Espial Introduces 5th Generation of RDK-Based G4 STB Client to Power Operator DevOps

Latest Set-Top Box Client Harnesses RDK Advances to Enable Continuous Innovation

Transforming the viewing experience worldwide, Espial announced the introduction of its fifth-generation RDK-based set-top box (STB) client solution. Maintaining its leadership position, Espial has introduced the latest Espial G4 STB Client to fully enable DevOps and harness ongoing RDK innovations. Espial is streamlining and automating development to dramatically improve time to market, accelerate feature velocity, and support the richest video service capabilities on the market, including OTT apps. This approach allows operators to seamlessly incorporate the Espial G4 STB Client into their DevOps model to accelerate service velocity with continuous integration.

With this release, the company is introducing the Espial True RDK Toolkit, which features automation, building tools, processes, and test suites to fully harness ongoing innovations and contributions. This allows operators to remain tip of trunk and benefit from the investment scale of the RDK community to quickly adopt new capabilities. Operators can easily utilize advanced networking features for QAM, hybrid, and IP STBs, as well as next-generation use cases, such as pluggable storage, network DVR, pause live TV, in-home content distribution, and wireless TV. Espial's G4 STB Client is used by leading operators around the world, including NOS, the primary cable operator in Portugal.

"We launched our UMA video service one year ago based on RDK and have continuously improved our service through DevOps," said Pedro Bandeira, director of product development at NOS. "We are excited about the features of the latest Espial G4 Client, especially the Espial True RDK Toolkit, which allows us to fully realize the advantages that RDK has to offer."

Espial has also fully leveraged hardware and software abstraction for STBs and SOCs to enable portability and the quick introduction of hardware and services. The Espial True RDK Toolkit provides full open access to source code for key elements of the software stack, allowing operators to maintain and control their STB development activities.

Using the Espial G4 STB Client, operators can set a new standard for video services, delivering an immersive user experience powered by universal search, rich content discovery, and voice recognition. The G4 STB Client leverages existing integrations to onboard new premium OTT apps like YouTube, Netflix, and the Metrological App Store, along with access to hundreds of apps.

"We have gained expertise from our multiple generations of RDK deployment in the industry. Operators want to continually evolve their subscriber user experience, while remaining current with underlying RDK, set-top, and SOC software changes," says Mick McCluskey, vice president of product management, Espial. "We know how to do this and achieve true RDK benefits to leverage the scale of industry investments in RDK, accelerate time to market, increase velocity of features, and lower costs. We've packaged our know-how, processes, and tools into the new version of the Espial G4 STB Client to assist operators in realizing the full value of RDK."

Find out more about the Espial solutions including the G4 Client and the True RDK Toolkit at IBC2017 in Amsterdam, Sept. 14-19 at stand 1.F89.

Source: Espial media announcement