6 HbbTV (Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV)
6.1 HbbTV Standards
The HbbTV Technical Specifications (TS) are developing by industry leaders to improve the video user experience for end users (consumers) by enabling innovative, interactive services over integrated broadcast and broadband networks. The elements of existing specifications from other standards including OIPF (Open IPTV forum), CEA (Consumer Electronics Association), DVB a W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) have been used in the process of the development of HbbTV TS.
ETSI TS 102 796 V1.1.1
This Technical Specification „ETSI TS 102 796 V1.1.1“ was published by Standardization Institution ETSI in July 2010.
This standardization document defines a platform for signaling, transport, and presentation of enhanced and interactive applications designed for running on hybrid terminals (DVB broadcast connection and broadband connection to the internet) [13].
The main uses of the broadcast connection are the following:
- Transmission of standard TV, radio and data services.
- Signaling of broadcast-related applications.
- Transport of broadcast-related applications and associated data.
- Synchronization of applications and TV/radio/data services.
The main uses of the broadband connection are the following:
- Carriage of On Demand content.
- Transport of broadcast-related and broadcast-independent applications and associated data.
- Exchange of information between applications and application servers.
- Discovery of broadcast-independent applications.
Applications are presented by an HTML/JavaScript browser.
Detailed description of the Technical Specification „ETSI TS 102 796 V1.1.1“ is introduced in [13].
ETSI TS 102 796 V1.2.1
The latest version 1.5 of the HbbTV specification was published by Standardization Institution ETSI in as Technical Specification „ETSI TS 102 796 V1.2.1“ in November 2012 [14].
Key additions to the HbbTV1.5 standard included:
- Access to pay-tv services with multiple DRM support using Common Encryption
- Support for HTTP adaptive streaming (based on MPEG-DASH) to dynamically optimize the picture quality/bandwidth trade-off, extending to linear content delivery (thematic and event channels, etc.)
- Access to the DVB EIT schedule table from the HbbTV application to build an enhanced 7-day Electronic Program Guide (EPG).
Detail description of the Technical Specification „ETSI TS 102 796 V1.2.1“ are introduced in [14].
ETSI TS 102 796 V1.3.1
In the end of 2012 the work on the HbbTV 2.0 was started. The requirements of the major HbbTV specification have been collected. The HbbTV 2.0 specification has been published by the HbbTV association in March 2015.
The version 2.0 of the HbbTV specification was published as Technical Specification „ETSI TS 102 796 V1.3.1“ in October 2015 [12].
Some technologies have been updated and some new features specified within this ETSI TS 102 796 V1.3.1.
Technologies updated include the following:
- The basic web standards have been updated from the HTML4, CSS2, DOM2 generation to the HTML5, CSS3, DOM3 generation.
- The profile of MPEG DASH has been updated to be based on the 2nd edition of ISO/IEC 23009-1 and includes additional features including ones added in that edition.
- An updated version of CI Plus including the possibility of a hybrid terminal using a DRM system in a CICAM instead of or in addition to one integrated into the terminal; the possibility to use the CICAM Auxiliary File System (ETSI TS 103 205, clause 9) allowing the Host to retrieve data/resources from the CICAM.
New features include support for the following:
- Video encoded in HEVC delivered via broadband.
- Delivering and presenting subtitles associated with ISOBMFF content.
- An application on the hybrid terminal launching an application on a Companion Screen Device and vice-versa.
- Communication between applications on a hybrid terminal and applications on a Companion Screen Device or a second hybrid terminal.
- Insertion of adverts into on-demand content.
- Delivering A/V content via the broadcast (not in real-time) for later presentation.
- Synchronization within a hybrid terminal between content delivered via broadband and other content delivered either via broadcast or broadband.
- Synchronization between content presented on a hybrid terminal and applications or content presented on a Companion Screen Device or a second hybrid terminal.
- Caching of DSM-CC object carousels.
- Launching of an application resident on the CICAM.
The present document defines a platform for signaling, transport and presentation of enhanced and interactive applications designed for running on hybrid terminals that include both a DVB compliant broadcast connection and a broadband connection to the internet.
The main uses of the broadcast connection are the following:
- Transmission of standard TV, radio and data services.
- Signaling of broadcast-related applications.
- Transport of broadcast-related applications and associated data.
- Transport of On Demand content for Push-services.
- Synchronization of applications and TV/radio/data services.
The main uses of the broadband connection are the following:
- Carriage of both On Demand and Live content.
- Transport of broadcast-related and broadcast-independent applications and associated data.
- Exchange of information between applications and application servers.
- Starting applications on a Companion Screen Device.
- Communicating with applications on a Companion Screen Device or a second hybrid terminal.
- Synchronizing media and applications between a hybrid terminal and a Companion Screen Device or a second hybrid terminal.
Applications are presented by an HTML/JavaScript browser.
Detail description of the Technical Specification „ETSI TS 102 796 V1.3.1“ is introduced in [12].
The transfer of existing standards of DVB, EBU, OIPF, CEA, W3C, CI+, ISO, IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) to the actual Technical Specification ETSI TS 102 796 V1.3.1, declared as HbbTV 2.0 specification, is illustrated on Fig. 10.
Fig. 10 - Transfer of existing standards of DVB, EBU, OIPF, CEA, W3C, CI+, ISO, IEC to the actual Technical Specification ETSI TS 102 796 V1.3.1
The penetration of the HbbTV in the Europe and over the world is illustrated on Fig. 11.
Fig. 11 - Penetration of the HbbTV over the world