Canal Digital Launches Next-Gen Android TV UI for Satellite and OTT Powered by 3 Screen Solutions

February 13, 2018

3 Screen Solutions (3SS), announces that it was selected by Canal Digital AS to design and develop a customized STB (set-top box) front end and UI for the operator’s next generation UHD satellite and OTT platform, OnePlace.

OnePlace is now live and delivering next-generation entertainment via satellite and OTT to viewers in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland thanks to design, development and integration expertise provided by 3 Screen Solutions.

Tone Krohn Clausen, Canal Digital Chief Product & Digital Officer, said: “We are proud and happy to provide OnePlace to our customers in the Nordics, with its unique user experience combining both linear and on-demand content tailored in a personalized way. OnePlace is based on Android TV, and the open ecosystem will ensure future innovation to the benefit of our customers. A number of suppliers have cooperated on developing the product.”

She added: “Being a successful super-aggregator of content requires us to seamlessly combine and display content to individual customers based on their preferences. The user experience is crucially important, and we are very happy for the support from 3SS to overcome these challenges and get it right.”

3SS’ front end is at the heart of Canal Digital’s UHD STB based on Android N.

This deployment further galvanizes 3SS’ position in the marketplace as the go-to provider for Android-based entertainment platforms. 3SS delivered the first-ever major Android based TV platform (AOSP) for Swisscom in 2014 which has won several industry accolades and is globally regarded as having set a new benchmark for quality of user experience. Since that time, 3SS has designed and engineered numerous Android TV based service platforms for customers worldwide. At both IBC 2017 and CES 2018, Google showcased 3SS’ front end in its Android TV platform offerings for major operators.

With OnePlace, Canal Digital subscribers now benefit from an array of special features alongside Google’s rich Android TV feature set. The user-friendly and intuitive UI developed by 3SS will enable subscribers to get the most from OnePlace’s key features which include:

• Seamless user experience between linear satellite, streamed and on-demand content, presenting all relevant and available channels in one single channel array, personalized to each customer
• Integration of a backwards EPG for catch-up content

Access to Canal Digital’s large VOD content base of movies and series

• Full recording capabilities via hard disk for all linear content

Harmonized search across all available sources, including third party apps from Android and recommendations

• Google Cast support
• Google Play Store integrated

Google Assistant enabling voice control and unified search across all apps with prioritized operator results

Kai-Christian Borchers, Managing Director at 3SS, commented: “We are very proud to have been entrusted by Canal Digital to deliver the next generation of service offerings to subscribers across the Nordic countries.”

“Android TV is bringing a revolution to TV, empowering service providers to realize unprecedented business opportunities to attract and engage viewers with capabilities and content they love. We congratulate Canal Digital for demonstrating such commitment to innovation and to delighting subscribers,” he added.