Alticast announced new capabilities for its Apex user experience (UX) virtualization platform that leverage cloud-based rendering to deliver HTML5 interfaces and applications to pay TV set-top boxes.
The new Apex functionality is intended to allow pay TV operators to render user interfaces (UIs) and apps on a virtual browser in the cloud and to transmit the images to the client device. The product is designed to support rapid time-to-market, ongoing changes, and upgrades of on-demand interfaces, games, TV shopping, and other applications.
Cloud rendering is intended to simplify demands on client devices for full or partial static UIs and apps. The new feature enables deployment of Apex hybrid solutions that incorporate both cloud rendering of HTML5 apps as well as a rendering approach that uses Javascript conversion to allow delivery of animations to set-tops. Further upgrades are anticipated in 2018.
"Delivery of services with maximum efficiency requires a flexible platform that can adapt to differing video requirements," said Joonhee Oh, head of the Cloud Business Division for Alticast. "By adding HTML5 support to Apex, Alticast is creating a highly flexible approach that allows operators dynamically to configure their networks to choose the best possible delivery option - based on video type, time-to-market needs, network capabilities and other factors - at any given time."