LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WebTuner Corp. today announced a next generation platform offering access to live TV, on demand and streaming video via broadband. WebTuner satisfies consumer demand for choice and multichannel video programming distributor’s (MVPD) requirements for control, while working within the existing economic ecosystem of broadcast. Broadcasters and telecoms are faced with constantly increasing competition from the tech sector, and must find a way to remain relevant and competitive. WebTuner unlocks the opportunity and economics of TV over the Internet.
WebTuner is an end-to-end solution that includes a remarkably powerful and small set top box with an integrated, advanced onscreen content guide that offers a single interface for all content types, and uniform interface across all devices. Consumers can search for content from live television, video-on-demand or streaming services with one device and one remote. Internet delivery is a more cost effective solution for delivering video and offers access to unlimited content versus today’s closed networks.
“The killer app for the television is watching TV,” said Bernee Strom, WebTuner founder and CEO. “We designed WebTuner to bring broadband to TV, not TV to broadband. We create a TV experience that consumers desire, with personalization, ease of use, search and recommendations – but introduce the power of the Internet to provide access to more content. It provides broadcasters and advertisers new capabilities like hyper-targeting, transaction enabled ads.”
“WebTuner is arriving at the right time, as MVPDs need a better, more modern option to deliver video to their customers,” said Rich Fickle, National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC) President. “A dramatically improved user experience, lower cost consumer devices and Internet access for content across multiple screens are essential elements for our members to remain competitive. We are in discussions with WebTuner and encourage innovative companies like them to bring innovative options to our members.”
Support for the existing business model
With WebTuner, MVPDs can securely distribute traditional, ad-supported television content and the new types of OTT content popular with ‘cord cutters and cord shavers.’ The backend services were built to support the existing TV advertising business model as well as offer an addressable and interactive advertising platform that is hyper-targeted, interactive and transaction-enabled. WebTuner was created by people with long experience in the media industry. Before founding WebTuner, CEO Strom was a founder of Gemstar, which developed the first onscreen guide for television content, and is a former member of the board of directors of Hughes Electric / Direct TV. Co-founder Eduard Zaslavsky has more than 19 years’ experience developing solutions for digital pay TV platforms, including set-top box software architecture, digital headed back-office systems, end-to-end broadband distribution networks, and electronic program guides.
Easy to use
WebTuner reimagined the user experience for the OTT generation with an elegant graphical interface that lets users access powerful, yet simple search and discovery of all types of content. The user experience is designed to be consistent across multiple platforms, including mobile and web. WebTuner’s hardware runs on dual core ARM-based processor with many ways to connect, including Ethernet, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (BLE) and HDMI. Additionally, WebTuner designed a sleek remote control: One side for simple channel surfing, the other for interactivity using the QWERTY keyboard.
“We designed WebTuner be the simplest, most elegant OTT design married with the advanced technology required to deliver live TV,” said Eduard Zaslavsky, WebTuner co-founder and chief technology officer. “WebTuner brings television to the OTT generation.”
WebTuner is designed to work in minutes, right from the box. Customers need only plug WebTuner directly into the electrical socket, connect HDMI cable to their television and follow the on-screen prompts to start watching live TV or VOD. WebTuner acquires broadband content via Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
NAB Show Demo
WebTuner is demonstrating its breakthrough technology at this year’s National Association of Broadcasters (NAB Show®) conference, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, April 7-10. WebTuner has a kiosk inside the “SPROCKIT Hub” – Booth C2455 in the Convention Center Central Hall.
About WebTuner
WebTuner delivers a next generation viewing experience with advanced hardware and services offering access to live TV, on demand and streaming video via broadband. WebTuner brings together a remarkably small set top box that can plug directly into any electrical socket with an advanced electronic content guide that offers a single interface for a variety of content types. WebTuner provides MSOs, MVPDs, content owners and other broadcasting partners a new way to give consumers everything they want in the easiest to use, most elegant package available. WebTuner Corp. is based in Redmond, WA. For more information www.webtuner.tv
