UniqCast Unveils uC22: OTT Platform with Enhancements for Seamless Viewing and User Engagement
UniqCast has introduced uC22, the latest iteration of its IPTV/OTT/DVB platform, incorporating exciting new features and enhancements aimed at improving user interaction, service delivery, and platform resilience to external factors. uC22 focuses on creating a more responsive, intuitive experience across set-top boxes (STBs), mobile and web applications, and backend systems.
Let’s dive into the key updates across each platform component.
STB App Upgrades
The STB App in uC22 has been upgraded to offer channel subscription management with upsell potential and smoother navigation, especially for sports enthusiasts:
- Live Channel List with EPG Details: The live channel list now features an integrated Electronic Program Guide (EPG) overlay. Users can explore channels and browse event details directly, with options to filter by category and date for easy, intuitive navigation.
- Enhanced Sports Highlights Timeline: Dedicated remote control buttons allow users to jump between key moments in sports events, making it easier to relive highlights and catch crucial moments.
- Visual VOD Title Art: Enhanced visual appeal for VOD content, displaying high-quality title art within the VOD section, which enriches the user experience.
- Upsell Functionality for Channels: When browsing live channels, users can now view subscription options for channels they are not subscribed to, making potential upsell options quick and easy.
- Optimized Streaming and Network Handling: With adaptive stream recovery, network interruptions are handled dynamically, minimizing platform strain and ensuring a smooth viewing experience. Faster channel switching also allows users to transition more fluidly between DVB and OTT modes.
Elevate Sports Engagement
OTT streaming offers sports fans a versatile and rich viewing experience that goes beyond traditional broadcast. Through the new uC22 platform, users gain features that elevate their engagement with sports events when configured and presented correctly by the operators. Here are a few important benefits that OTT services provide to sports viewers and can effectively be supported by uC22:
- Instant Access to Key Moments: With the new Sports Highlights Timeline, fans can jump directly to pivotal moments in games using dedicated remote control buttons. This feature enables users to catch up on crucial plays, goals, or turning points in real-time or during replays, a function that traditional TV broadcasts can't match.
- Flexible Viewing Anytime, Anywhere: OTT streaming on uC22 allows users to follow live events, view highlights, or replay games at their convenience, regardless of location. Whether watching on a TV, tablet, or phone, users can stay up-to-date with their favorite sports even if they are on the go.
- Control Over Viewing Experience: With the EPG-integrated Live Channel List, users can filter and navigate through channels and events with ease. This functionality, combined with category filters and date navigation, allows sports enthusiasts to seamlessly browse and switch between live games, ensuring they never miss a moment.
- Personalized Notifications for Important Games: uC22 OTT includes push notification capabilities that alert users when important sports events or specific highlights are available, bringing fans closer to the action without having to search for updates manually.
- Improved Content Discovery and Upsell Options: For users browsing live sports channels, uC22’s upsell feature shows subscription options for channels they’re not yet subscribed to, making it easy for fans to explore and gain access to premium sports content on demand.
UniqCast’s uC22 platform empowers sports fans with greater control, instant access to key moments, and the ability to follow their favorite events from any device. The result is a flexible, interactive, and deeply immersive experience tailored to the needs of today’s sports audience.
Mobile, Web, and SmartTV App Features
uC22 expands content flexibility and user control on mobile and web devices, enhancing the experience for users on the go:
- Google Chromecast Support: Besides uCast companion feature that enables smart control of your big-screen TV by your smartphone or tablet, users can now cast content to Chromecast-enabled devices, managing device selection, playback control, and more directly from their mobile apps.
- Network Personal Video Recorder (NPVR): NPVR support on mobile and web allows users to record live, upcoming, or past shows to the cloud, accessible across multiple devices for a seamless viewing experience.
- Adaptive Retry Mechanism for Streaming: Streaming interruptions are handled more efficiently, with retry intervals that adapt to network status, minimizing disruptions and maintaining smooth playback.
- Push Notifications with Content Links: Push notifications can now direct users to specific sections within the app or trigger specific content playback, enhancing engagement.
- Lazy Loading and Enhanced Caching: Lazy loading ensures efficient navigation through large VOD libraries, while caching of channel logos and posters improves app responsiveness.
Driving User Engagement with Targeted Push Notifications and Content Links
In the OTT space, timely and targeted content recommendations are key to keeping users engaged and encouraging them to explore more of the platform. The Push Notifications with Content Links feature in uC22 allows operators to send tailored notifications that take users directly to specific app sections or launch desired content with a single tap. This capability is particularly valuable for OTT providers and marketers seeking to increase user retention and drive consumption of premium content.
Here’s how push notifications with content links can boost engagement and support marketing goals, provided that operators have the data and analytical tools to create dedicated automated flows:
- Personalized Content Recommendations: Using data analytics, operators can identify users' content preferences and send them targeted notifications for new episodes, live events, or trending shows. When a user clicks the notification, they are taken directly to the relevant content, reducing friction and enhancing the likelihood of immediate viewing.
- Promotion of Special Events and Live Broadcasts: For live sports, concerts, or exclusive premieres, push notifications with content links can remind users about start times or alert them when key moments are happening. This direct link to the event page allows users to access high-demand content instantly, fostering a sense of exclusivity and encouraging participation in time-sensitive events.
- Cross-selling and Upselling Opportunities: Marketers can leverage push notifications to promote premium or additional content that may interest users based on their viewing habits. For example, users watching a popular series can receive notifications about related documentaries or similar shows. With content links, users can explore these new offerings without having to navigate the app manually, increasing the likelihood of conversion to premium subscriptions.
- Boosting Engagement with Interactive Content: Notifications can guide users to interactive features within the app, such as live polls, Q&A sessions, or event highlights, enhancing user participation and engagement. For OTT platforms focusing on viewer interaction, this can increase session times and encourage more frequent app visits.
- Reduced Drop-off and Improved Retention: By directing users to specific resources or popular sections within the app, push notifications help retain users who might otherwise leave the platform. This proactive approach to engagement helps reduce churn by reminding users of the platform’s rich content and directing them to high-value or trending assets.
In sum, the Push Notifications with Content Links feature in uC22 offers a powerful tool for OTT marketers, helping drive engagement and conversions through timely, personalized, and actionable communication. This capability not only enhances the user experience but also creates valuable touchpoints that deepen user involvement and loyalty on the platform.
Backend Enhancements
uC22’s backend improvements empower operators with better system control, reliable VOD transcoding, and optimized user management:
- CSMS Admin Panel Enhancements: Timezone handling has been improved for regional accuracy, and new image management features prevent accidental deletion of resources in use.
- Expanded TV Store Layouts and Product Management: Operators have more flexibility in showcasing subscription products, with enhanced support for suspended products, pricing adjustments, and custom CRM-integrated packages.
- Faster VOD Transcoding and Live Streaming: uC22’s backend now features resilient VOD transcoding, with automatic failover to alternate transcoders if issues arise. Live streaming has been upgraded for smoother, region-optimized delivery, supporting uninterrupted streaming under high demand.
Use Case for Expanded TV Store Layouts
uC22 includes various backend enhancements, particularly in the Expanded TV Store Layouts and Product Management features, which provide operators with greater flexibility in displaying and managing content packages. This flexibility allows OTT operators to create tailored offerings, optimize pricing, and improve user engagement by aligning products with user preferences.
Imagine an OTT operator running a promotion for a seasonal sports package to attract new viewers and increase subscriptions among existing users. Using uC22’s expanded TV store layouts, the operator can create a dedicated "Featured Sports Packages" rail on the homepage, showcasing the promotion in an eye-catching format. Instead of a generic list of content, this layout offers a visually rich presentation of the available sports channels, events, and highlights, enticing users to explore. Additionally, by leveraging the product management enhancements, the operator can apply specific pricing rules—such as offering a discounted rate for the first three months—to make the package even more appealing.
The expanded layout and customization options also help in managing suspended or unpaid subscriptions. If a user’s subscription to the sports package is suspended due to insufficient funds, a clear indicator in the TV store shows the package as temporarily inactive and prompts the user with options to resume their subscription. This setup reduces friction, as users can easily restore access without having to search through settings or account details, enhancing both user experience and revenue recovery for the operator.
Through these backend improvements, uC22 enables OTT operators to present products dynamically and manage subscriptions seamlessly, creating a responsive and engaging environment. This flexibility not only improves content discovery but also boosts the operator’s ability to adapt to user needs and seasonal trends, ultimately enhancing both user satisfaction and revenue potential.
System Monitoring
uC22 brings a host of performance improvements, focusing on system responsiveness, resilience, and real-time performance tracking:
- Improved Traffic Handling: The platform manages higher traffic loads without sacrificing performance. Task management during peak hours reduces slowdowns, delivering a consistent experience for all users.
- Accelerated Content Access and Data Processing: Enhanced caching shortens wait times for content access, while optimized data handling allows for rapid processing of large datasets.
- Performance Tracking Tools: Operators gain deeper insights into platform performance with new monitoring tools, enabling proactive stability management and quick issue resolution.
Importance of Fast Content Access and Responsive UI
With uC22’s latest system monitoring enhancements, UniqCast has focused on reducing wait times and improving the responsiveness of the user interface (UI), which are crucial factors in driving user satisfaction on OTT platforms. Statistics show that even small delays in content loading or UI responsiveness can significantly impact viewer satisfaction, with research indicating that a delay as short as two seconds can lead to a 50% increase in user abandonment.
This relationship between wait time and user engagement highlights the importance of quick content access in creating a positive user experience.
The faster content access enabled by uC22’s improved caching mechanisms plays a pivotal role in keeping users engaged. When users can access content almost instantly, they experience less friction in navigating the platform, leading to longer session durations and a lower likelihood of exiting the app. For instance, by reducing load times for frequently accessed assets like channel logos and VOD posters, the platform provides a smoother browsing experience that keeps users interested and reduces the frustration associated with delayed loading.
Similarly, enhanced UI responsiveness is essential for user satisfaction. Users expect instant feedback when they interact with menus, scroll through content, or switch channels. Studies suggest that a 100-millisecond increase in UI response time can reduce overall user engagement by up to 7%. In response, uC22’s optimizations in system cache performance ensure that users receive immediate visual feedback on their interactions, which helps maintain user confidence in the platform's reliability.
Ultimately, these improvements in wait times and UI responsiveness translate directly into higher satisfaction and retention rates. By reducing delays and making the interface more agile, uC22 provides a more seamless experience that not only meets but exceeds user expectations, reinforcing trust and promoting ongoing platform loyalty.
Integration-Related Enhancements
uC22 expands its CRM integration capabilities, making it easier for operators to customize billing and account management:
- CRM-Managed External Packages: The system supports CRM-managed external packages, giving operators more flexibility with subscriptions and billing across STB and TV layouts.
- Broadpeak NPVR Integration: NPVR scheduling and deletion have been integrated with Broadpeak’s CDN, allowing for seamless recording and playback management across multiple devices.
Why is a Well-Integrated CRM Important for OTT?
A well-integrated Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is essential for OTT platforms, providing substantial operational and user-experience benefits. With CRM integration, OTT platforms gain a unified view of each user's journey and preferences, enabling more targeted content recommendations, personalized offers, and a seamless subscription experience. By connecting CRM data with user interaction insights on the OTT platform, operators can tailor content suggestions based on viewing habits, ensuring that users receive relevant recommendations and notifications. This level of personalization has a direct impact on user retention, as customers feel that their preferences are understood and valued.
Additionally, CRM integration simplifies subscription management and billing, a critical advantage in today’s competitive OTT market. Integrated systems allow users to manage their accounts, view billing details, and handle subscription upgrades or cancellations from a single interface. This convenience minimizes customer frustration and reduces churn rates, as users are less likely to abandon platforms that offer easy, transparent account management. For operators, CRM integration improves the ability to implement dynamic pricing and promotional strategies, as it enables real-time adjustments based on user data. Operators can launch targeted campaigns, such as special offers for long-time users or new bundles, to drive engagement and increase revenue.
In a fully integrated CRM-OTT ecosystem, operators can also provide more effective customer support. By giving support teams access to unified CRM data, they can quickly address issues, manage subscription inquiries, and resolve payment questions with better context. This seamless support experience strengthens user loyalty, as customers are more likely to trust platforms that deliver responsive and informed assistance. In short, CRM integration is not just a back-end enhancement; it is a powerful tool that enables OTT platforms to deliver a responsive, personalized, and user-centered experience that aligns with modern consumer expectations.
Committed To Exceptional Viewing Experiences
With uC22, UniqCast continues to push the boundaries of streaming platform functionality, providing operators and end-users alike with a robust, feature-rich experience that adapts to changing demands and optimizes performance. This release solidifies UniqCast’s commitment to delivering high-quality viewing experiences through state-of-the-art IPTV, OTT, and DVB solutions.
