Skyworth Digital, a pay TV set-top box manufacturer, has introduced its first RDK Video Accelerator box, which runs on an Amlogic chipset.
Other manufacturers including CommScope, Humax, KAON and Technicolor have all previously produced RDK Video Accelerator boxes but all of those have used Broadcom chipsets.
Skyworth new set-top box, which comes pre-integrated with the RDK application framework and the Metrological App Store, is being built to help service providers develop, test and launch new video applications while maintaining control over consumer-facing applications, user experience and set-top box data. The device is a UHD IP set-top running on the Amlogic S905X2 or S905X4 chipset with 2GB DDR4 + 8 or 16GB eMMC, 802.11ac dual band 2x2 Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 5), Bluetooth (BTLE) 4.2 and support for Dolby Vision.
“The demand for RDK-based products are on the rise by pay-TV operators around the globe,” said Charlie Zheng, vice president of strategic partnerships, sales and marketing at Skyworth Digital, in a statement. “RDK gives pay-TV operators the flexibility and the capability to develop new TV experiences, and Skyworth is proud to collaborate with Amlogic to help them accelerate those plans.”
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“Many service providers are turning to RDK as their software platform of choice for next-gen video and broadband products, and Amlogic will be there for them,” said James Xie, senior vice president of corporate business strategy at Amlogic, in a statement. “We’re delighted to have partnered with Skyworth in the development of this RDK Video Accelerator platform to speed up time to market, simplify integration, and deliver an exceptional user experience.”
Earlier this year, RDK Management provided figures pointing toward the continued adoption of RDK (Reference Design Kit) open source software.
“RDK now powers more than 60 million devices deployed by service providers around the world that require flexibility and control over their CPE software and diagnostics data,” said Steve Heeb, president and general manager of RDK, in a statement. “The new RDK App Framework enables them to develop and manage apps easily, and RDK broadband software is capable of powering next-gen gateways across DOCSIS, DSL, and GPON. Over the past year, the RDK community has been actively working to develop open source software for connected cameras, which we expect to make available soon, to provide a new avenue of growth for operators.”