TELEsatelit - TELE-satellite International Magazine
TELEsatelit - TELE-satellite International Magazine
TELEsatelit - TELE-satellite International Magazine
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
FEATURE<br />
TV Transmission Standard<br />
Hybrid broadcast<br />
broadband TV<br />
Get organized<br />
for the inevitable<br />
This will not be a surprise for <strong>TELE</strong>-<strong>satellite</strong> readers.<br />
A new standardization initiative has been started to<br />
integrate the digital TV world with the Internet. The basic<br />
idea is quite clear: make it as seamless as possible for<br />
the end user. <strong>TELE</strong>-<strong>satellite</strong> editors often mentioned the<br />
obvious truth: the average end user is rarely interested<br />
through what transmission medium data is coming to<br />
their TV-sets or monitors. Is it via <strong>satellite</strong>, via cable or<br />
via the air? Or perhaps via Ethernet cable rather than the<br />
coaxial one used in CATV? And maybe via optical fibers?<br />
This is a typical situation in today’s rapidly<br />
changing industry: most advanced<br />
manufacturers demonstrate that new<br />
functionalities are possible from the<br />
technology and economical point of view<br />
and suddenly everybody realizes that if<br />
we do not have a good new standard, a<br />
number of solutions not compatible with<br />
one another will pop up soon. This will<br />
trigger a big confusion among the end<br />
users, operators and manufacturers.<br />
It is in everybody’s interest to create a<br />
common solution.<br />
Exactly this happened in the receiver<br />
boxes industry. Our readers certainly<br />
remember the test reports describing<br />
the receivers capable not only to process<br />
<strong>satellite</strong> TV signal but also enabling the<br />
user to surf the Internet.<br />
On August 29 2009, a consortium of<br />
leading European companies of broadcasters,<br />
research institutes, <strong>satellite</strong><br />
operators and media and software providers<br />
has been established with a goal<br />
to prepare a harmonized broadcast and<br />
broadband specification for delivery of<br />
news and entertainment to the end user.<br />
The solution is based on existing standards<br />
and web technologies and the ter-<br />
116 <strong>TELE</strong>-<strong>satellite</strong> — Global Digital TV <strong>Magazine</strong> — 12-01/2011 — www.<strong>TELE</strong>-<strong>satellite</strong>.com<br />
minal devices at user’s site are TV-sets<br />
and receiver boxes that optionally have<br />
web connection. Please note: not the<br />
PC’s!<br />
With a HbbTV product, the user still<br />
has only one remote control and one<br />
screen and the operation is as easy as<br />
with a regular TV-set and a receiver box.<br />
The user enjoys the combined wealth of<br />
broadcast and broadband: new services<br />
from entertainment providers, online<br />
providers and CE manufacturers. Examples<br />
are: catch-up TV, video on demand,<br />
interactive advertising, personalization,<br />
voting, betting, photo sharing or social<br />
networking. Enhanced EPG and teletext<br />
are also included.<br />
Hybrid in the HbbTV name means<br />
using on one side the medium typical<br />
for today’s digital TV broadcast and<br />
on the other side the World Wide Web.<br />
Specification is independent from the<br />
broadcast transmission medium: DVB-T,<br />
DVB-S and DVB-C. IP connection is recommend<br />
but not required. Of course, the<br />
functionality will be limited if one has no<br />
connection to the Internet.<br />
And now one paragraph for the professionals.<br />
The HbbTV specification is<br />
based on elements of existing standards<br />
and web technologies : OIPF (Open IPTV<br />
Forum), CEA, DVB and W3C. Except for<br />
the standard web technologies (HTML,<br />
CSS, JS, DOM), HbbTV provides: video<br />
control API’s, access to channel list,<br />
broadcast service selection, streaming<br />
video playback (HTTP & RTSP), access<br />
to now/next program events, support for<br />
DSM-CC object carousel or HTTP, load<br />
files or applications using either proto-