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

Flat Panel Display revenues forecast to fall in 2015
Jul 28, 2015 – Led by declining thin-film-transistor liquid-crystal display (TFT LCD) revenues, global flat panel display (FPD) industry revenue is forecast to fall 2 percent, from $131.4 billion in 2014 to $129 billion in 2015, according to IHS (NYSE: IHS).
News categories: IHS, David Hsieh, Market Research, Smart TV, Worldwide

ACTV launches Nigeria's first CAM-Card for Smart TVs
Jul 23, 2015 – Nigeria's African Cable Television (ACTV) has announced the launch of its ACTV CAM-Card for satellite Smart TVs. ACTV has entered into a partnership with LG to bring the product to as many Nigerians as possible.
News categories: African Cable Television, Joseph Chitanta, CAM, Content Protection, Digital TV, Nigeria, Satellite, Smart TV

HEVC Advance announces patent royalty rate schedule
Jul 22, 2015 – HEVC Advance has announced several milestones to support the next generation of digital video through access to patents essential to the HEVC/H.265 standard. The milestones include the announcement of the primary royalty rate schedule for the HEVC Advance patent pool.
News categories: HEVC Advance, Peter Moller, Digital TV, Gaming, Licensing, Mobile, Patent, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Worldwide

U.S. OTT TV viewing is higher in Gen X, Kid households
Jul 22, 2015 – According to a report from GfK, U.S. households with at least one member of Generation X (roughly ages 35 to 49), and those where children (ages 17 and under) are present, are much more likely to stream video and view other content using an Internet-connected device attached to a TV.
News categories: GfK, David Tice, Blu-ray, Digital TV, Gaming, Market Research, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Streaming, USA

Digital TV Labs first approved lab for Malaysia DTT HbbTV receivers
Jul 22, 2015 – Digital TV Labs has received official accreditation from the Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (SIRIM) to become the first lab facility for the Malaysian Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) Broadcast Service Receiver Specification, including the interactive HbbTV profile.
News categories: Digital TV Labs, SIRIM, Andy Hickman, Digital TV, HbbTV, Malaysia, QoE, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Terrestrial

Irdeto and SMiT launch CAM for Transvision in Indonesia
Jul 21, 2015 – Irdeto has announced, with Samsung and SMiT, the launch of the first broadcast Direct-2-TV (D2TV) system for the Indonesian market that does not require a set-top box. Irdeto’s security is integrated with SMiT’s USB CAM and a range of Samsung TVs that do not require IP connectivity.
News categories: Irdeto, Transvision, SMiT, Samsung, Bengt Jonsson, Hengkie Liwanto, CAM, Content Protection, Digital TV, Indonesia, Satellite, Smart TV

VTVCab, SmarDTV and Samsung deploy Conax-certified CAM in Vietnam
Jul 20, 2015 – VTVCab, SmarDTV (SIX:KUD.S) and Samsung have announced that they will bring to market a solution to provide access to VTVCab Pay TV services in Vietnam. VTVCab subscribers will then be able to enjoy content on their Samsung Cable TV model without using a set-top box.
News categories: SmarDTV, Samsung, VTVCab, Conax, Gregory Laloy, My Nguyen, Nam Bui, Cable TV, CAM, Digital TV, Smart TV, Vietnam

MStar integrates Intertrust UHD security for TVs and STBs
Jul 15, 2015 – Intertrust has announced that MStar Semiconductor has integrated Intertrust's ExpressPlay UHD in MStar’s SoCs for 4K TVs, set-top boxes and OTT/IP boxes. ExpressPlay UHD is the most widely deployed DRM in China and the choice of initiatives in Japan and Europe.
News categories: Intertrust, MStar Semi, Kenny Huang, Wayne Tsai, China, Content Protection, Digital TV, DRM, Europe, Japan, Semiconductor, Set Top Box, Smart TV

VIZIO and Sony Visual Products adopt Dolby AC-4
Jul 14, 2015 – Dolby Laboratories (NYSE: DLB) has announced partnerships with VIZIO and Sony Visual Products to drive the adoption of Dolby AC-4 in televisions for next-generation broadcast systems and streaming internet content. Dolby AC-4 is targeted for availability in TVs starting in 2017.
News categories: Dolby, VIZIO, Sony Visual Products, Giles Baker, Matt McRae, Toshi Suzuki, Digital TV, Silicon IP, Smart TV, Streaming, Worldwide