Vewd, the recently rebranded Opera TV, announced Vewd OS, a smart TV operating system it said eliminates the need for app downloads.
The company said it does this by bringing loading all content directly from the cloud, which allows it to surface video faster and more easily make all OTT content available for viewing. Essentially, it makes content like Netflix available from the home screen on the TV, instead of needing to open up the Netflix app to bring up the content.
Other Vewd OS features include voice control and integration of broadcast, livestreams and on-demand video.
For manufacturers, Vewd OS is promising complete turnkey or modular approaches to integration and cloud customization tools including dynamic UI management, privacy controls (with GDPR support), ad management, billing and audience promotion tools for content owners.
“The launch of Vewd OS marks an important milestone for the industry. Consumers, manufacturers and subsequently content owners all benefit from a truly transformative TV experience that exceeds expectations and strikes the right balance between enterprise and entertainment,” said Vewd CEO Aneesh Rajaram in a statement. “Vewd OS raises the bar by reducing fragmentation and allowing every player across the value chain to win.”
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Vewd works with companies hoping to launch OTT services or products and provides access to silicon vendors, helps with end-user experience and provides access to its branded app store with more than 1,000 apps, as well as other support services. Vewd is focused on the retail and consumer electronics industry.
In the U.S., retail smart TVs from Sony and Vizio all ship with Vewd’s embedded software. In addition, TiVo retail devices ship with Vewd core products, Ericsson’s MediaFirst Linux platform is based on Vewd software and about nine global Tier 1 pay TV operators use Vewd products to enable OTT services, according to Rajaram.