#tellybean

Tellybean, life-sized video calling for TV, is now available for Android mobile devices in Google Play

Helsinki, September 26, 2016 – Tellybean Video Calling service was created to bring families home. Modern life separates families, and sharing those special moments with life-sized video is almost like being there. With the Tellybean Video Calling app now available for Android mobile phones and tablets, even more family members and friends can be together in the living room through a TV, mobile phone, tablet or computer.

The launch of the mobile app, available on Andorid phones and tablets, is the next step in the evolution of Tellybean’s award winning video calling solution. 

“We’re extremely excited to expand our video calling service to mobile devices. Tellybean has already been established as the leading solution for TV video calling and we know that our users really appreciate and are excited with the big screen experience, with whole family together on the couch to share a special moment. Tellybean video calling for Android mobile phones and tablets marks the next step in our service and follows the launch of our innovative Camera app.” says Cami Hongell, the CEO of Tellybean. 

As of today, Tellybean video calling service works on the Android TV platform, which includes Smart TVs and set-top boxes; on Android mobile phones and tablets,  and on any computer. Tellybean delivers a life-sized video calling experience that the whole family can enjoy, allowing families to be together in the comfort of the living room.

Tellybean Video Calling app is available now in the Google Play store free of charge. 

About Tellybean

Tellybean is driven by a few simple but powerful observations: modern life separates families and the fact that technology usually makes video calling inaccessible to the whole family. To solve this problem, Tellybean delivers a life-sized video calling experience that the whole family can enjoy. Tellybean video calling service works on all Android TVs: Smart TVs and set-top boxes; on Android mobile phones and tablets; and on any computer.. Tellybean was founded in 2011 and is based in Helsinki, Finland. Tellybean received recognition and awards as the "Best Smart TV App" at TV Connect 2016 in London and as the "most innovative app” in Philips’ Android TV app competition 2016.

The content in the news releases is accurate at the time of publication but may be subject to change without notice. All trademarks mentioned in this news release are the property of their respective owners. Google, Google Play and Android TV are trademarks of Google Inc.

Contact: Cami Hongell, CEO of Tellybean Tel: +358405056014 E-mail: [email protected]

Additional press materials and information: For additional materials, photos, videos, footage please visit

www.tellybean.com

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Modern life separates families. More than five years ago one of my co-founders Phil was frustrated with the video calling solutions available for keeping in touch with his mom on the other side of the world in Australia. He grew so frustrated that we decided to do something about it.

Having reached the end of a very busy first half of 2016, a recap of Tellybean's recent past is in order. As we also closed the second part of a 650k€ angel round, it gives me confidence to throw a glance into our future. Skype paved the way for both video calling as a concept and made it an accepted way for people to keep in touch with each other. Skype also helped Tellybean as a company. Although we are always asked to explain how we differ from Skype, the nice thing is that many times the easiest way to explain Tellybean is to say "it's like Skype on TV". Everybody gets it. The TV manufacturers see video calling as a great way to use their big screens and to connect TVs to a network with other video calling devices. Users agree that life-sized video calls with the whole family leaning back on the couch is a completely different experience from video calling on small screens. Bill Gates once said that “we always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten”. Did we overestimate our short term progress when we started? Yes. But did we really think that we would already be the leading video call solution on the TV. No. After five long years of "starting up" we are excited about how much has changed in just six months.

Firstly, Skype no longer supports any TV manufacturers and Tellybean is now the only video call service provider on TVs.

Secondly, out of necessity Tellybean had to reinvent video calling on the TV. We submitted a patent for the solution, released the first version of it and are now able to combine a technical solution and a business model that the TV manufacturers and other partners can work with. It also gives Tellybean a technological edge to the competition, which will surely emerge in the future.

Thirdly, we signed major partnerships with Sony and Philips that provide visibility for Tellybean’s app on millions of SmartTV home screens. This takes us closer to becoming a feature that other TV manufacturers can't live without.

Last but not least Tellybean received recognition and awards as the "Best Smart TV App" at TV Connect in London and as the "most innovative app” in Philips’ Android TV app competition.

Helsinki, June 2, 2016 – Sony Electronics will feature Tellybean on Sony 4K HDR Ultra HD Android TV’s in North America; the app will be featured on the TV home screen. Tellybean has been working closely with Sony in North America over the past months to make the service available for Sony’s 4K HDR Ultra HD televisions with  Google’s Android TV operating system.

Tellybean's TV video calling app has been available on the NVIDIA SHIELD, which runs Android TV, since May 2015. In early 2016, Tellybean launched the Tellybean Camera app, which allows users to use an Android mobile device as a "wireless webcam" to video call on the TV. With the Tellybean Camera app, the service is now available for all Android TV devices. In April, Tellybean announced that Philips will install Tellybean on the app home screen on its Android TVs and also won the award for the Best SmartTV App at TV Connect in London. "We are really excited about the cooperation with Sony Electronics. The Sony team has also been a great sounding board for us and has helped us refine and improve our service in the past few months. Some weeks ago we announced a similar cooperation with Philips. Adding Sony TVs as an additional Tellybean partner brings significant value to all Tellybean users and the service. We want to make it as easy as possible for everybody to call a TV, as such we are currently working on a first version of a mobile app", says Cami Hongell, CEO and Co-Founder of Tellybean.

Tellybean reaches a major milestone as TP Vision rolls out Tellybean's Android TV video calling application on millions of existing and new Philips Android TVs. Existing TVs, running Android TV, will receive Tellybean through a software update and new TVs will have Tellybean pre-installed.

Helsinki 25:th of April - Tellybean has been working with video calling on Android TV since Google I/O 2014, when the operating system for Smart TVs and set-top boxes was launched. Philips TV was one of Google's original TV partners and provides Tellybean access to a large existing installed base. In the next few weeks, after a software update, Philips users will see Tellybean appear on the Android TV home screen. On new TVs Tellybean will be pre-installed.

With the help of the Tellybean Camera app, users can use their Android mobile as a "wireless webcam". The Camera app is available in Google Play and works with most Android phones and tablets. So the user only needs an Android mobile phone or tablet to start video calling on the TV. Tellybean is working with Philips TV to be able to provide users with the option of using a standard USB-camera as an alternative to the Camera app.

Recently Tellybean won 2nd prize in Philips TVs Android TV app competition. According to the judges "Tellybean was the most innovative app of all the submissions because of its unique service solution. Tellybean has managed to overcome major challenges, i.e. webcam integration and pairing a mobile device in absence of a webcam. It shows that the app is designed for the TV, with a nice user interface appropriate for a big screen experience."

Tellybean is also shortlisted for the prestigious TV Connect award in the Best Smart TV App category. The results will be announced during TV Connect later this week.

Tellybean Video Calling wins a prize in Philips Smart TV app competition! Tellybean was chosen as the second best Android TV app in a competition full of other great services and applications.

Philips TV today announced that Tellybean won second prize in its Smart TV app competition. Philips wanted to encourage app developers to come up with applications and services that make innovative use of the latest Philips Android TVs and all that the big screen has to offer. The competition entries were reviewed and the winners chosen by a professional jury consisting of industry experts.

In selecting Tellybean as one of the winners, the judges where “thoroughly impressed by the uniqueness and smoothness of the Tellybean app”. According to the judges the competition was tough, with a high number of great apps submitted to the competition.

We are both happy and proud to be acknowledged for our hard work to provide a great video calling service for Android TV users. Not only does the prize give great satisfaction for the whole team, but it also provides Tellybean with increased awareness among the owners of Philips TVs and helps more people start talking to their friends and family through the TV.

Tellybean would like to thank Philips for the acknowledgement and congratulations to the other contest winners and participants. Increasing the variety of apps and services available helps ensure the success of the Android TV platform.

We hope that we can give provide special moments for all new Tellybean users so they can meet their friends and family through the biggest screen in the home – their Philips TV!