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Irdeto partners with Amlogic, Skyworth to launch production-ready Hybrid STB Reference Design Programme
MUMBAI – Android TV, with the extensive Google app store is already playing an influential role in pay TV, as operators are under pressure to increase consumer choice, reduce cost and speed up time to market. To address these challenges, Irdeto has partnered with Amlogic, a leading fabless semiconductor company, and Skyworth Digital, the world’s largest set-top box (STB) manufacturer, to launch a production-ready hybrid STB reference design under Google’s Android TV program.
This provides operators with a pre-certified, cost-efficient hybrid Android TV platform that reduces launch time by up to six months. It is easier to maintain and provides a future-proof platform for operators to launch new business models.
“Under the Google program, we are delivering an Android TV production-ready hybrid STB reference design which will allow operators to simplify integration, speed up time to market and ensure a great user experience,” said Amlogic Corporate Business Strategy Senior Vice President
James Xie . “Through our partnership with Irdeto and Skyworth, we are also ensuring the highest levels of security to meet the most demanding premium content requirements, whilst ensuring operators have full control. In addition, the total product lifecycle is managed, including the update process, which provides significant savings to the operator.”
The lynchpin of this production-ready hybrid STB reference design is security. With Irdeto Armor, operators can provide a great Android TV experience – giving consumers both broadcast TV and the OTT apps they crave – while ensuring the highest levels of security for premium content delivery. Part of Irdeto Armor, App Watch also prevents the use of malicious and pirate apps or add-ons on the STB, a challenge that must be addressed when giving consumers access to open app stores.
“We’ve seen hybrid Android TV STBs as strategic additions to operators’ portfolio, enabling operators to launch premium services at the speed and cost-efficiency they couldn’t achieve on proprietary platforms,” said Irdeto Strategic Partnerships, Business Development and Marketing Vice President Steeve Huin . “With more at stake, operators must ensure the best security for both the content and the platform, including protection from malicious and pirate apps and add-ons on the set-top box. This partnership provides a secure, production-ready hybrid STB reference design that is pre-certified, meaning that operators will see an even quicker deployment for Android TV.”
“Fast deployment at scale is essential for operators looking to launch premium services and content,” said Skyworth Digital Strategic Partnerships, Sales and Marketing Vice President Charlie Zheng. “This partnership enables quick and easy deployment of new and innovative Android TV STBs, based on a single design, with trusted security implemented at the core. This provides operators with the assurance that their services can be easily maintained and are protected from pirates looking to implement malicious apps and supply illegal content.”
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Raghu Rai passes away at 83, leaves behind iconic legacy
Padma Shri-winning photographer documented history across 5 decades.
MUMBAI: The lens may have stilled, but the stories it captured will never fade. Raghu Rai, one of India’s most celebrated photojournalists, passed away on April 26, 2026, at the age of 83. He breathed his last at a private hospital in New Delhi after battling cancer and age-related health issues.
His son, Nitin Rai, revealed that Rai had been diagnosed with prostate cancer two years ago, which later spread to the stomach and, more recently, the brain. Despite multiple rounds of treatment, his health had declined in recent months.
Born in 1942 in Jhang, Punjab (now in Pakistan), Rai entered photography in his early twenties, inspired by his elder brother, photographer S. Paul. Beginning his career in the mid-1960s, he went on to build a body of work that spanned more than five decades, contributing to global publications such as Time, Life, GEO, Le Figaro, The New York Times, Vogue, GQ and Marie Claire.
His global recognition took a decisive leap in 1977 when legendary French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson nominated him to join Magnum Photos, placing him among the world’s most respected visual storytellers.
Rai’s lens chronicled both power and poignancy. He photographed towering figures such as Indira Gandhi, Dalai Lama, Bal Thackeray, Satyajit Ray and Mother Teresa, while also documenting defining moments like the Bhopal gas tragedy later captured in his book Exposure: A Corporate Crime.
Over the years, he published more than 18 books, building an archive that blended journalism with artistry. His contributions were recognised early when he was awarded the Padma Shri in 1972 for his coverage of the Bangladesh War and refugee crisis. In 1992, he was named “Photographer of the Year” in the United States for his work in National Geographic, and in 2009, he was honoured with the Officier des Arts et des Lettres by the French government.
Rai is survived by his wife Gurmeet, son Nitin, and daughters Lagan, Avani and Purvai. His last rites will be held at Lodhi Cremation Ground in New Delhi at 4 pm on Sunday.
With his passing, Indian photojournalism loses not just a pioneer, but a patient observer of history, one frame at a time.
