Opera supports single chip set-top box solutions from STMicroelectronics

Oslo, Norway — Opera Software today announced that the Opera SDK for Devices now supports STMicroelectronics’ STi710X family of high-definition TV single-chip set-top box decoders. Manufacturers using STMicroelectronics’ STi710X solutions to enable very high performance for cost optimized set-top boxes will now be able to include the fast and full-featured Opera browser on these devices.

Opera will enhance set-top boxes by presenting the full Internet to users and providing the tools to create dynamic Web applications and user interfaces with Web technology. With Opera’s support for STMicroelectronics’ platform out-of-the-box, device manufacturers can reduce the time-to-market for new deployments, resulting in less porting time and lower costs.

We are engaging with leaders in the industry so that set-top box manufacturers using our chip solution have access to a range of best-in-breed middleware solutions, says Monica de Virgiliis, Home Video Division General Manager, STMicroelectronics. We are delighted with the Opera browser, which offers the full, fast and safe Web experience that end-users demand, and provides the added benefit of reducing time-to-market, which is important to our customers.

STMicroelectronics is the industry leader in offering high quality and feature-rich decoders for set-top-boxes. STMicroelectronics’ devices combine all of the functions of a set-top box on a single chip and complemented by the established low level driver set, STAPI, provide a cost-efficient solution to manufacturers. Coupled with Opera, the ultimate result is increased functionality with a reduction in cost and time-to-market.

As a leading supplier of chipsets globally, STMicroelectronics is a valued partner for Opera, says Michael Link, Director of Product Management, Opera Software. The Opera 9 SDK for Devices is designed to meet the needs of innovative OEMs and operators to bring Web technology to their devices. By supporting STMicroelectronics’ platform we deliver leading Web technologies to OEMs and operators, helping them to get their devices into the market faster.

About Opera for Devices

Opera provides an optimized implementation of Internet technologies for handheld devices, digital TV and other devices, with innovative and powerful features that seamlessly adapt the Internet experience to suit varying screen sizes and input devices. In addition to being a full Internet browser, Opera is a high performance execution environment for Web applications and dynamic user interfaces based on interoperable open Web technologies such as AJAX.