Belgian telco Proximus has rolled out next-generation IPTV and OTT TV platform Proximus Pickx on Android TV Operator Tier set-top boxes.
The new service, supported by German software solutions provider 3SS, replaces Proximus’ legacy TV offering based on Android Open Source Project (AOSP), and is currently being made available to all subscribers of the incumbent TV offer, comprising over 1.65 million legacy set-top boxes.
Marking one of the largest Android TV Operator Tier deployments in Europe, built on Android P, Proximus Pickx is delivering an advanced, personalised customer experience based to combination of the 3Ready Android TV solution from 3SS and Technicolor Connected Home’s Sapphire set-top boxes and middleware.
The solution also comprises recommendation technology from ThinkAnalytics, PRESTOplay player SDK from CastLabs, Media Distillery’s EPG correction time, which ensures accurate start times for replay, as well as the Technicolor platform and Omni Remotes custom-designed handheld controller.
Following a pilot launch phase which began in October 2019, Proximus launched the service and began to make it widely available to subscribers in July 2020. Proximus Pickx offers a state-of-the-art user features, tied together in a customised user experience enabled by 3Ready.
The new service delivers IPTV and OTT viewing, with personalised search and recommendation, assisting customers in navigating and accessing the desired linear and non-linear content.
“We discovered in our consumer survey last year that more than one in three Belgians has trouble choosing a programme, and almost one in two think they waste time looking for what to watch,” said Jim Casteele, Chief Consumer Market Officer at Proximus.
“Moreover, we learned that 70% of consumers want to have all their content in one place, so we knew Android TV was the answer. Now, thanks to close collaboration with our key technology partners, with their great talent, innovation and expertise, with Proximus Pickx we’re delivering a sophisticated, viewer-centric entertainment service,” Casteele added.
Netflix and Disney+ are both bundled and deeply integrated, and supported with single sign-on. Subscriptions can be managed directly via the set-top box, and viewers can browse the content library of a service before buying.
Another new feature is ‘Broadcaster Corners’ enabled by 3Ready’s page branding capability. With this feature Proximus can select and change the colours, images and themes of pages to create broadcaster-specific, branded micro-environments within the experience.
Proximus Pickx will be among Europe’s first Android TV Operator Tier-based systems to feature addressable TV advertising when this capability goes live in 2021.
