Opera to ship HbbTV 2.0 SDK

Opera Software is to start shipping an HbbTV 2.0 software development kit to TV manufacturers and set-top-box OEMs, which it says will enable them to be first to market with devices that are compliant with the new spec and simplify the task of creating interactive content for TVs.

HbbTV 2.0 builds on HbbTV 1.1 and 1.5, which are already deployed in Europe.

Opera’s HbbTV SDK, built alongside Opera’s widely deployed, Chromium/Blink-based HTML5 SDK, includes video streaming, application management and all the APIs needed to create HbbTV 2.0 devices. TV manufacturers that integrate Opera’s HbbTV SDK will be able to deploy HbbTV 2.0 interactive experiences in their devices by the first quarter of 2016, according to the company.

“With HbbTV 2.0 being HTML5 based, developing applications across all kinds of modern platforms is made simple. The new version adds a range of new functionalities like second-screen support, which makes HbbTV even more attractive to develop and deploy new services,” said Klaus Illgner, Chairman at HbbTV Association, the institution responsible for setting global HbbTV standards and specifications.

“It is good to see companies like Opera integrating the latest features for HbbTV 2.0 into its products, positioning HbbTV 2.0 at the forefront of Smart TV technology. We hope to see more vendors taking part in the developments in the future.”

Opera will exhibit at IBC on Stand 14.E20