Opera TV Store starts 2013 in style

A new look for the New Year

Opera Software has launched a new version of its Opera TV Store, featuring a New Year makeover for the cloud-based application store with a new experience, new features and new apps for its users.

As well as speed and performance improvements, the most significant revamp is to the user interface, which has been updated to make the Opera TV Store sleeker, more stylish and easier to navigate. The new interface enables users to discover fun and relevant apps more easily, with an improved search experience.

The New Year sees exciting new apps added to the Opera TV Store. Many of these are video apps and games, coming from leading content partners such as Flingo and adRise, including the Havoc Television, The Bold and The Beautiful, and Asian Crush apps. Other new apps in the Opera TV Store include CNN Expansion, Freshmilk TV and Fashion Daily TV.

The Opera TV Store features several new ways to promote applications. This includes new categories for featured apps and new algorithms for prioritization of apps based on popularity, vendor, device and geographical location. The new version makes it easy for OEMs and operators to control placement in their own devices, maximizing usage and protecting their investment in services.

“We resolved to bring users of the web on TV a better app experience in the New Year, and here it is,” says Lars Boilesen, CEO, Opera Software. “The restyled Opera TV Store now makes it even easier for users to get to the apps they want and the content they need.”

The Opera TV Store is an HTML5-based application framework built on Opera’s advanced browsing engine, giving users a rich selection of entertaining apps and providing one of the most advanced web development environments for developers.

Opera Software will be previewing a future version of the Opera TV Store at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January, with industry changing functionalities and a built-in monetization engine. This will include the brand new side-by-side functionality for apps: apps that enhance the TV experience by interacting with programs the viewer is watching. For example, viewers can watch a football game and use an app beside it on screen to vote on the result, or take in a film and check where else they’ve seen that actor - without missing a second of the action.

The Opera TV Store is now available on Sony Bravia TVs and Blu-ray Disc players, with more OEMs to announce support shortly. The Opera ecosystem is more than just the Opera TV Store, with Opera powering tens of millions of devices, such as Sony, Boxee, Hisense, Freesat+, Vestel, Altech and Topfield.

For developers keen to build the next must-have app for TV, development is easy with the Opera TV Emulator, which has all the features you need to get started. For content owners eager to try TV apps, Opera’s TV templates for Video and News content are free, simple to use and will help get you onto the Opera TV Store quickly. With a network of development agencies and partners, Opera Software can help you source the right development resources if you decide to hire development externally. Visit dev.opera.com/tv/ to find online tools, guides and forums or contact us to learn more about the agency partnerships.

Find Opera in South Hall, S2 Lower Level, #MP25063 in the CES Meeting Place at CES in Las Vegas, held January 8-11. To schedule a demo, contact Falguni BhutaFalguni Bhuta falgunib[at]opera.com. Visit www.opera.com/tv/ to learn more.

Download screenshots of Opera TV Store, and check out the video.

About Opera Software ASA

The worldwide World Wide Web — any device, any platform, any bandwidth, absolutely anywhere in the world. Opera Software was founded in 1994, based on the idea that access to the web should be a universal right. 275 million people (and counting) use the Opera web browsers for computers, mobile phones, TVs and other connected devices. Opera also delivers tools, distribution, engagement, monetization and market insights to developers, publishers and brands around the world. We are passionate about breaking down barriers, so everyone can share in the power of the internet. Our vision of one web for all remains at the heart of what we do, because we believe that participation changes everything. Opera Software ASA is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol OPERA. ‘Opera’, ‘Opera Software’, ‘Opera Mini’ and the ‘O’ logo are trademarks of Opera Software ASA. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Learn more about Opera at www.opera.com.