Ukraine’s Volia is introducing new interactive functions of its Volia Smart HD STB with new features as time-shift, catch-up, multiscreen and premium VOD.
At the same time, Volia will make these services available with the launch of a plug and play Volia Smart HD box in the largest retail networks and opening access to Volia TV on Samsung Smart TVs, creating a nationwide OTT service.
The launch of the Samsung app makes the service available without a STB, which the operator claims is a first for a cable operator to launch an OTT solution directly to the TV set. Samsung viewers can access the basic Volia Smart Channels bouquet consisting of 50 national TV channels and two HD-channels, starting with 2012 year models.
Volia has also increased functionality of its Smart HD set-top-box for current and new subscribers. Viewers have access to more than 130 digital SD and HD linear TV channels, YouTube, VOD services of a number of partners and an EPG. Volia is now adding additional features, such as Time-shift, Catch-up and Multiscreen, which allows viewers to access premium content on mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones, all over Ukraine.
Volia is also launching its Volia Cinema VOD service with thousands of hours of selected blockbuster movies.
The new Volia Smart Touch service allows subscribers of Volia Smart HD OTT service to view more than 130 linear TV channels and watch all the movies from online library on their mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, running iOS and Android.
Priced at 10 UAH per month the service gives access to the great content on devices, drag and drop video from mobile devices to big screens and allows to control it on TV-sets from mobile gadgets. Until the end of the year the service will be free of charge.
“Delivering our promises made to Volia customers and to market in March 2013 –we are pleased to introduce a new set of functionalities available in our powerful Volia Smart HD set-top-box, as well as in new devices and areas where you can take advantage of Volia interactive TV, said Volia CEO Gyorgy Zsembery.
“In addition to these exciting steps of feature extensions, we are delighted to expand our services in cooperation with such recognized worldwide brand as Samsung.”
“This is a seminal moment for Cable Industry. Volia is the first cable operator to have launched all its services off-net over OTT and also over Samsung Smart TVs which makes it very easy for potential subscribers to receive the service,” added Azdio CEO Arjang Zadeh.
“Azdio has been delighted to be able to support Volia as the prime system integrator for these exciting deliveries. With the combination of On-net and Off-net OTT linear TV and on demand TV services, together with multi-screen, Volia TV over Smart TV (TVOTV), and plug and play retail TV STBs, Volia is showing the future of TV for the cable industry.”
Volia presented the news at a press conference on Wednesday, November 20. An English language version of the company’s presentation can be found here.
Broadband TV Views. For the past few months, there has been much talk about STB-less solutions to access IPTV and OTT services directly on the TV set. This is particularly interesting for content owners and broadcasters, who will now have direct access to their consumers.
Ukraine’s Viola is the first platform to embrace this solution to offer its services across the whole of the country, as an OTT solution expanding its traditional footprint. At the same time, the operator is offering the same OTT service with a dedicated STB.
Ziggo of the Netherlands has already introduced its STB-less interactive cable TV solution, but Volia is the first in the world to take its services outside its network. This signals a significant development.
