By Stuart Thomson

Technicolor Connected Home has said it is integrating Google’s far-field voice technology into its latest generation of set-top boxes, enabling users to change channels and search for content and more hands-free with Google Assistant.

Google Assistant with far-field voice recognition has hitherto only been available on devices such as soundbars and TVs. The integration of Google Assistant and Technicolor Connected Home devices will enable consumers to manage smart speakers, home security automation and other IoT applications from the TV set-top.

According to Technicolor, the integration will enable its boxes to act as a hands-free intelligent home hub for managing an array of digital services.

“The integration of far-field voice within the set-top box is an exciting evolution in how consumers can manage the growing range of new services emerging in the connected home. The new generation of smart, multi-featured set top boxes introduced by Technicolor Connected Home is increasingly seen by NSPs – and their subscribers – as a natural, central point of technology and service integration. Operators around the world are expressing growing interest in incorporating far-field voice into their CPE, with major commercial deployment announcements expected for this summer,” said vice president, video product unit of Technicolor Connected Home, Brian Jentz.

“Consumers tend to develop confidence and trust with the devices that they use the most to access the digital services they desire. For millions of consumers around the world, the STB is that device. The partnership with Technicolor Connected Home to provide hands-free voice capabilities with Google Assistant on STBs empowers consumers to search and interact with the content of their choice without the need of a remote,” said director for Android TV at Google, Joshua Stults.