Vewd, Vestel SaaS-based Operator TV solution
October 14, 2021
By Colin Mann
OTT software solutions provider Vewd and TV manufacturer Vestel have introduced the Vewd Operator TV, a fully-featured Smart TV with a built-in, content-enriched pay-TV experience which they say will allow operators to win the retail Smart TV landscape.
Rather than up-selling pay-TV services through a separate set-top box, or competing alongside other apps inside hard-to-discover Smart TV app environments, operators can now own the entire Smart TV consumer experience – from home screen to app discoverability – from the moment a consumer purchases the TV.
Operator TV combines Vewd’s Smart TV software with Vestel’s TV manufacturing, warehousing and distribution expertise. Vestel produces TVs for more than 100 of the world’s iconic brands, including JVC, Hitachi, Telefunken, and Toshiba.
“Vestel is pleased to add our expertise in building high-quality, full-featured Smart TVs to empower Vewd’s Operator TV solution,” said Barış Altınkaya, Vestel Vice President of Marketing and Product Management. “By working directly with Vewd and the Operator, we can leverage our vast manufacturing and retail distribution experience to contribute in reducing time-to-market, enabling substantial Operator CapEx savings while delivering an experience that delights subscribers, reduces churn and improves subscriber satisfaction.”
Vewd’s Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business model aligns Operator TV with pay-TV subscription models and revenue, distributing costs, development time and risk. Critical functionality comes standard in an Operator TV:
- Conditional Access available to ensure broadcast and IP content security
- Cloud-managed reference user experience (UX) or the Operator’s customised
- Content including premium OTT and video-on-demand, FAST channels and full support for broadcast channels
“Operators have tried different strategies to embrace Smart TV, but together with Vestel, we’ve made the first solution that seamlessly connects pay-TV and Smart TV,” commented Aneesh Rajaram, CEO of Vewd. “Consumers are streaming more and connecting fewer devices to the TV. As a result, Operators are forced to fight for visibility among Smart TV apps. Vewd Operator TV ensures Operators of any size can seize control from the start and win the home’s most important screen.”
Vewd’s Operator TV solution is enabled via Vewd’s white-labelled product suite which includes Vewd OS.