CloudTV thunderOS takes aim at India’s TV OS gap
India’s Smart TV landscape is getting a new homegrown contender as CloudTV thunderOS goes live with a focus on making television more than a screen for streaming. The CTS-certified Smart TV operating system combines content discovery, AI-powered voice assistance, live channels, gaming and OTT apps into one platform.
The rollout also gives the platform an immediate consumer presence through Billion and realme TechLife, which become the first Smart TV brands to offer it. Their Smart TVs will be available on Flipkart from today, just as the festive season approaches.
CloudTV expands its Smart TV operating system in India
CloudTV says its platform already powers more than 8 million devices and reaches over 16 million viewers across India. With thunderOS, the company is looking to build on that presence by addressing the way consumers increasingly discover and use content.
The platform brings together more than 350 live channels, 130 OTT and other apps, 45 gaming apps and browsing. It also supports DVB-S satellite connectivity and more than 800 free-to-air channels spanning news, entertainment and sports.
The Billion and realme TechLife partnerships add another layer to the rollout. Billion brings the platform into its focus on accessible technology, while realme TechLife extends the ecosystem across its smart TVs, streaming devices, audio products and smart home appliances.
Smart TV OS India gets an AI-led layer
At the centre of CloudTV thunderOS is Bolt, CloudTV’s AI voice assistant. Users can search and navigate the TV using voice, while Bolt can also provide general trivia, giving the assistant a role beyond finding content.
Other features are aimed at reducing the friction of everyday TV use. SmartAudio uses AI to adapt sound based on the genre being watched, while personalised recommendations use recent viewing activity to surface content. Continue Watching lets viewers resume shows and movies directly from the home screen.
Unified Content Search also tackles one of the common challenges of app-heavy viewing by allowing users to search across multiple OTT applications through a single interface.
Billion and realme TechLife bring Smart TV choices
The platform also moves beyond conventional entertainment features. Kids Mode creates a dedicated space with curated, kid-friendly content, while PC Mode allows the TV to work as a larger screen for browsing, editing, creating and other tasks.
CloudTV thunderOS is CTS-certified and supports certified versions of YouTube, Amazon Prime Video and several other OTT applications. For consumers, that puts certification, content access and navigation at the centre of the new platform.
For CloudTV, the partnerships with Billion and realme TechLife suggest that the company is moving beyond simply developing a Smart TV operating system in India. CloudTV thunderOS is being positioned as a broader homegrown ecosystem built around content discovery, AI and flexibility across different ways of using a television.
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