Synamedia says it has dramatically reduced the cost of putting TV-based content to air with a new cloud-based platform that will open up new viewing experiences both in and outside the home.
Senza is targeting broadcasters and streamers from a variety of different industries, eliminating barriers that have come out of a proliferation of user devices and fragmentation of the market.
Senza moves the entire user experience from devices – such as connected TVs and streaming sticks – into the cloud and offers an HTML5 interface to quickly launch free, low-cost or premium services.
The result is a personalised, immersive user experience with advanced graphics and AI-generated synthetic video by “writing once and running everywhere,” a concept more familiar to the internet than the world of TV. There is also a saving of 90% on the normal cost of onboarding a new channel, helped along by the elimination of the myriad of different versions of the same app.
Using a Cloud Connector of similar size to an earbuds case, Senza turns any TV screen into a high-performance, smarter TV and opens up creative and business opportunities across entertainment, digital signage, hospitality, IoT and retail.
“Our partners will extend Senza’s reach as they benefit from the platform’s unique value proposition,” explains Nick Thexton, Synamedia’s EVP, Media Cloud Services. “Channels can deliver more value-added user experiences including interactivity without any ecosystem fees; bars and entertainment venues can use Senza to link and blend live sports and offer trivia games; and hospitality partners can create personalised experiences that can be customised to any property and each room.”
Synamedia says it has achieved a base component cost device price of around $6 that goes even lower with volume, and an ability to free license the hardware design and device software to third party OEMs in 2025.
One of the early adopters, SuperCloud International, a pioneer in streaming and television, will use Senza to deliver its consumer in-home streaming service, UMAXX.TV, which offers over 350 live TV channels via a military-grade, proprietary 5G network. UMAXX opted to add Senza to its hardware offering because of its reliability and cost advantage.
“UMAXX is a first-of-its-kind internet and live TV service built on an encrypted military-grade 5G private network with two goals in mind: to exceed security expectations and to be available where our customers are,” said Jim Devericks, Chairman and CEO of SuperCloud International. “We’re not just holding true to that promise but doubling down on it by working with Senza. Adding their technology to our platform aligns perfectly with our ‘consumer first’, ‘plug in and go’ strategy as it enables access to video content from the cloud, delivered directly to a consumer’s TVs at home without the need for third-party apps.”
Synamedia is also building a reseller network for Senza. As a part of this programme, the company has expanded is existing partnership with AMT to extend the reach of Senza into markets across North America, Europe and Latin America. It is also working with Toner Cable in the telco industry.
