How is the Smart TV Alliance organized, i.e. legally structured?
The Smart TV Alliance Inc. is a non-profit, non-stock organization, incorporated in the State of Delaware, USA, according to Section 501(c)(6) of the International Revenue Code of 1986.

Where is the organization based?
The principal office of the Alliance is located at 2400 Camino Ramon, Suite 375, San Ramon, County of Contra Costa, State of California in the United States.

Who are the directors? Board members?
Current board directors are LG Electronics, TP Vision and Toshiba.

For more information, visit the About section.

What are the membership levels?
The two levels of membership are: Sponsor and Contributor. The benefits enable different levels of participation, organizational leadership roles, marketing opportunities, and certification abilities. These different membership benefits allow an organization to choose the membership level that best matches its strategy and objectives.

How do I join?
To join the Smart TV Alliance as a Contributor, you will need to:

1. Complete the Membership Agreement in full and have it signed by an authorized employee of your company.
2. Complete the Online Membership Application.
3. Email, fax or send the completed and signed membership agreement to the address below:
   
   Smart TV Alliance Membership Services
   2400 Camino Ramon, Suite 375
   San Ramon, CA 94583
   Fax: +1.925.275.6691
   help@smarttv-alliance.org

Membership Agreement and Online Membership Application are available here.

If you would like to find out more about becoming a Smart TV Alliance Member, please fill out our Member Interest Registration Form and we will contact you.

For more information, visit the Join section of our website.

How much support will developers get from the Alliance?
Developers will receive elaborate documentation and information on the latest Smart TV Alliance specifications and SDK. They will also have the ability to ask questions. Specific questions on the supported Smart TV platforms can be found on the Smart TV makers' developer websites.

Do the partners need to register and pay for the SDK?
The SDK can be downloaded free of charge and needs the party to agree with the SDK download terms of use which are on the Smart TV Alliance website.

Are there different levels such as gold partners? Platinum partners? With different support levels?
No, all developers are equal and have the same rights and privileges.

How do I download the SDK?
The Smart TV Alliance SDK consists of the following parts:

• Manual
• Other documentation regarding the Smart TV Alliance ecosystem: guidelines and requirements, API reference and platform specification
• SDK software, a package for one of the supported operating systems
• Example Apps, which show a wide range of possibilities

The SDK runs on the following platforms:

• Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7
• Mac OS X 10.5+ (X86/AMD64 only)
• Ubuntu 10+
• Linux (generic)

For more information, and to download the SDK, please register here.

How will the solutions be tested on the platform? Will there be a certification from the Alliance?
Once applications are built using the Smart TV Alliance SDK, the party needs to submit the application to each member individually. All the information for App submission can be found on the website, including references to the support Smart TV Makers' developer websites.

How does this initiative relate to other standards?
The Smart TV Alliance will not develop its own or new standards, but only chooses and profiles technologies already available and/or standardized elsewhere.

Other standards for connect TV exist (HbbTV, OIPF, ITU). Smart TV Alliance only adds to the confusion?
We see a logical link between several of these technologies, each aimed at different segments of the app developer market and providing complementary user experiences

OIPF: managed networks, guaranteed picture quality and high standards of operations and reliability

HbbTV: focus to extend the broadcast experience to interactive and multiscreen experiences, while also adding video and other OTT based services

The Smart TV Alliance now creates a platform for the highly innovative group of app developers that, previously, focused on PCs, tablets and smartphones

Our overall aim is to create and maintain a common core between these standards, where OIPF may be more at the standard setting side, while latest innovation can be quickly adapted by the Smart TV Alliance.

For more information, and to download the SDK, please visit the SDK section of our website.

What are your ambitions in terms of registered members for the end of 2013?
The Smart TV Alliance hopes to grow its membership to over 25 members by end of 2013.

How will you handle upgrades from v1 to v2, v3, etc?
The Smart TV Alliance aims to ensure backward compatibility for future versions to the current version. All updates will be published on the Smart TV Alliance website, including an updated SDK. For all members that support a specific version of the Smart TV Alliance specifications, the details will be available on the Smart TV Alliance website.

For more information, contact us.