RE:Mucho Popular Frontend FreeBox GameTree TV
2015 looks like a year for big changes in the pay television business. Yesterday, we heard about Dish’ Sling TV. Today, two cable operators announced they are looking to leverage the cloud to reshape their business.
Charter, the 4th largest cable provider in the US, announced that it would be shifting to a next-generation video solution, where a substantial proportion of the technical platform will be cloud based. This hybrid service combines traditional pay TV video with delivery of service elements over IP.
Two vendors will be providing a large part of the technical solution for Charter’s new service. Cisco will provide downloadable security for set-top boxes and digital rights management for IP delivery. Charter leverages ActiveVideo Networks’ Cloud TV solution to implement its next-generation Spectrum Guide in the cloud.
Charter will be following Comcast’s X1 service into the world of hybrid delivery. However, there are significant differences in the approach taken by Charter. For example, X1 requires a very modern, powerful set-top box to run the sophisticated guide software that is the hallmark of the service. Charter runs the Spectrum Guide – handling TV, VOD, and PVR functions – on cloud computing resources. That means the identical guide implementation runs on existing set-top boxes, and on Charter’s new Worldbox STB (some of which will also be provided by Cisco.) Cisco’s unified video security means Charter has a single solution, controllable from the cloud, which it can deploy across multiple vendor set-top boxes.
Kabel Deutschland announced it is developing a new video platform, in partnership with Cisco Systems, to provide a converged video solution in the cloud. The company wants to bring together broadcast, on-demand, catch-up and time-shifted television with Internet video to create a video-hub for the home. The selling point of this change for customers is that will provide a single place where they can go to find their video, regardless of where that video is delivered from.
No doubt the platform will make full use of Cisco’s Videoscape Cloud solutions. The company revealed at IBC last year its focus on virtualizing and orchestrating video workflows in the cloud. This ability is essential for operators as they move to modernize their existing business.
Though Kabel Deutschland’s approach has much in common with what Charter is looking to achieve, the German operator appears to be going a step further. The company clearly wants to work with web video providers so that customers can find their content through the video-hub, as well as content provided as part of the cable subscription. This raises the interesting question of whether Netflix, which launched in Germany last year, might be included with the video-hub.
TransGaming has confirmed the availability of its on-demand gaming platform GameTree TV to pay-TV operators worldwide. In partnership with ActiveVideo, GameTree TV will be added to ActiveVideo’s CloudTV software platform, seamlessly integratinggaming titles into pay-TV operator’s content offerings.
TransGaming’s GameTree TV games service complements operators’ current entertainment portfolios and allows them to provide greater value while also creating new revenue generating opportunities. Leveraging ActiveVideo’s long time leadership in the delivery of cloud gaming to pay-TV operators obtained through set-top box virtualisation, TransGaming can accelerate its market opportunity by delivering HTML5 games to any set-top box or connected device.
“This strategic partnership with ActiveVideo is an important milestone in the broad scale delivery of video games through TransGaming’s GameTree TV platform since it immediately brings us many major operator opportunities,” said Vikas Gupta, CEO & President, TransGaming. “We’ve already successfully integrated GameTree TV with CloudTV which means operators can easily activate our gaming service. This allows all parties to begin generating new revenue opportunities quickly and easily.”
“With rapid evolutions in device ecosystems, fragmentation in new or existing set-tops has historically prevented pay-TV operators from monetising gaming opportunities at scale,” said Murali Nemani, CMO, ActiveVideo. “CloudTV introduces a new paradigm that unlocks the global potential of rich HTML5 casual gaming libraries on any STB or connected device, regardless of local device resources.”
Operator deployments are expected to commence in early 2015 and continue throughout the year with existing ActiveVideo customers representing more than 15 million set-top boxes and connected devices. The revenue model will range from subscription to OEM based fees.
TransGaming has confirmed the availability of its on-demand gaming platform GameTree TV to pay-TV operators worldwide. In partnership with ActiveVideo, GameTree TV will be added to ActiveVideo’s CloudTV software platform, seamlessly integratinggaming titles into pay-TV operator’s content offerings.
TransGaming’s GameTree TV games service complements operators’ current entertainment portfolios and allows them to provide greater value while also creating new revenue generating opportunities. Leveraging ActiveVideo’s long time leadership in the delivery of cloud gaming to pay-TV operators obtained through set-top box virtualisation, TransGaming can accelerate its market opportunity by delivering HTML5 games to any set-top box or connected device.
“This strategic partnership with ActiveVideo is an important milestone in the broad scale delivery of video games through TransGaming’s GameTree TV platform since it immediately brings us many major operator opportunities,” said Vikas Gupta, CEO & President, TransGaming. “We’ve already successfully integrated GameTree TV with CloudTV which means operators can easily activate our gaming service. This allows all parties to begin generating new revenue opportunities quickly and easily.”
“With rapid evolutions in device ecosystems, fragmentation in new or existing set-tops has historically prevented pay-TV operators from monetising gaming opportunities at scale,” said Murali Nemani, CMO, ActiveVideo. “CloudTV introduces a new paradigm that unlocks the global potential of rich HTML5 casual gaming libraries on any STB or connected device, regardless of local device resources.”
Operator deployments are expected to commence in early 2015 and continue throughout the year with existing ActiveVideo customers representing more than 15 million set-top boxes and connected devices. The revenue model will range from subscription to OEM based fees.