Software (Media Players, Middleware, Browsers, Stacks, …) News

ETSI launches new group on Augmented Reality
Dec 4, 2017 – ETSI has launched a new Industry Specification Group called Augmented Reality Framework (ISG ARF). The group aims to synchronize efforts and identify key use cases and scenarios for developing an Augmented Reality (AR) framework with relevant components and interfaces.
News categories: ETSI, Muriel Deschanel, Ralf Schäfer, Metaverse, Worldwide

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

Hiawatha Broadband Communications chooses Espial cloud platform
Nov 30, 2017 – Espial has announced that Hiawatha Broadband Communications (HBC) is powering its video services with Espial’s Elevate cloud-based SaaS solution. HBC is an operator in Minnesota and Wisconsin providing TV, broadband, and voice services to its customers.
News categories: Espial, Hiawatha Broadband Communications, Matt James, Dan Pecarina, Cable TV, Content Distribution, Digital TV, TV Everywhere, USA, UX

ATEME partners with Interra Systems to optimise video QoE
Nov 30, 2017 – ATEME has announced a partnership with Interra Systems. The partnership will provide mutual customers with an efficient and cost-effective solution for delivering superior quality video experiences on multiple devices.
News categories: ATEME, Interra Systems, François Le Crom, Penny Westlake, Digital TV, QoE, Worldwide

Kaltura and 32 others join SRT Alliance
Nov 28, 2017 – The SRT Alliance, an open-source initiative dedicated to overcoming the challenges of low-latency video streaming, announces that 33 new members have joined the initiative, including the leading video technology provider, Kaltura.
News categories: SRT Alliance, Yaron Reichert, Sylvio Jelovcich, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Media Player, Streaming, Worldwide

Quarterly VR headset shipments top 1 million for the first time
Nov 27, 2017 – Virtual reality headset shipments are showing no signs of slowing, as the quarterly total exceeded 1 million units for the first time in Q3 2017. Sony took the lead, shipping more than 490,000 PlayStation VR (PS VR) sets in the quarter.
News categories: Canalys, Jason Low, Vincent Thielke, Digital TV, Market Research, Metaverse, Worldwide

Amazon announces cloud development platform for AR/VR
Nov 27, 2017 – Amazon Web Services (AWS) [NASDAQ:AMZN], has announced Amazon Sumerian, a service that makes it easy for any developer to build Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and 3D applications, and run them on mobile devices, head-mounted displays, digital signage, or web browsers.
News categories: Amazon Web Services, Marco Argenti, Metaverse, Worldwide

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