Opera Software and Ocean Blue Software have announced the launch of a modular, scalable and integrated Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV) solution for connected TVs and set-top boxes.
This solution combines the Opera Devices SDK for Linux, Opera’s fully compliant HbbTV framework and Ocean Blue’s DVB middleware, which incorporates HbbTV extensions. The resulting package gives full flexibility to OEMs, enabling them to implement HbbTV portals and services, such as ARD/ ZDF Mediathek, Tagesschau and Arte.
“At the moment there are different broadcast/broadband initiatives on the European market, including HbbTV in Germany and France, and Canvas in the United Kingdom, so there will be different market scenarios. However, Opera Software and Ocean Blue plan to offer a common technology platform to all of these developments, based on open Web standards,” said Christen Krogh, chief development officer, Opera Software, in a statement. “Our strategic technology and business partnership with Ocean Blue Software will help our customers bring the best of over-the-top (OTT) content and services directly to the living room on hybrid devices.”
“We are delighted to extend our partnership with Opera,” said Ken Helps, CEO of Ocean Blue Software. “TV and STB manufacturers want a feature-rich, low-risk solution; the collaboration between Ocean Blue and Opera provides a robust HbbTV solution that reduces time to market and therefore overall cost.”
The first public demonstration of Opera and Ocean Blue’s HbbTV solution will be at the IPTV World Forum 2010. Opera will host this demo from its meeting room (Meeting Room 7) and showcase the solution running on the popular STi7105 platform from STMicroelectronics, a long-time partner of both Opera Software and Ocean Blue.
“ST is proactively supporting key software vendors such as Ocean Blue and Opera who are delivering the key building blocks that will provide the consumer with the next generation, rich entertainment experience on television via broadcast and the Internet,” said Philippe Lambinet, VP, Home Video Division, STMicroelectronics.
The next milestone for Opera is to extend this joint HbbTV solution with pre-packaged broadband services, in collaboration with GooMe, Opera’s over-the-top (OTT) partner.
In a related development, Opera said it will showcase the Opera for HbbTV solution during IPTV World Forum 2010. Opera will host a meeting room (#7) at the event, where the company will reveal a full HbbTV client solution running HbbTV portals developed by European broadcasters. Opera for HbbTV is based on Opera Linux Devices SDK 10.30.
Opera for HbbTV offers four different bundles: “Entry” and “Extended” bundles, plus “Full” and “Web TV” bundles, which are the results of collaboration with Opera’s key partners: Ocean Blue Software and GooMe Interactive. With Opera for HbbTV, OEMs have full flexibility to design, tailor and deliver their own HbbTV-compliant solutions without compromising quality or time-to-market.
Opera for HbbTV will be deployed on tier-1 OEM devices hitting the European market in 2010.
