and not always accurate . While the technology will continue to improve , we find that consumers like the familiarity and reliability of a remote control . Our 2022 Voice of the Customer survey shows that only 21 per cent of our operator customers feel voice search / control is a valuable feature .”
“ Today , the majority of our customers require streamers and set-tops to have voice-enablement , generally using a push-totalk enabled remote control , while the next iteration - smart media devices such as settops with Far Field Voice ( FFV ) and speakers - are in the evaluation phase for many operators with some having already launched services on smart media devices ,” advises Cardy .
“ Voice control , and integration with voice assistants more widely , is rapidly becoming a common feature across Smart TVs and Media Streamers ,” reports Forrest . “ In Smart TV , built-in voice technology now features in one in four devices shipped worldwide ( end ‘ 21 ), with the remainder employing a ‘ works with ’ strategy for rudimentary control via a smart speaker elsewhere within the home . Penetration of voice in Media Streamers is now at 84 per cent , with most ( 98 per cent of those ) featuring a push-to-talk button on the remote control .”
“ Consumer use-cases for voice are still relatively limited , mainly content search and discovery , but also now some smart home control being introduced as the major CE brands invest further in connected device ecosystems . Nevertheless , voice works brilliantly as a short-cut through the TV and / or STB user-interface , especially when surfacing chargeable or ad-funded content that benefits operators and OTT video service providers . ( Voice isn ’ t included just for convenience .) However , as a driver for CPE renewal , voice control is weak . Consumers are more likely to seek devices that have 4K UHD and surround audio capabilities , and today , even ones that have better energy consumption performance , with an expectation that voice is now a common feature ,” he suggests . ALEXA . “ We have pioneered Alexa ( first skill launched in 2016 with EETV ) and we are seeing greater usage than ever especially when the skill is VSK [ Video Skills Kit ],” reports Eisenberg . “ Voice Control is rapidly becoming an integral part of how users interact with their devices . The Video Skill APIs represent the latest innovation to enable viewers to better engage with their TV content in an easier , faster and more efficient way . Endless searching and clicking is now kept to a minimum with fast voice control , and losing a remote control is now not an issue in any household .”
“ It ’ s part of Android TV , so when service providers deploy that , they get voice control , so deployments of voice control in pay-TV are
definitely growing ,” notes Simmons . “ It ’ s most commonly deployed through a microphone in the remote control , but a number of operators are deploying Android TV STBs that have far-field microphone arrays and either simple speakers for aural feedback or higher quality speaker to improve the audio presentation of TV content . This is probably the biggest influence that voice control is having CPE ; it ’ s provided STB vendors the chance to add hardware features and value to make up for those like DVR which have been lost to the cloud . Voice control is also part of CTS ’ s syndicated X1 RDK-based platform , although the STB designs have been more conservative .”
“ Voice and remote controls are complementary ,” says Souhami . “ Voice control depends on local language support . For the common supported languages , voice support is already a must-have . It has been shown that more than 20 per cent of household in deployed zone are using voice service regularly , mainly in push to talk with the remote . It is a key driver for CPE renewal ,” he asserts .
“ The market and the technology is still in its early stages but evolving rapidly ,” notes Toutah . “ That said , there are a growing number of NSPs that are requesting voiceenabled features with their next-generation CPE orders . As the technology matures - and consumers grow more accustomed to using smart speakers - there is a natural trajectory for voice interaction with the TV . We have deployed such devices across a number of different markets . It is a good future-proofing strategy .” WIFI . How important are whole-home WiFi mesh systems and devices combined with WiFi optimisation software to the household ? “ We have crossed an inflection point where home WiFi is as vital as electricity for sustaining our way of life – keeping us productive , informed , entertained , and connected ,” says Philippe
“ CPE provides a vehicle to bundle linear TV with streamed services .” - Phil Cardy , CommScope
Alcaras , CEO of Airties . “ We conducted a survey of consumers across the US and Europe on the importance of whole-home WiFi . The survey found that consumers value home WiFi more than ever before , and 80 per cent would prefer in-home WiFi gear be provided as a service by their broadband operator rather than purchased through retail . Seventy-one per cent of consumers said they expect to continue working from home post-pandemic , and a majority said they would consider upgrading to a faster tier of Internet service if bundled with whole-home Smart WiFi . Trends like the ‘ enterprisation ’ of the home , remote learning and telemedicine are here to stay , and with that comes significant opportunities and challenges for broadband operators around the globe that can be solved with WiFi optimisation and whole-home WiFi ,” he notes .
“ The number one in-home device our customers would like to manage – in addition to the set-top box – is WiFi , with 78 per cent selecting this option in our 2022 Voice of the Customer survey ,” reports McKee . “ In practice , we see WiFi as another aspect of service management that a successful operator must deal with . This is why our Amino Engage platform is so popular with customers . As a cloud-based service management platform , it helps operators deploy and activate set-top boxes , manage firmware / software updates and streamline customer support . Operators can validate key parameters on the set-top box , including WiFi quality indicators and can use the platform to optimise the device for its environment .”
“ As access network speeds increase , WiFi performance is becoming the determining factor in the consumer experience and many operators are using it in their marketing ,” notes Cardy . “ Self-optimising WiFi is now an essential part of the broadband service provider ’ s offering . It is increasingly standardised and interoperable between vendors due to initiatives such as the WFA ’ s Wi-Fi Easymesh and its implementation in PRPL Mesh and RDK . Wi-Fi DataElements and USP facilitating cloud management provides the tools for service providers to proactively improve service levels .” MESH . “ With the majority of streamers being WiFi connected , video performance over WiFi is critical for reliable delivery of 4K / 8K UHD video ,” he says . “ Mesh is an essential tool in creating a high-performance back-bone network in the home . Although we see the set-top being a client device and not a mesh node , due to the TV generally not being in the ideal place for a WiFi extender , and that not all homes with a set-top need a mesh network . The recent advances in WiFi improves wireless video delivery , specifically the features of WiFi 6 that makes WiFi more deterministic and efficient , and WiFi 7 will improve on this . The use of WiFi
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