Watch TV and enter the minimalist era! Goodbye "nesting dolls" charges and complex operations, plug-in set-top boxes are introduced

Interface News

2024-05-25 14:09Posted on the official account of Shanghai Jiemian News

Interface News Reporter | Lu Keyan Zhang Mengyue

To save the decline in the TV start-up rate, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television has a new method.

According to the "2024 China Smart TV Interaction New Trend Report" released by the Prospective Industry Research Institute, since 2016, the TV boot rate in mainland China has dropped from 70% to less than 30% in 2022.

With the diversification of viewing devices and the fragmentation of users' viewing time, the demand for TV is decreasing. Even for the elderly and other people who need to watch TV, the complex operation experience of layers of "nesting dolls" and multiple remote controls at every turn also hinders the desire to turn on.

The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television is changing that.

On May 24, at the 20th Cultural Expo, the State Administration of Radio and Television showed the results of the "double governance" work on the complex phenomenon of TV nesting doll charging and operation - for nesting doll charges, simplify the charging process, clarify the charging items, and improve transparency; For complex operation management, the interface is actively optimized, and the live broadcast can be watched at startup, simplifying the user operation process.

In terms of user operation,Radio and Television Research Institute(hereinafter referred to as "Guangzhou Academy of Sciences") also released a plug-in micro set-top box,It is not only smaller and more beautiful in appearance,There is no need for complicated operation processes,Let watching TV return to the easiest operation experience。

Black technology in set-top boxes

As an important device for watching digital HDTV, digital set-top boxes have gone through at least 20 years of history in China. However, there are many connections behind the traditional set-top box, which is not only cumbersome to install, but also affects the aesthetics of the home, and because it involves many remote controls and operation processes, many users are more reluctant to turn on the TV.

Plug-in miniature set-top boxes try to solve this problem. It only connects to the TV through the HDMI port and uses the USB port to draw power. The presence of the set-top box is barely visible from the front.

The plug-in micro set-top box on display at the Cultural Expo Photo: Zhang Mengyue

The technical staff of the Guangzhou Academy of Sciences told the interface news reporter that it is not easy to make the set-top box smaller, on the one hand, it is necessary to achieve the same function as the traditional set-top box in a smaller body size. On the other hand, it is necessary to do a good job of heat dissipation, because the fuselage is plugged into the back panel of the TV, and the power consumption cannot be too high.

In this regard, the solution of the Guangzhou Academy of Sciences is the collaborative optimization of software and hardware. In terms of hardware, the circuit has been redesigned to adopt low-power devices and compact design. In terms of software, the operating system is further optimized to make it more secure and controllable.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences has also taken into account the smooth transition between the new set-top box and the traditional set-top box, and the two are equipped with a unified IP interface, which can be used in the nationwide cable TV and IPTV network environment. In addition, the new set-top box also supports 4K ultra-high-definition standards, as well as AVS2, HDR vivid, Audio vivid and other independent audio and video standards.

The new design not only makes the set-top box more beautiful, but also easier to operate. In cooperation with the "infrared, Bluetooth, and star-flash three-mode new remote control" organized and developed by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, users can control the TV and set-top box at the same time with a remote control, solving the problems of "difficult to watch TV" and "annoying to watch TV".

Three-mode new remote control Photography: Zhang Mengyue

In addition to optimizing the user experience, the R&D team also took into account the future commercial competitiveness of the product in the market.

Zhang Wei, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told the interface news reporter that this set-top box was designed with cost control in mind, and the relevant hardware standards were defined, and the standards of cable TV set-top boxes will be unified across the country in the future, so when operators carry out IPTV centralized procurement, the cost will be effectively controlled and reduced, and the price will be not much different from the traditional set-top box.

He also revealed that the product will soon enter the market, and the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television plans to start pilot deployment in seven cities across the country in June, including Beijing, and optimize the product through user feedback. After the success of the pilot, it will be promoted nationwide.

Face the chaos of fees

The plug-in micro set-top box launched at the Cultural Expo is just one of the achievements of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television in the management of complex operations.

The decline in the TV boot rate is not only the poor experience on the hardware,There is also the chaos of TV charges that are constantly complained about,For example, you have to watch ads when you buy a member、Mobile phone members can't be used on TV, etc。 In this regard, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television has launched a series of targeted governance measures.

In August last year, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television carried out the work of controlling the charging and operation of TV "nesting dolls" in the three major fields of cable television, IPTV, and Internet TV, that is, the "dual governance" work, and set initial governance goals such as "starting to watch live broadcasts, reducing the charging package by 50%, and improving consumption transparency".

So far, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television has rectified 158 units, actually reduced the charging package by more than 70%, lowered the charging standard, optimized the charging process, and allowed users to have a substantial improvement in the payment experience.

For users who are sensitive to fees, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television has also appropriately increased the supply of high-quality free content in cable television, IPTV and Internet television, such as the "Relive the Classics" free zone launched on cable television, which has accumulated more than 20 million clicks and views in two months. The team also clearly marked the charges on the TV page in the navigation bar, the first screen program recommendation position on the home page, etc., so that users can know whether they can watch it for free before clicking on the show.

Considering the user's complaints about the interface of the traditional set-top box after booting, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television has also reformulated the standard for live broadcast on boot, and users will watch live broadcast in full screen by default as soon as they turn on the device. After solving the home scene, the next stage will also focus on the operation optimization of the hotel TV.

In order to consolidate the effect of governance, the General Administration has also formulated a normalized inspection method, if it detects signs of rebound of nesting doll fees, it will immediately interview the supervisor for follow-up rectification. In the future, the Radio and Television Research Institute will also develop an automated supervision system to allow users to say goodbye to matryoshka fees.

Zhang Wei, vice president of the Academy of Guangzhou Sciences, said that the first phase of the management of nesting doll charges has been completed, and the second phase will be broadcast control optimization, mainly focusing on Internet TV. The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television will conduct centralized supervision, inspection and evaluation in June for the seven Internet TV operators with integrated licenses, and require the implementation of the main responsibility for broadcast control.

In addition, the research and development of new set-top boxes by the Guangzhou Academy of Sciences is also continuing to advance. Zhu Yonglei, deputy director of the State Administration of Radio and Television, also said in September last year that he would organize scientific research units and TV manufacturers to study a variety of technical paths for simplifying and reducing remote control and TV set-top box integration, and strive to realize the use of the same remote control for TV and set-top box as soon as possible, and finally launch integrated receiving equipment for TV and set-top box.

Liu Jianguo, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that the first phase of the "dual governance" has achieved results and is still being promoted. The work of "dual governance" has effectively promoted the return of users and the growth of ratings. According to data released by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, at the end of 2023, the number of cable TV and IPTV payment users nationwide will increase by 784,700 and 4,291,300 respectively compared with September. The overall ratings showed an upward trend, and the viewing activity of live channels continued to increase in the past four months, with a cumulative increase of about 13.6%. It is believed that after the governance work, users can return to the living room to watch TV more conveniently and comfortably.

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