Tech4home Unveils Voice Remote Controls for RDK and Metrological enabled Set-top Boxes

João da Madeira, 14. January 2020 – Tech4home, a leading provider of innovative wireless remote control solutions for the home environment, announced that it has launched the first Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) voice remote control solutions for RDK and Metrological enabled set-top boxes. Operators opting for the RDK platform will now be able to choose from Tech4home’s wide range of remote control units and benefit from a BLE voice remote control pre-integrated for RDK and the Metrological TV Application Platform.

The Reference Design Kit (RDK) is an open source software platform for the connected home. RDK standardizes core functions used in broadband, video, IoT and streaming devices. The collaborative platform allows operators to manage devices and customize their user interfaces and apps. RDK software includes BLE integrations that enable communication between the remote control and the set-top box, in addition to other wireless protocols.

The new remote enables set-top boxes, including RDK Video Accelerator products, to use voice commands to change channels, launch an app from the Metrological App store, and more. Operators also can develop additional enhancements, such as universal voice search across live, on-demand, and apps, using the new RDK-enabled BLE remote control options from Tech4home.

“RDK is backed by a wide range of leading industry players. Another important aspect is that the system’s reference design allows operators to create cost effective solutions for the end customer”, said Miguel Oliveira, Managing Director at Tech4home. “With RDK, customers profit from a fully integrated and standardized BLE voice remote control. In addition, consumers gain access to a familiar voice remote experience they have come to expect. When it comes to Tech4home, all of our RCU products can be adapted to be RDK compatible.”

“RDK innovations are driven by our community, and Tech4home is propelling this mission by providing an intuitively integrated voice remote control for RDK devices,” said Steve Heeb, President and General Manager of RDK. “With its BLE voice solutions, Tech4home is providing the industry with an innovative new remote and contributing to the RDK community a standardized BLE profile for voice integration.”

“Tech4home shares our vision that the future of TV will be about deploying simplified, integrated user experiences, and the remote is at the center of that experience,” said Jeroen Ghijsen, CEO of Metrological. “With Tech4home’s BLE voice remote solutions on RDK set-top boxes, voice commands can instantly control the user interface in real-time—to change channels or access a wide variety of premium OTT services as well as niche content and localized apps through the Metrological TV Application Platform.”

Having been involved in earlier RDK remote control implementations based on ZigBee RF4CE, Tech4home worked with RDK to develop the first voice remote control using the RDK BLE APIs which relies on common BLE profiles for standard functions. In the development process, Tech4home took a leading position to create the BLE solution for the voice integration for the RDK community and will continue to do so.

Tech4home, Lda

Centro Empresarial e Tecnológico
de S. João da Madeira

Rua de Fundões, nº 151
3700-121 S. João da Madeira
Portugal

W. www.tech4home.pt
E. info@tech4home.pt

Press Contact:
GUTJAHR thinkers & makers
Akim Benamara

P. + 49 152 339 188 85
E. akim@gutjahr-solutions.com

About Tech4home

Tech4home is a key player in remote control devices and technologies that designs, develops and delivers intuitive and innovative integrated wireless remote control solutions, with cutting-edge design and a state-of-the-art user experience. With more than 20 years’ experience in the remote control business, Tech4home leads the industry in providing products and solutions that meet the ever-evolving needs of worldwide IPTV, cable, and satellite pay-TV providers. RF technologies, such as BLE, BT, RF4CE, Wi-Fi, and IR, voice search, audio, motion, TV operation are among the many features Tech4home can integrate in their customisable remote control solutions.

About RDK Management, LLC

RDK Management, LLC is a joint venture between leading pay TV operators created to administer the Reference Design Kit (RDK) software. The RDK software provides a common framework for powering customer-premises equipment (CPE) from Video and Broadband service providers, including set-top boxes, broadband gateways, and converged devices. The RDK community is comprised of more than 300 companies including: CPE manufacturers, SoC vendors, software developers, system integrators, and service providers. For more information please visit www.rdkcentral.com.