Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV
Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV) is both an industry standard and promotional initiative for hybrid digital TV to harmonise the broadcast, IPTV, and broadband delivery of entertainment to the end consumer through connected TVs (Smart TVs) and set-top boxes.[1] The HbbTV consortium, regrouping digital broadcasting and Internet industry companies, is establishing a standard for the delivery of broadcast TV and broadband TV to the home, through a single user interface, creating an open platform as an alternative to proprietary technologies.[citation needed] Products and services using the HbbTV standard can operate over different broadcasting technologies, such as satellite, cable, or terrestrial networks.
HbbTV is the association of two projects born in February 2009, with the French H4TV project and the German HTML profil project.
HbbTV was first demonstrated in 2009, in France by France Télévisions and Pleyo for the Roland Garros tennis sport event on a DTT transmission and an IP connection and in Germany using the Astra satellite at 19.2° east during the IFA and IBC exhibitions.[2]
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[edit] Background
The reception of digital TV and, in particular, high definition broadcasting in the home is well established across Europe. Internet TV and the delivery of multimedia content to the home user via the Internet are also becoming increasingly common, although such content is often viewed on a PC or fed to a TV screen from a PC via a media player connected to a home network.
HbbTV is intended to extend the reach of multimedia content directly to the television set in a seamless, viewer-friendly manner and to enable the TV viewer to more conveniently access both broadcast digital content (especially HD) and Internet multimedia content (including Internet TV and IPTV) on a TV set using a single remote control/box and a single on-screen interface.
[edit] Applications and Consumer Products
Services delivered through HbbTV include enhanced teletext, catch-up services, video-on-demand, EPG, interactive advertising, personalisation, voting, games, social networking, and other multimedia applications.
At the May 2010 Broadcast and Beyond Conference in London, Thomas Wrede, VP Product Management Media at SES, said that he expected HbbTV devices to be launched commercially from June 2010 with a consumer market introduction at the IFA consumer electronics trade fair in Berlin in September 2010. Wrede also noted that Humax and Videoweb both had conformant products and that at the recent ANGA Cable trade fair in Cologne, 12 manufacturers exhibited HbbTV devices, with another six working on product introduction.[3]
In 2010 German broadcaster RTL Television introduced a new information service, HD Text, making use of HbbTV and the CE-HTML user interface language.[4]
Freesat, a UK free-to-air satellite TV service broadcast via Astra 28.2°E, has revealed that the second generation "G2" specification for Freesat receivers will use HbbTV, to take advantage of the digital TV chipsets being developed for that standard (but retaining MHEG compatibility of the first generation Freesat receivers).[5]
The Dutch national public networks, Nederland 1, 2, and 3 have begun broadcasting HbbTV "red button" applications instead of continuing to develop apps for particular platforms. Applications broadcast include an program guide and catch-up TV.[6]
[edit] Consortium membership
The HbbTV consortium has over 50 supporting members from the CE and Broadcast industries, including:
- standardization bodies: EBU, IRT, DTG, Fraunhofer IIS
- broadcasters : France Télévisions, TF1, Canal+, NRJ 12, RTL Group, Astra, Eutelsat, Abertis Telecom, TDF, ITV, BSkyB
- Middleware editors for CE devices : ANT Software Ltd, iPlus Technologies, OpenTV, Opera Software, Access, Espial, HTTV, Icareus, Irdeto, NDS, Kudelski, Viaccess
- CE devices and components manufacturers: Philips, Samsung, Sony, LG, LOEWE, Sharp, STMicroelectronics, Humax, Haier, Kaoin Media, TechniSat, TechnoTrend, iPlus Technologies
The full list of companies officially supporting the initiative is provided on the HbbTV website.
The HbbTV consortium steering group members are: Astra, Ant Software Ltd, European Broadcasting Union, France Télévisions, IRT, OpenTV, Philips, Samsung, Sony, TF1
In May 2011, in an email sent on behalf of the HbbTV Consortium steering group, supporters of the consortium were invited to become full members. The transitional arrangements towards the opening of membership would involve withdrawal of a number of privileges, including participation in meetings and contribution to further versions of the specification, from supporters that did not sign up. The cost of membership is around €7,000 for the first year.[7]
[edit] Standard
As well as helping consumers/viewers, the introduction of the HbbTV standard is of benefit to both equipment manufacturers and content providers who at the moment have to produce hardware or content specific to each country to meet the de facto standard in that country. The establishment of a unified European HbbTV standard means "content owners and application developers can write once and deploy to many countries".[8]
The HbbTV specification was developed by industry members of the consortium and is based on elements of existing standards and web technologies including the Open IPTV Forum, CEA, DVB, and W3C.[2]
The European Broadcasting Union General Assembly has given its support to the HbbTV initiative and described the technology as "one of the most exciting developments in the media today".[9]
The standard specification has been submitted by the end of November 2009 to ETSI, who published it under reference ETSI TS 102 796 in June 2010.[10]
[edit] Roll out
HbbTV is rolling out in several countries: Germany, France, Netherlands, Austria, UK, Spain, Czech Republic, Argentina.
[edit] Tools
OpenHbb is a collaborative project funded by the French government (DGCIS), the Pays de la Loire and Ile de France regions, and the Conseil Général des Hauts de Seine (council for the département of Hauts de Seine) as part of the Images & Réseaux and Cap Digital competitiveness clusters.[11]
[edit] See also
- Hybrid IPTV Set-Top Box
- Hybrid digital TV
- Smart TV
- Globally Executable MHP
- IPTV
- SES
- Astra
- YouView, formerly known as Project Canvas
[edit] References
- ^ HbbTV website introduction accessed August 28, 2009
- ^ a b "New European initiative merges television with the power of the Internet" (Press release). HbbTV Consortium. August 27, 2009. http://www.hbbtv.org/news/HBBTV_PR_Final.pdf.
- ^ Colin Mann. HbbTV set for commercial launch, Advanced-television.com, May 21, 2010. Retrieved May 21, 2010
- ^ Robert Briel. German RTL to support HbbTV. Broadband TV News August 27, 2009. Retrieved August 30, 2009
- ^ "Freesat lets slip next-gen G2 spec" What Satellite & Digital TV May 2011 pp11
- ^ Robert Briel. Dutch pubcasters commit to HbbTV. Broadband TV News April 28, 2011. Retrieved June 25, 2011
- ^ Julian Clover. HbbTV consortium open for membership, Broadband TV News, May 16, 2011. Retrieved June 25, 2011
- ^ Richard Baker. European initiative merges television with the power of the internet. ANT Software video blog August 27, 2009. Retrieved September 1, 2009
- ^ EBU General Assembly backs HBB. Broadband TV News December 7, 2009. Retrieved January 11, 2010
- ^ TS 102 796 : "Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV", on the ETSI website
- ^ http://www.appmarket.tv/news/591-openhbb-.html
[edit] Further reading
- HbbTV Standard Overview: a white paper on the standard.
