Smart TV (Connected TV, Integrated Digital Television, IDTV) News

PlayStation Vue available on Sony Android TVs
Oct 27, 2016 – Sony has announced that the Internet-based live TV service PlayStation Vue is now available on all Sony's premium Android TVs. PlayStation Vue allows consumers to watch their live TV, movies and sports content without a cable or satellite subscription.
News categories: Sony Electronics, PlayStation, Mike Fasulo, Apps, Digital TV, Smart TV, Streaming, USA

Samsung adds Marlin DRM to HbbTV 2.0 Smart TVs for Italy
Oct 18, 2016 – Intertrust and Samsung have announced a partnership that will expand DRM standardization for digital media. Under the agreement, Samsung will ship Marlin DRM software in its HbbTV 2.0-enabled Smart TVs for users in Italy.
News categories: Intertrust, Tivù, Samsung, Talal G. Shamoon, Alberto Sigismondi, Content Protection, Digital TV, DRM, HbbTV, Italy, Smart TV

HDR TV shipments to grow to 4.3 million units in 2016
Oct 12, 2016 – HDR TV shipments will reach more than 4 million units in 2016 and growth to more than 30 million units by 2020, according to IHS Markit. The market for HDR compatible TVs will be as much as four times larger.
News categories: IHS Markit, Paul Gagnon, Digital TV, Market Research, Smart TV, Worldwide

Socionext develops ISDB-S3 demodulator with channel bonding option for cable retrans
Sep 29, 2016 – Socionext has developed the world's first demodulator IC that is compatible both with the Advanced Wide-Band Digital Satellite Broadcasting (ISDB-S3) and ITU-T Recommendation J.183 based channel bonding technology.
News categories: Socionext, Cable TV, Digital TV, ICs, Japan, Satellite, Semiconductor, Set Top Box, Smart TV

U.S. connected entertainment device adoption grew 11% in 2015
Sep 27, 2016 – A new report from Parks Associates finds that 73% of U.S. broadband households connect one or more in-home entertainment devices to the Internet, an increase of 11% from the beginning of 2015.
News categories: Parks Associates, Barbara Kraus, Blu-ray, Digital TV, Gaming, Market Research, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Streaming, USA

Freeview Play spec adds HEVC and Ultra HD via broadband
Sep 23, 2016 – Digital UK has published an updated technical specification for Freeview Play, setting out new features and requirements for products developed during 2017. Freeview Play combines live television with catch-up TV and on-demand services, making it easy for viewers to watch what they want, when they want.
News categories: Digital UK, James Jackson, Digital TV, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Streaming, Terrestrial, UK

Samsung releases open source HbbTV media player
Sep 20, 2016 – Samsung has announced that its Hybrid broadcast broadband TV (HbbTV) media player will be available as an open source project named HbbPlayer on github, an open source developer community.
News categories: Samsung, Miyoung Yoo, Digital TV, HbbTV, Smart TV, Worldwide

Intertrust ExpressPlay DRM now Dolby Vision compatible
Sep 9, 2016 – Intertrust has announced that the Intertrust ExpressPlay cloud-based digital rights management (DRM) system is now compatible with Dolby Vision, the HDR imaging format for Ultra HD content.
News categories: Intertrust, Dolby, Kenny Huang, Curt Behlmer, Content Protection, Digital TV, DRM, IBCShow, Smart TV, Worldwide

ATSC 3.0 Physical Layer standard approved
Sep 8, 2016 – The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) has announced that the Physical Layer transmission system for ATSC 3.0 next-generation television broadcasting has been approved as a Final Standard.
News categories: Advanced Television Systems Committee, Mark Richer, ATSC 3, Digital TV, Korea, North America, Set Top Box, Smart TV, USA