The DAB protocol—an open standard co-developed by Google, Amazon, and Netflix—simplifies and unifies remote control for video devices. We explored its foundations in our first article, and now we dive into how it powers smarter real-device automation with Witbe.

Expanding Device Control: From IR to DAB

At Witbe, we connect real consumer devices—Smart TVs, set-top boxes, consoles—to our Witbox hardware to test and monitor video services just like a real user would.

Our robots play video content, measure what appears on screen (like buffering, resolution, or playback errors), and deliver precise, user-centric data back to video providers. That’s how they know what their customers are actually experiencing and seeing.

Witbe’s real-device monitoring is built on robust control technologies like IR blasters, Bluetooth, and RF4CE—solutions Witbe continues to refine and support across a wide range of devices.

DAB adds a new layer of native orchestration—enabling direct commands, real-time device context, and deeper integration for supported platforms.

Through DAB, Witbe will support:

• Starting or closing apps natively
• Querying context-aware states (e.g., is the app in the foreground?)
• Sending voice commands
• Updating device settings (e.g., changing video and audio outputs)
• Extracting metadata
• Accessing telemetry from the device itself

With this integration, both Witbe and DAB are expanding remote control capabilities.

How DAB and Witbe complement each other

Witbe empowers video service providers to remotely operate any device plugged in the Witbox. It makes any device DAB accessible. DAB brings a new unified way of controlling devices—enabling precise commands and status checks.

Together, this results in:

• High test coverage
• Fast troubleshooting
• Robust automation
• Cross-team observability via Smartgate dashboards

Why It Matters

Boosts automation coverage

With native control via DAB, some automation scenarios become even more straightforward—reducing the need for additional setup or device-specific scripting. It also simplifies CI/CD integrations and allows developers to be involved in the QA and testing phases sooner.

Scales globally

DAB helps reduce complexity in certain workflows, supporting more consistent test deployments across region and device ecosystems—especially where native integration is available.

Enables smart decision-making

By combining playback analysis with DAB telemetry, teams gain richer context—so they can troubleshoot faster and understand exactly what went wrong.

Improves security and reliability

As an open, modern protocol, DAB introduces a standardized protocol that complements existing methods with enhanced scalability, security, and native support.

This isn’t just a new feature—it’s a shift in how QA is done. And with Witbe’s integration of DAB, the future of video testing is already here.

Live at YouTube Device Partner Summit

At the 2025 YouTube Device Partner Summit in Tokyo, Witbe demonstrated they could integrate with DAB for any device including non-DAB legacy devices:

• Android TV, Roku, Fire TV, gaming consoles, and more
• All orchestrated seamlessly through the REC interface
• Visual test results enhanced and contextualized with DAB telemetry

What made this demo truly unique was the combination of Witbe’s real-user monitoring with DAB’s native control capabilities. Platform partners, engineers, and QA leaders gathered around to see how this synergy enables smarter automation and faster diagnostics—especially when combined with Witbe’s proven protocols like IR or Bluetooth.

The enthusiasm from attendees was clear: the integration of DAB with Witbe's technology wasn’t just an innovation showcase—it was a glimpse into the future of how the video industry tests and assures quality. The summit opened doors to new collaborations and proved that open protocols like DAB can push the boundaries of what’s possible in real-device testing.

More Coverage

With DAB natively compatible with Witbe’s monitoring technology, QA teams can now combine native control for DAB-compatible devices with real playback analysis—extending an already comprehensive monitoring approach—opening the door to an even smarter, more scalable way to test video services.

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