Behind the strong push of TVOS operating system by radio and television: facing resistance from Android

Imagine if everyone’s brain had the same configuration and content, what would the world be like?

With the mandatory promotion of the TVOS1.O smart TV operating system developed by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), this idea is not a fantasy in the field of smart TVs. Starting with the set-top box, where radio and television have a strong voice, seems to be just the beginning.

Strong forced breath

Although senior executives of the radio and television system have repeatedly emphasized that the TVOS1.0 system is not a mandatory standard, a notice released on the official website of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television on the afternoon of July 4 still made people smell the compulsory atmosphere in the promotion.

This Notice No. 149 (2014) issued by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, while calling on cable television network companies in various regions to vigorously carry out large-scale application trials of TVOS1.O on terminals such as smart TV set-top boxes, used the mandatory terminology "no other operating systems except TVOS may be installed."

TVOS1.O is a smart TV operating system independently developed by the Broadcasting Science Research Institute under the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television in collaboration with 15 other institutions. The project was launched in March 2012, passed acceptance at the end of December last year, and was released to the public in June this year.

It is worth noting that this operating system did not deeply develop the Android system as is common in the industry. Instead, it superimposed the Android operating system on the Linux system.

Security is the primary consideration for this operating system.

Wang Xiaojie, director of the Science and Technology Department of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, said at the Beijing International Television Technology Seminar held on June 5 that the main purpose of developing TVOS1.O is to achieve "manageable and controllable" smart TV terminals from content to applications through this system and a unified application store.

According to our reporter, TVOS1.O has technical restrictions on the underlying code, which means it cannot be flashed and users cannot install unapproved applications on their own. Apps such as live streaming software may be directly banned.

Another reason why the radio and television gave up directly developing the Android system is that the radio and television believed that when the Android system was used in the field of television transmission, there were still many places that needed to be modified and it could not adapt to the needs of television services.

However, TVOS1.0 is currently fully compatible with the Android system. Wang Xiaojie said at the above meeting, "In this way, the businesses that have been developed on the existing operating system can be smoothly transitioned to our system."

Although the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television has not given a timetable for trials in various regions, TVOS1.O trials have already begun in Shanghai and Jiangsu.

At present, this experiment is limited to Internet boxes used by the radio and television system, and set-top boxes released by Internet companies represented by Xiaomi and LeTV, including smart TV terminals, have not been affected. However, in March 2011, the news that Hisense, Changhong, TCL and other top six domestic color TV companies all participated in the first TVOS seminar, to some extent, suggests that smart TVs may be the next promotion target of this operating system.

The hidden TVOS industry chain

Behind the forced promotion of the TVOS1.O system by radio and television, a smart TV industry chain with radio and television characteristics is taking shape.

Among the 15 units involved in the research and development, in addition to the three research units of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, this industrial chain brings together terminal equipment manufacturers represented by Changhong Network and Tongzhou Electronics, cable operators represented by Oriental Cable and Jiangsu Cable, Internet TV broadcast control platforms represented by Wasu Media, and Liantong Network, which has been engaged in the research and development of intelligent operating systems.

In addition, it also includes companies such as Digital Video and Shenzhen Zhuozhuang, which are engaged in digital TV software and hardware research and development and services, as well as the Next Generation Broadcasting and Television Network Application Laboratory Co., Ltd. that meets the needs of three-network integration, and the participation of communications service provider ZTE.

The companies in this industry chain already had close relations before they collaborated on TVOS1.O.

The reporter checked the information and found that Wasu Media's subsidiary Wasu Digital TV Investment Co., Ltd. held a 3.5885% stake in Shenzhen Zhuozhuang in 2013; Shanghai's Next Generation Broadcasting and Television Network Application Laboratory Co., Ltd. was established in December 2011 under the leadership of Oriental Cable; and Liantong Network is a state-owned holding company jointly established by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, which is also its shareholder.

In addition to capital ties, these companies have long cooperated in business.

For example, in April this year, Digital Video announced cooperation with Wasu Media in the OTT business in Hunan. The two parties had formed a strategic partnership as early as last year. According to the reporter, Wasu is also the Internet TV license partner of Changhong and Tongzhou smart TV terminals.

Li Fangting, an IT industry researcher at China Investment Consulting, told reporters, "TVOS1.0 appears as an industry standard, and it does need a period of promotion in the early stages to establish industry influence. Cable TV companies have a close relationship with the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, and are a good channel for the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television to promote it."

Facing Android blockade

The radio and television industry obviously hopes to end the current situation of each smart TV operating system operating independently through this closely connected industrial chain, and gradually control and regulate the development of smart TVs from the source. However, facing the mature Android industrial chain, promotion is obviously difficult.

Although there are many smart TV operating systems, all of them have chosen to develop the Android system. An industry insider told reporters that more than 80% of the mainstream smart TV manufacturers at home and abroad currently use systems developed based on the Android system kernel.

An obvious example is that among the several equipment manufacturers involved in the research and development, except for Oriental Cable which officially launched the set-top box with the COS system in July this year, no hardware manufacturer has announced the production of an Internet set-top box installed with the TVOS system.

The COS operating system is an intelligent operating system jointly released by Liantong Network and the Software Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, one of the 15 member units. Liantong Network stated that the COS system fully meets the requirements of TVOS1.0.

A relevant person in charge of Changhong told reporters that Changhong’s products have not yet been installed with the TVOS system of China Radio and Television, but Changhong is a member of the working group, has been following up on the project, and already has a prototype.

When talking about why companies are reluctant to use the TVOS1.0 system, Zeng Huiming, CEO of China Broadcasting Network, told reporters: "The combination of operating system and TV is not that simple. After all, it is combined with the entire TV application and live broadcast channels. In addition to the shared Android interface, there are also private and industry operator-specific features, and each company is doing something different now."

Li Fangting also told reporters that the update speed of Internet set-top boxes is very fast and requires strong technical support, but the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television is not sensitive to market reactions and it is difficult to keep pace with the market, which has brought great difficulties to its continued mandatory promotion.

In addition, TVOS1.O has not imposed any restrictions on set-top boxes released by Internet companies such as Xiaomi and LeTV.

Li Fangting told reporters that since TVOS1.0 is an industry standard after all, Xiaomi and LeTV will certainly make some adjustments to their existing systems and applications. However, the radio and television bureau is currently only forcing cable TV companies to promote the popularization of TVOS1.0 software, which will not have a significant impact on Internet companies.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.