Irdeto says its new OpApp will remove the operator challenges of certification across multiple TV brands by working directly with TV manufacturers.
The product was launched this week at the 9th HbbTV Symposium in Paris, which featured a number of prominent executives representing CE devices and component manufacturers, broadcasters, and software and content protection industries.
Irdeto’s Michiel Willemsen told the conference operators had been left with having to negotiate with at least 7 major manufacturers to bring services to market. As a result, Irdeto has taken on some of the legal challenges and the testing process.
“As we’re in love with the boxless solution, which is what the OpApp is all about specifically looked at the CI Plus specification to see what kind of role it could play in this environment. The Ci Plus Device is a managed device meaning we can update it through its lifecycle and even beyond that we can update the microcode in the chip, which is far beyond what you can do in a normal TV.”
Unlike the process of finding and then requiring logins, usernames, and passwords to install and use a native app on a Smart TV, the Irdeto OpApp is hosted on the CAM, it is accessible directly during the CAM installation process and does not require connectivity to the internet for either its installation or use.
Pay-TV operations are also able to take advantage of a customizable operator branded user interface.
Additional premium features can be accessed via the operator’s branded UI when the TV is connected, and interactive services such as access to catch-up TV, pay-per-view, and recordings are being planned for future releases.
