Deutsche Telekom is tolling the bell on one era of hardware and ushering in another, as the German giant pivots to operator-branded smart TVs. Not only does DT’s decision mark the beginning of the end for 20 years of external devices, from clunky cable set tops to HDMI streaming dongles, but it also signals the start of tier 1 operators fighting back against Google’s aggressive bid to own the TV experience. In a landmark move, DT’s MagentaTV platform will be made available on a range of Hisense TVs, based on the Chinese firm’s Vidaa smart TV OS—in what the collaboration has coined “the first true operator smart TV.” The announcement describes this as a fully integrated and built-in entertainment experience…