Pay-TV companies want to make sure that subscribers don’t ‘cut the cord’ and use the Net to get their video entertainment. Thanks to Apple and Yahoo, consumers are becoming accustomed to having apps on the devices they use frequently. Pace, the world’s largest maker of STBs this week demonstrated its new Pace App Caf’ at IBC and said it’ll reach US homes by year-end.
The App Caf”s purpose, Pace said, is to allow pay-TV operators to “harness the potential of online applications within an integrated managed TV service.” Subscribers will be able to download any of hundreds of applications to their STB. The service’s goal, it said, is to “enhance viewers’ experience and solidify pay TV’s position at the heart of the home.” The company said it will customize the service for each operator’s unique brand.
The Pace App Caf’ comes with apps to connect to the usual collection of popular online services such as; Social networks; video portals (What will pay TV operators think if subscribers can get videos from Netflix, Amazon and Blockbuster?); internet radio and music stations; online photo services; weather; personal finance; sports scores and customer service and support.
Pace America’s VP of sales and marketing Tim O’Loughlin said pay-TV operators are looking for ways to provide more subscriber services over existing networks.
“We continue to see a strong push from consumers and operators to consolidate advanced functionality in the set-top box and make it the center of the home entertainment experience,” O’Loughlin said.
The apps can be downloaded over an Internet connection. The onscreen presentation of apps works alongside existing electronic program guide and VOD applications. The service is based on Pace’s North American Engineware software platform and supports a Flash Lite engine. A software development kit is available for apps developers.
Pace CEO Neil Gaydon said the pay-TV industry “is facing a set of complex decisions as operators develop their convergence roadmaps.”
Separately Gaydon said Pace will consider building set tops with Google TV. Conversations with pay-TV operators are already taking place, he said. That would eliminate the need for subscribers to buy Logitech’s box with Google TV.
“We recognize that for every operator their journey to convergence will be different,” he said. “Pace can show the support it can offer at every stage of an operator’s journey to maximize and monetize the potential of their service.” Gaydon said the TV market “is evolving towards all content being delivered by satellite, cable or IPTV.” He expects pay-TV operators will begin to either integrate services like Netflix and LoveFilm into their offering or start their own DVD rental service.
“Either way,” he said, “consumers will be able to watch what they want, when they want, more conveniently.” Pace’s move into offering apps for STBs means that some viewers could soon have four sources for apps: the pay-TV companies, the ones that come on the TV set (mainly supplied by Yahoo), those that are built-in to Blu-ray players and the ones that comes with digital media adapters like Apple TV, D-Link’s Boxee box and Logitech’s Google TV. Oh what a merry app world that will be.