ACCESS browser selected by Toshiba for Hybridcast TV

NetFront™ Browser NX from ACCESS has been selected by Toshiba for world’s first commercially available Hybridcast TV

LONDON, England — ACCESS CO., LTD, a global provider of advanced software technologies to the mobile, beyond-PC and digital TV markets, today announced the integration of NetFront™ Browser NX in the Toshiba TV platform and the embedding of the browser for the world’s first commercially available Hybridcast TV in Japan. Toshiba is a world-leading diversified manufacturer, solutions provider and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products and systems.

ACCESS has expanded NetFront Browser NX to offer support for Hybridcast, providing Toshiba with a market-ready solution that can be deployed quickly and efficiently. In addition to Hybridcast, the solution also supports the YouTube specification, including Encrypted Media Extensions and Media Source Extensions for premium content support.

By adding Hybridcast functionality to NetFront Browser NX, ACCESS offers support for all major TV standards, including HbbTV, GINGA and BML, effectively providing CE device manufacturers for global markets. The integration of NetFront Browser NX ensures that Toshiba can offer high quality, standards-based experiences which are perfectly suited to the market, with:

• Hybridcast support allowing traditional broadcasts to be supplemented with internet-funneled add-on data
• Greater contextual and interactive information on the TV screen, such as in-depth programme information and seamless delivery to smartphones and tablets.

“ACCESS’ ability to quickly support this new standard enabled us to be the first to launch an integrated Hybridcast TV into the Japanese market,” said Yasuhiro Ishibashi, Technology Executive, Design & Development Center of Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corporation. “By working alongside a trusted partner like ACCESS, we were able to quickly integrate the proven NetFront Browser NX solution with our technology to meet the growing consumer demand for the new standard.”

“As operators and consumers demand more interaction with programming, it has resulted in manufacturers needing to adapt new standards in the smallest amount of time possible in any given market,” said Dr Neale Foster, VP Global Sales, TV, ACCESS. “We are proud to see that a world-renowned manufacturer such as Toshiba has chosen our WebKit-based HTML5 browser, which now supports Hybridcast, adding to our vast portfolio of solutions making us a safe bet for the CE industry.”