Television software company Vewd is partnering with Vestel, the largest television manufacturer in Europe, to provide a smart television with an enhanced television operator experience built in. It is claimed to the be first operator television offered on a software-as-a-service basis. The Vewd Operator TV platform enables service providers to own the entire smart television experience, including the home screen, from the moment a consumer purchases the television. The Vewd Operator TV platform is an alternative to the Sky Glass approach launched by Sky last week. It also avoids the need for a separate set-top box, or to compete alongside other apps on a smart television.
“Operators have tried different strategies to embrace smart TV, but together with Vestel, we’ve made the first solution that seamlessly connects pay TV and smart TV,” said Aneesh Rajaram, the chief executive of Vewd.
“Consumers are streaming more and connecting fewer devices to the TV. As a result, operators are forced to fight for visibility among smart TV apps. Vewd Operator TV ensures Operators of any size can seize control from the start and win the home’s most important screen.”
The Vewd Operator TV platform includes a cloud-managed reference user experience and supports customisation by the operator. It supports broadcast channels, as well as premium online channels and video-on-demand services, with conditional access to ensure the security of programming.
Vewd offers a software-as-a-service business model, designed to align with the subscription and revenue models of television service providers.
Vestel produces televisions for over a hundred brands, including JVC, Hitachi and Toshiba. This offers operators the opportunity to offer their own or co-branded televisions, while using the manufacturing, warehousing and distribution experience of the Vestel Group, which is based in Turkey, with 10 international subsidiaries.
“Vestel is pleased to add our expertise in building high-quality, full-featured Smart TVs to empower Vewd’s Operator TV solution,” said Barış Altınkaya, the Vice President of Marketing and Product Management at Vestel. “By working directly with Vewd and the operator, we can leverage our vast manufacturing and retail distribution experience to contribute in reducing time-to-market, enabling substantial operator CapEx savings while delivering an experience that delights subscribers, reduces churn and improves subscriber satisfaction.”