The Czech Republic’s O2 has embarked on the biggest change to its TV service since it was launched.
According to the company, the benefits it will bring to its users include better sorting of content, greater stability and capacity, faster switching and movement in the EPG, improved multi-dimensions and unlimited space for recordings.
Commenting on the changes, Dana Tomaskova, director of digital services and O2 TV, said: “The current platform has reached the limit of its technical capabilities, which is why we started developing a solution some time ago that would fully ensure the growing interest in our services. The cloud infrastructure solution from the supplier CETIN will also ensure continuous development for the future, and not only for O2, but the entire PPF Telecom Group”.
Preparations for the transition to the new O2 TV already in 2019, and more than 650,000 services will gradually be affected.
Tomaskova addded: “We have already completed several fundamental steps that will simplify the migration itself for customers. We replaced outdated set-top boxes, unified the interface of all existing set-top boxes on Android TV, and in August we also started offering the most modern O2 TV Box. Thanks to this, the transition of existing customers to the new platform should have been smoother”.
The modern O2 TV will be available to new customers from November 2. The only exceptions will be prepaid tariffs, which will be ready for version 2.0 at the beginning of the year, as well as applications for Samsung and LG Smart TVs, which will be available gradually in the following weeks.
Meanwhile, the gradual transition of existing customers to the new environment will begin before the end of the year.
Josef Dockal, director of product and innovation at O2 TV, said: “We always want to convert the customer with all their devices at the same time, so the deadline will be fixed by us. The transition to the new O2 TV 2.0 will then take place in the background. Our main effort is to make it simple for the viewers. This means that we do not want them burden with any redundant or complex steps. As soon as all the customer’s devices are technically ready, we will inform them of the specific date”.
He added that it is thanks to this procedure that the operator can ensure a consistent customer experience for example, for viewed content or recordings.
