Anouncing a UI for an internet TV using Lua run-time support

Active-TV Technology now offers an internet TV UI based on the Lua language and run-time support routines from CoreCodec. The Lua scripting tools currently enable a UI with abilities somewhere between MHEG5 and Adobe Flash.

CoreCodec is known for its CorePlayer, which supports “multimedia content on your desktop, mobile phone, portable media player, PDA, GPS, or convergence device”. It is widely used in the cell phone industry. Now, CoreCodec are in the process of retargeting their new Lua run-time environment to customers’ TV system-on a chip (Soc). They have already provided Lua run-time support for BroadQ’s Sony Playstation 2 project. Lua has particularly light-weight support requirements, and is popular in the video game industry.

Adobe’s Flash is widely used in the PC industry, when building web interface applications. Its availability for TV UI development would be greatly appreciated; given its productivity, capability and familiarity. The new CE3100 TV SOC from Intel has an advantage when supporting Flash due to the CE3100’s X86 processor core. Other, possibly lower cost TV SoC, will have a harder time supporting Flash. Using Lua may be the answer to competing with the CE3100.

Below is a TV screen image of the current Lua-based YouTube interface.
Daniel Mann

PlayStation 2 supports internet video

For some time BroadQ has been working on adding internet video viewing to the Sony PlayStation 2 (PS2). The project has taken longer than expected; but I can now report that I have accessed YouTube video from the PS2 console.

BroadQ partnered with CodeCodec to add advanced video codec support to the PS2. Till now CoreCodec have been a supplier of codecs and media players for cell phones. The partnership enables the PS2 to display YouTube video using the H.264 video format. The superior performance of CoreCodec’s codec enables decode of near HD quality video resolution. BroadQ will be demonstrating their QTV branded TV interface running on the PS2 at CES January 2009. Below are some early screen-shots of the QTV UI.



Note that these are not screen shots of the Flash version which BroadQ has previously shown during demonstrations. The images are from a new Lua Script implementation developed by Active-TV Technology for BroadQ. The Flash version required run-time PC assistance. This Lua version enables the PS2 to operate “standalone”, without any PC assistance being required. The UI implementation shown here is not complete; please expect changes before the CES showoff.



The application of the PS2 to view internet video from the living room TV is significant, given the greater than 120M units sold by Sony (see America Still Plays More Ps2 Than Xbox 360 and Wii Combined) . BroadQ plans for QTV, include support for video distributed by the emerging key suppliers such as YouTube, Hulu and more.
Daniel Mann

Now watch Google Video on the TV

Use Google Video to search for internet videos, then watch them at the TV, all without touching your PC or the keyboard.

Google Video enables access to longer format video than typically available on YouTube. The YouTube channel (currently available for testing), has been extended to include searching for Google Video. A TV screen image is shown below.

The TV-web formatted channel can be used with the D-Link DSM520 or other active-TV technology-enabled TVs. Note: the TV remote 'info' key can be used to toggle 'on-off' auto-play, resulting in uninterrupted TV-like viewing of one video after another...

This latest update to the YouTube channel includes improvements to the IR remote text-input, a larger preview image, and the ability to temporarily switch User ID to that of the author of the current video. This last feature, along with switching User ID to that of friends and family, makes it possible to explore a network of ‘connected’ videos.

Additional changes and improvements will be made pending user feedback or other technical refinements.

Daniel Mann