Service integration methods

Web-based client

A Graphic User Interface presented as a set of UI Web-patterns, stored on the server and transmitted to the client’s STB upon request from the subscriber. The client’s STB has a browser, which displays the requested web-page.

Pros:

  • Faster GUI development
  • More direct control for operator

Cons:

  • More Expensive STBs (browser royalty)
  • Incompatibility of different STBs within the same network (because of differences in browsers)
  • Low GUI performance, slow page loads and on-screen menu refreshes.
  • Server overload during peak usage, exactly when an Operator least desires poor user experience, often triggering tech support or customer service calls.
  • High cost of servers.
  • Increased network traffic.

 

Thick client

The task of creating the GUI is offloaded to the client side of the system. The STB with a preinstalled operation system (Linux) runs a special application with an internal user interface.

Pros:

  • Inexpensive consoles / hardware (no browser royalty)
  • Very good GUI performance (no browser, no swap for graphic data)
  • Less network load.
  • Cheaper server hardware.
  • Most autonomy.
  • No restriction for visualization and functionality, GUI not held up by Web technologies and their limitations.

Cons:

  • More complicated to change/update

Longer GUI development and debugging