Opera TV blinks into Android.

Smart TVs and entertainment devices based on Android L are about to be augmented as the Opera Devices SDK (Software Development Kit) 4.x series will launch Android TVs by long-term Opera Software OEM partner, Sony, while Opera Devices SDK 3.x series will be delivered to connected-TV devices using Android Open Source from TCL, introducing the industry’s first Blink-based TV rendering engine to Android.

Supplementing the advance HTML5 capabilities, the Opera Devices SDK also has the ability to bring Opera’s hybrid TV option for HbbTV, Opera TV Store app platform and Opera TV browser for open internet browsing to Android TV devices. Manufacturers are able to quickly deploy hundreds of entertaining, HTML5-based TV apps through the Opera TV Store, an application platform live on devices from more than 15 manufacturers and pay-TV operators and reaching millions of homes. Also included in the SDK is the new Opera TV browser, which lets viewers easily browse the full web via a standard remote control and use familiar features, such as tabbed browsing, visual bookmarks and browsing history.

“HTML5 has proven to be the harmonizing factor in a complex and fragmented industry with many operating systems, regional standards and plug-in frameworks. When our TV partners announced their Android plans, Opera’s latest TV solutions were a natural fit,” says Aneesh Rajaram, Senior Vice-President for TV & Devices, Opera Software. “Manufacturers seek a certain degree of freedom on the OS layer, to differentiate the user experience. But, as we’ve experienced, content owners are keen to re-use their investments in HTML5 apps for TV, and this is precisely where we can add value to manufacturers launching Android TV.”