Mobile Virtual Network operator Youfone has built a reputation for challenging its established rivals in the highly-competitive Dutch telecoms market. So, when refreshing and expanding its TV offering, the company decided to avoid spending 12-18 months on a traditional set-top-box project, choosing instead to benefit from 24i’s rapid-deployment capabilities and launch the country’s first Android TV service.
To simplify the process further, Youfone selected a truly end-to-end solution from 24i and sister company Amino, covering everything from user interfaces for multiple devices, content management and transcoding, to STB hardware and middleware. The entire project took just five months to launch and gave Youfone a competitive edge in an increasingly tough market.
The turnkey solution based on Android TV Operator Tier gives Youfone subscribers a flexible TV experience with live TV, catchup, restart and nPVR for around 100 channels. They can also access music and games through the Google play store, as well as apps from third parties like Disney+, Spotify and the Dutch national broadcaster, NPO. It has traditionally been difficult for smaller telcos to negotiate and manage such a wide range of premium content for their STB services, gaining access to these apps through the Google Play Store gives Youfone a strong edge in a competitive market as consumers can use this single device to access multiple catchup and SVOD services. The Amino 7x STBs have Chromecast built-in so they can also cast photos and other content to the TV screen from their phone or tablet.
The viewing experience extends beyond the living room with interactive TV apps for both iOS and Android devices powered by 24i’s SmartVideo and SmartApps solutions. Users can watch Youfone Channels live, pause, rewind, restart and record wherever they are in Europe.
