ACCESS and Vestel Power ASTRA's New HbbTV Service for Germany's DTH Households

Vestel STB Includes ACCESS’ NetFront™ Browser for HbbTV to Enable Next-Generation Converged Broadband and Broadcast

OBERHAUSEN, Germany — ACCESS CO., LTD., a global provider of advanced software technologies to the mobile, beyond-PC and digital TV markets, and Vestel Electronics, a leading OEM and ODM in the consumer electronics and digital products markets, today announced that they have incorporated ACCESS’ NetFront™ Browser DTV Profile HbbTV Edition in the new Vestel HbbTV (Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV) set-top box (STB). This new device will enable consumers to receive satellite operator SES ASTRA’s new HbbTV-enabled services. SES ASTRA is the leading Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite system in Europe.

ASTRA’s new HbbTV services from main German broadcasters, including ARD and ZDF, will be available on the new Vestel DVB-S2 STB, which will be targeted at DTH households that subscribe to satellite services from SES ASTRA. The Vestel HbbTV STB features DTH satellite reception, CI+ (Common Interface Plus) technology and the state-of-the-art ACCESS NetFront Browser for HbbTV support.

“With HbbTV, consumers have all the benefits of a high quality large-screen viewing experience coupled with the capability to enjoy compelling VOD and catch-up content, interact with programs and friends, or swap media files or photos,” said Hakan Hutlu, Deputy General Manager for Marketing, Vestel Electronics. “However, processing HbbTV within a STB presents a difficult challenge to a normal web browser. ACCESS is unique in its ability to provide an embedded TV browser solution that meets the needs of operators and consumers alike.”

“Connected TV services, such as HbbTV, are enabling Pay-TV operators to explore new service differentiation and monetization options, including advertising or charging consumers, across different platforms. This dynamic is driving demand for IP-enabled consumer devices, and we are delighted to be working with Vestel to deliver these solutions to German TV consumers. With more than 20 years of experience in enabling seamless media connectivity, we have specifically optimized our NetFront Browser for embedded environments to deliver the most advanced, versatile and powerful full Internet browser for beyond-PC devices,” said Dr Neale Foster, vice president of sales and business development, ACCESS Systems Europe, adding that the software supports a broad range of plug-ins and is easy to customize.

NetFront Browser DTV Profile HbbTV Edition has a small RAM/ROM footprint and low CPU power consumption. This means that operators can offer an exciting range of new services with a deployment of affordable STBs. Supporting almost any mainstream OS and CPU, NetFront Browser can be integrated with other ACCESS connected digital TV software, including NetFront™ Living Connect, a home network solution certified by the DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance), as well as ACCESS’ NetFront™ Widgets applications platform. Vestel Electronics announced in June of this year that it plans to integrate all three ACCESS solutions across its entire range of connected digital TVs and set-top boxes.

More than 950 million NetFront series products have been shipped around the world in a large variety of devices including mobile phones, digital TVs, set-top boxes, mobile handhelds, game consoles, automobile navigation systems and many other types of devices as of June 2010.