Video (content) on demand service is a very attractive service for users because it sets users free from scheduled broadcasting of programs. The users can select and choose what and when they want to watch (or listen) to some video (or audio) content. VoD applications offer users a list with a number of movies, programs, shows and etc. organized and presented in attractive form (GUI). This service comes from IPTV technology and allows streaming required video/audio content from operator’s storages to end user devices through the broadband connection.
Example of VoD service is a push VoD that provides users with video content on demand. The push VoD system is based on a presence of user’s local storage that is usually implemented inside a set-top-box.
This push VoD technique allows users to select (in advance) and watch content when they find free time. Selected content is downloaded to this local storage and available to users anytime to watch without a need to wait for buffering and so suffer from actual connection state related problems.
The push VOD system utilizes a personal video recorder (PVR) service to store selected content that is often transmitted overnight (low traffic) or all day long at low bandwidth. Since downloaded content occupies a lot of storage (hard drive) space it is usually deleted after some time (e.g. week) to make space for newer content. Thereby, the storage space is often restricted to most popular content.
However currently, new generation set-top-boxes can be equipped by storage with capacity up to 2 TB what can represent more than 500 hours of HD content.
The push VoD service is suitable for broadcasters and users who lack network connectivity or broadcasters who want to optimize their video streaming network infrastructure because the most popular content is preloaded to the consumer device. By integration of the push VoD into HbbTV standard interactive services will be accepted faster and simpler and bandwidth which is more and more occupied by video transmissions will be utilize more efficiently.
Another application of VoD service is in catch-up TV applications. The HbbTV catch-up TV brings users new features of freedom against watching linear TV content.
Users can watch TV channel content no matter it was already broadcasted. The catch-up TV service provides users with access to an archive with television shows and other TV content for a certain period of days after their original television broadcast.
This period can be 7 days or it depends on TV service provider. Users can also watch TV channel content through their TVs or set-top-boxes and are no longer limited to view it only on PCs, laptops or tablets via Internet.
Currently, catch-up services are provided by e.g. FreeviewPlus service in Australia, Ruutu HbbTV service in Finland, FRANSAT Connect interactive portal in France, RAI, SKY, ARD, PRO7, ARTE and France Television channels, iVysílání service of Czech television.
A start-over service is another HbbTV service which should be also very interesting and valuable function for end users. It is also called as a Restart function. This function comes in handy mainly when you came to watch a favorite program that already started broadcasting some time ago.
Using this function you simply restart broadcasting of a program and you don’t miss its beginning anymore.
However, this function is only active for given program during its broadcasting (from e.g. second minute until the program is finished). When this program is over the user can use catch-up service to watch it from an archive. The start-over function can be limited to certain period of day. Users can also return back to the live session.
The start-over service is available in e.g. Ruutu HbbTV service in Finland, France Television Salto HbbTV service.
Regional TV channels are usually available only in particular regions or via internet. Suitable HbbTV application can make these and various other theme oriented TV channels accessible to all users via Live streaming. For example, Polish public broadcaster TVP provides HbbTV users with a new application for live streaming 16 regional channels (TVP Katowice, TVP Kraków, TVP Lublin, TVP Lódz, TVP Poznam, TVP Warszawa, TVP Wroclaw, and others).
TV broadcasters can also offer users HbbTV applications which make accessible their various TV and video portals with a number of videos of diverse genre.