01/12/2017 Paris

Orange gives its TV Content strategy a boost by making OCast available as Open Source.

OCast is a software technology that allows you to use a smartphone to play videos on devices including TV set-top boxes, TV Sticks or TVs and control playback of the video (pause, fast forward, rewind, etc.). Beyond video, OCast can also play and control slideshows, playlists and web apps.

The end user can browse and explore their content libraries via their preferred interface, either the screen on their smartphone or on their tablet. They can also watch their video content in the most convenient way: on their TV. With a single application they can watch content on a mobile or tablet outside or on their TV at home: the best of both worlds.

All Telecommunications Operators that offer TV access will be able to offer their customers a range of mobile applications to cast videos to their TV, by including OCast in their set-top boxes. This is very easy and requires no specific development.

Developers of mobile applications that incorporate long videos will offer their customers, VOD and SVOD content providers, greater comfort, that of big screen TV.

For Thierry Souche, Senior Vice President Orange Labs Services and Group CIO at Orange, “the release of OCast as open source software is a milestone in Orange’s technical strategy, by enabling it to accelerate the development of the services available via its set-top boxes, and by creating a virtuous circle with other operators to create a new video services ecosystem.”

This technology is now available as open source: all the code is published, without licence fees, with easy integration in operators’ set-top boxes and equipment, as well as in the applications of video services providers. The operator retains control over the applications authorised to operate on their set-top box, which enables them to maintain and increase the content value chain.

Other operators have already kicked off with the technology, starting with Deutsche Telekom, who has “tested the OCast technology already in the early stages and was convinced of its maturity and value proposition for the consumer” , according to Randolph Nikutta, Interactive High End Media Leader at Deutsche Telekom Innovation Laboratories.

Orange is joining forces with its subsidiary Viaccess-Orca, specialised in content management, distribution and security solutions, which will integrate this technology in its range of solutions for TV operators.

“We are delighted to support our TV operator clients in the implementation of this new technology, by providing our content protection solutions (DRM*) and, more generally, our security expertise. We will enable them to extend the availability of their TV services offers to all screens, with an extremely quick turnaround time,” says Paul Molinier, CEO of Viaccess-Orca.

Orange is proud to announce the Open Source release of its OCast software technology to give all Telecommunications Operators and Mobile application developers the opportunity to take advantage of these TV service and content developments. Orange’s renewed collaboration with its subsidiary, Viaccess-Orca, is an important step for everyone involved in content security and protection.

*DRM, Digital Rights Management, is a set of technical measures designed to control the use of digital content.

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