Allente has become one of the first Pay TV operators in the world to complete Google Common Broadcast Stack integration for an Android TV Operator Tier set-top box. The Nordic provider will make its new PVRs available to its 1+ million subscribers from Q3 this year. KAON Media has provided the hybrid PVR (the KAON BCM72180), which contains Broadcom’s 72180 SoC, closely integrated with a 3SS user experience. Content security is provided via NAGRA Media CAS. The project was announced in October 2020 and once started, took just six months to complete.
“We congratulate Allente for becoming one of the first operators in the world to leverage the Common Broadcast Stack, and in working closely with world-class technology partners, elevating the digital entertainment user experience for consumers,” comments Matthias Puschmann, Strategic Android TV Partner Development Manager at Google.
Allente was formed from the merger of Viasat Consumer and Canal Digital in May 2020 and offers TV via satellite, IPTV (including via open network fibre broadband) and streaming. The service spans Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. 3SS previously worked with Canal Digital on the OnePlace satellite and OTT service the operator launched in February 2018.
Google’s standardised Common Broadcast Stack (CBS) software was announced in October 2020 and is designed for STBs and other TV devices that play and record digital broadcast signals. It is expected to accelerate the reach of Android TV OS worldwide, partly thanks to easier and faster integration for hybrid Android TV OS devices (and therefore accelerated time-to-market), simplified upgrades and reduced overall total cost of ownership. CBS has a wide-ranging tech partner network who, collectively, are helping to optimise the broadcast TV experience on Android TV OS.
Jon Espen Nergård, CTO at Allente, says: “Completion of our STB integration so rapidly is a clear testament to the technology, engineering skill and dedication to customer satisfaction from our partners KAON and 3SS, and indeed those of our wider partnership of collaborators including NAGRA, Broadcom and, of course, Google.”
KAON STB middleware is fully integrated with the Android TV software stack to enable new pre-certified Android TV capabilities such as Custom Over-The-Air Update. This helps accelerate the introduction of new features.
Tom Buhl, Executive Vice President at KAON Media, says: “We are extremely proud to be the first OEM to complete STB integration on a Broadcom SoC with NAGRA CAS that is also seamlessly integrated with a UX delivered by 3SS. The rapid pace of integration is powerful evidence of the many benefits of Google Common Broadcast Stack.”
Kai-Christian Borchers, Managing Director of 3SS, adds: “Our ongoing partnership of trust with Allente is a source of tremendous pride for the entire team at 3SS. In becoming one of the world’s first service providers to embrace Google’s Common Broadcast Stack, Allente is blazing a trail in innovation and customer focus. We eagerly anticipate helping Allente to deliver leading-edge viewing to consumers in the Nordic region.”
