV, Middleware, Smart TV, UK

US military launch MPEG-4 HD STBs with Inview middleware
Dec 4, 2017 – Inview and DigitalGlue have announced the launch of DigitalGlue’s MPEG-4 HD set-top boxes used by the American Forces Network (AFN). Inview’s middleware, integrated on all of the DVB-S2 STBs, provides the user interface for the twin tuner PVR.
News categories: Inview, DigitalGlue, Diego Martinez, Ray Rodriguez, Digital TV, DVB-S2, Middleware, Satellite, Set Top Box, USA, Worldwide

Orange makes OCast casting software open source
Dec 1, 2017 – Orange is to make OCast software available as Open Source. OCast is a technology that allows a smartphone to be used to play videos on devices including TV set-top boxes, TV Sticks or TVs and control playback of the video.
News categories: Orange, Viaccess-Orca, Deutsche Telekom, Thierry Souche, Paul Molinier, Randolph Nikutta, Digital TV, Middleware, Mobile, Set Top Box, Smart Home, Worldwide

Tricolor TV and NEOTION enable public establishments in Russia to offer mobile TV
Nov 29, 2017 – Tricolor TV and NEOTION have launched a service for the B2B segment, called 'Territory of Tricolor TV', available within the footprint of Eutelsat 36C. Using NEOTION software and hardware, the service allows organizations to offer visitors access to Tricolor TV content on their mobile devices.
News categories: NEOTION, Tricolor TV, Olivier DEMOLY, Alexei Karpov, Content Distribution, Digital TV, DVB-S2, Gateway, Mobile, Russia, Satellite

HDMI Forum releases Version 2.1 of the HDMI specification
Nov 28, 2017 – HDMI Forum has announced the release of Version 2.1 of the HDMI Specification. The latest specification supports a range of higher video resolutions and refresh rates including 8K60 and 4K120, and resolutions up to 10K. Dynamic HDR formats are also supported.
News categories: HDMI Forum, Robert Blanchard, Blu-ray, Digital TV, Gaming, Set Top Box, Smart Home, Smart TV, Worldwide

Viaccess-Orca and Rambus strengthen security in TVs and STBs
Nov 28, 2017 – Viaccess-Orca has announced that it has collaborated with Rambus to strengthen its VO Shield Root of Trust (RoT) solution. The CryptoMedia Content Protection Core from Rambus complements VO Shield by enabling a hardware RoT to be embedded directly in the multimedia chipset of devices, including TVs and STBs.
News categories: Viaccess-Orca, Rambus, Cédric Hardouin, Bret Sewell, Content Protection, Digital TV, Set Top Box, Silicon IP, Smart TV, Worldwide

Piracy-enabling STB supplier closed down in Australia
Nov 28, 2017 – Following a joint investigation in Australia by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) and CASBAA's Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) into a large supplier of IPTV set-top boxes, pre-loaded to play pirated movies, television shows, sports programming, and other content has had these operations closed down in Australia.
News categories: CASBAA, Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, Neil Gane, Zoe Thorogood, Australia, Content Protection, Digital TV, Set Top Box, Streaming

Frontier Communications signs up to Energy-Efficiency Voluntary Agreements
Nov 27, 2017 – Frontier Communications has joined as a signatory of two voluntary agreements to continue the ongoing improvement of the energy efficiency of its set-top boxes, as well as modems and routers used for broadband Internet services.
News categories: Frontier Communications, Cable TV, Digital TV, Set Top Box, USA

UKTV offers voice-enabled search on Amazon Fire TV
Nov 24, 2017 – UKTV has become the first UK broadcaster to make its on demand programming easy to find through voice-enabled search on Amazon Fire TV. Viewers can find shows using their TV controls, by speaking into their Fire TV Stick with Alexa voice remote or the all-new Amazon Fire TV.
News categories: UKTV, Amazon, Digital TV, Set Top Box, Smart Home, Streaming, UK, UX