SmartLabs Helps O2 Czech Republic to Launch “Multidimensional Television”

The Czech Republic’s largest fixed, mobile and broadband service provider, O2 Czech Republic, has launched their next generation interactive TV service in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. SmartLabs are extremely proud to announce that they worked side by side with the O2 team to specify, develop and deliver this bespoke project.

SmartLabs has created a totally new UHD hybrid STB, with a case designed by Czech designer Martin Tvaruzek, as well as an innovative multiscreen solution for the management and presentation of content from a hybrid (DVB-T2 and IP) network.

Teams from SmartLabs and O2, as well user interface and set-top box case design specialists, have worked side by side to bring this project from a concept to a unique commercial service.

One groundbreaking feature delivered by the O2 service is Multidimensional TV. Sports fans may choose up to six football, tennis or hockey matches and view them simultaneously in a multidimensional mosaic. The user may then select different viewing angles from multiple broadcast cameras in each match as well as selecting which commentary to listen to.

Subscribers may also choose where to watch: on a TV, a personal computer or a smartphone or tablet. At any time, the user may pause a show, re-play the most captivating moments or view recorded programs from the past week.

“The plan is to open the system to third-party applications in the following phase. That will make it possible, for example, to have an integrated YouTube player or a DVB-T/T2 tuner for terrestrial broadcasting even without a subscription to O2 TV,” explains Branislav Valo, who is responsible for managing O2 TV.

“We have been delighted to participate in such an ambitious project to develop a service that delivers the whole range of interactive features for linear channels and on-demand content, multiscreen functionality and the ability to view several programs at once on the same screen.

O2’s groundbreaking concepts and market-leading vision have challenged our teams and I am delighted that SmartLabs has delivered. O2 TV subscribers in the Czech Republic can now view premium content in UHD and enjoy a market leading and multidimensional experience,“ SmartLabs CEO Mikhail Grachev says.

About O2 Czech Republic

O2 is the largest integrated telecommunications provider in the Czech market. At present, it operates close to eight million mobile and fixed accesses, which ranks us among the market leaders in fully converged services in Europe. To users of mobile services in the Czech Republic, it offers state-of-the-art HSPA+ and LTE technology. O2 has the most comprehensive proposition of voice and data services in the Czech Republic, and actively exploits the growth potential of the various business lines, especially ICT. Its data centers, with total floor area of 7,300 square meters, rank us among the leaders in hosting, cloud and managed services. O2 data centers belong to the few commercial ones in Central Europe to have TIER III certification. With its O2 TV, we are also the largest IPTV service provider in the Czech Republic.

About SmartLabs

SmartLabs is the leading provider of multi-screen, multi-network solutions for the video streaming sector. SmartLabs’ solutions deliver content services to over 7 million subscribers around the globe on multiple devices from set-top boxes to mobile phones. Smartlabs’ client base includes telcos (fixed and mobile), ISP’s, cable operators, content and app service providers. SmartLabs partners with 25 IPTV market leaders including Widevine, Apple, Microsoft, Google, Samsung and LG.  Headquartered in Berlin, Germany, Smartlabs has offices in USA, Canada,  UK, Cyprus and has been established for over 15 years, creating innovative solutions for the interactive TV market.