HbbTV is extending the services of linear channels, making them accessible to viewers’ convenience
In the summer of 2016, British public service broadcaster BBC made an announcement that it was collaborating with other industry groups to move away from MHEG, which is used to provide interactive TV services via the Red Button technology, and to introduce hybrid broadcast broadband television (HbbTV) services.
By moving towards HbbTV, the BBC says it aims to take advantage of newer technologies, designed for the Internet age, and ultimately to bring viewers an “improved and richer” interactive experience. The BBC then worked alongside industry partners, including the HbbTV Association, and successfully launched its HbbTV application last year.
The HbbTV Association is a non-profit organisation that is established with the aim to develop and promote open specifications and solutions for hybrid broadcast broadband and IPTV systems. To date, the consortium has more than 70 members globally — including broadcasters such as the BBC, as well as manufacturers and solutions providers.
Angelo Pettazzi, chair of the HbbTV marketing and education group, tells APB: “The UK and Italy are the most recent markets that joined the group of HbbTV early adopters, like Germany, Spain, Austria, and the more recently fast-growing deployments in Poland, Czech Republic and other Northern and Eastern European countries. Although HbbTV is enjoying reasonable success in Europe with its adoption by most TV and set-top box (STB) manufacturers — with over 50 million HbbTV devices — and its deployment in more than 20 key countries, there is still a risk of losing momentum.
For the full story, read the APB May 2018 issue, which is available at https://view.joomag.com/asia-pacific-broadcasting-apb-may-2018-volume-35-issue-4/0779328001525229948.
