Google Assists Technicolor With Deployment of Broadcast Stack Software Platform

Technicolor is partnering with Google to accelerate the development and deployment of the Google Broadcast Stack software platform onto a wide array of customer premises equipment (CPE) and consumer electronics devices used to access video services.

This is the latest development in Technicolor’s Connected Home’s ongoing commitment to leverage open and innovative technologies for network service providers (NSPs) around the world, with the ultimate goal to help them deliver seamless connectivity and premium entertainment experiences to consumers. This is achieved by creating best-in-class CPE and partnering with the most ingenious companies in the connected home ecosystem.

“Households in every region are often frustrated by the need to change inputs when switching from traditional cable and pay TV platforms to the growing number of streaming services that are delivered over the internet,” said Shalini Govil-Pai, Head of Android TV at Google.

As the global popularity of Android TV continues to grow, network service providers (NSPs) have been searching for a more efficient and cost-effective way to develop hybrid solutions that integrate traditional broadcast streams and conditional access systems (CAS) with over-the-top (OTT) services to manage complexity and create more intuitive viewing experiences for subscribers.

“Until now, NSPs have had to custom integrate CAS capabilities into Android TV devices. This has been a costly and time-consuming process that can require 18 months or more of development and testing before offerings can be brought to market,” said Brian Jentz, Vice President, at the Video Product Unit of Technicolor Connected Home.

The Google Broadcast Stack offers the option to address this challenge by making it possible to scale up production and distribution of Android TV devices that can simultaneously support the delivery of traditional broadcast streams, CAS and OTT services without ever having to leave HDMI 1.

“The Google Broadcast Stack makes it possible to cut the process down by 50%; it also reduces the total cost of ownership associated with deploying these hybrid devices at scale,” Jentz said. “This is a result that we have seen again and again around the world. Technicolor has deployed hybrid devices in all regions, across all major CAS and broadcast streams, including terrestrial, satellite, cable and IPTV environments.”

Technicolor is working with Google to create a common broadcast stack on Android TV devices that supports:

• Open architectures with extension capabilities that enable country-specific features
• Playback and record functionality
• Electronic program guides (EPG)
• Teletext
• Global broadcast standards, including: DVB-T/T2, DVB-C, DVB-S2 and ISDB-T
• IPTV support for the standardized pieces

“Our work with Technicolor on the Google Broadcast Stack allows NSPs to quickly deliver the performance and quality that subscribers expect,” said Govil-Pai. “It improves the time-to-market for making these capabilities available, while simplifying the upgrade process. It also enables multi-sourcing, which — in turn — reduces the integration effort of OEMs.”