Reliance Industries has started testing the country’s first indigenously developed smart television operating system (OS) developed by it for a possible commercial launch of televisions running on it by Diwali, two industry executives said.
The Jio TV OS, which will be based on Google’s Android platform, will compete against top television manufacturer OS such as Samsung’s Tizen OS, LG’s webOS, Skyworth’s Coolita OS and Vidaa OS by Hisense Group. Reliance has provided its TV OS to some home grown TV manufacturers for beta testing for feedback and fix bugs, the executives said.
In addition to launching its own line of Jio OS-powered smart TVs in 4K and full HD, Reliance is also negotiating licence deals with other domestic TV producers. Smart TVs are sold by Reliance under the BPL and Reconnect brands. The majority of these models will be in the entry-level market, as reported by Economic Times.
According to a business executive, Jio will be able to bundle its broadband connections, drive revenue through advertising, and bundle other apps like JioCinema with the Jio smart TV OS.
Chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. Akash Ambani revealed plans to create a smart TV operating system last October, but he withheld any information. The project had been worked on by this entity.
Reliance is not charging any licencing fees for the Jio TV OS because it wants to become extremely popular, according to one of the executives. He said, “Large MNCs like Samsung and LG are unlikely to roll out TVs on this OS since they have their own smart TV OS. So, Reliance wants to enter into agreement with some of the home grown and smaller brands to increase adoption."
Reliance is not charging any licencing fees for the Jio TV OS because it wants to become extremely popular, according to one of the executives. He said, “Large MNCs like Samsung and LG are unlikely to roll out TVs on this OS since they have their own smart TV OS. So, Reliance wants to enter into agreement with some of the home grown and smaller brands to increase adoption."
An additional executive stated that the Jio TV OS is free to use and that any developer can use it to create an app that is optimised not only for smart TVs but also for other connected devices like smartphones.
Market watcher Counterpoint Research reports that from January to March, the nation's shipments of smart TVs fell 14% year over year. In the March quarter, shipments of Smart TVs with screens larger than 55 inches increased 23% year over year, making it the only market segment to experience growth. According to the researcher, the market will probably contract by 10% in 2024 as a result of a decline in the demand for small-screen TVs.
