Xperi Corp. said on Wednesday that Sharp Corp. will integrate the TiVo TVOS into smart TVs it sells in Europe starting next year.
Sharp, which is now owned by Taipei, Taiwan-based Foxconn, will become the second major supplier of TiVo-powered smart TVs, with Istanbul, Turkey-based Vestel signing on to produce TiVo sets for the Euro market last year. After a delay, those Vestel sets are supposed to hit European stores in the second half of 2023.
Making the announcement during its second-quarter earnings call Wednesday, Xperi also said that it has locked own a third, as-yet unnamed smart TV supplier for its TVOS. Xperi also said that TiVo-powered smart TVs will reach North America in 2024.
BMW has also started using TiVO UX to power its in-car entertainment systems.
Xperi has been targeting second-tier smart TV OEMs with a third-party TVOS solution that's more flexible and customizable than software offered by Roku, Google and Amazon. (Next TV hosted Xperi's product chief, Geir Skaaden, for a sponsored webinar last last year, during which he detailed the company's smart TV business model. You can register and watch/listen to that archived event for free here.)
“We chose TiVo’s OS not only because of the superior product but also because we wanted to offer a user experience of Sharp quality elements with more variety and freedom,” said Nick Chen, head of Europe and VP of Sharp's TV-system business unit.
Added Xperi CEO Jon Kirchner: “Sharp’s selection of 'Powered by TiVo' is further proof that we are meeting a crucial need for smart TV brands. The accelerated adoption of our independent media platform by consumer electronic brands, as well as by BMW in the car, lays a strong foundation for the future growth and success of our platform ecosystem.”
