This issue's highlights
Visit DVB At IBC Hall 1 Stand D81
Specification For DVB TTML Subtitling Systems Approved
DVB Forms Liaison With Sat>IP Alliance
HbbTV News
Taiwan Stretches The Boundaries Of DVB-T
DVB World 2018 Heads East To Warsaw
DVB Speakers' Corner
Module Activities
Join the Global Community of Digital Experts
Join us at IBC - in Hall 1 Stand D81
Visit DVB At IBC Hall 1 Stand D81

IBC logo
At this year's IBC Conference & Exhibition taking place once again at the RAI in Amsterdam on the 14 - 19 September, DVB will showcase the latest developments taking place in DVB. The highlights include demonstrations of Targeted Advertising for broadcast TV, streaming DVB-T2 services using SatIP to enable viewing on handheld devices, and the advanced features for UHDTV outlined in TS 101 154  for deploying Higher Frame Rates and High Dynamic Range.

The Targeted Advertising demo is based on the current HbbTV 2.0.1 specification. Visitors will see two TV sets receiving the same broadcast signal via DTT tuners. Both TVs will be showing the same broadcast. One TV is connected via broadband to a server that will provide targeted advertisement content. For the purpose of the demo the system is configured to provide two different types of advertising. One type will target a younger audience and another will be more suitable for an older generation. The connected TV will pre-buffer part of the targeted advertisement clip in local memory. When the ad break occurs the specific content will be displayed on the screen. The switching from the broadcast to the targeted ad will take place seamlessly. At the end of the ad break the device will also switch back to the broadcast channel in a seamless manner.

As handheld devices are becoming more and more popular for people to watch video, the DVB-T2 / SatIP demo will show a solution for retransmitting a broadcast signal to reach these devices. Several High Definition TV channels will be transmitted over a single 8 MHz DVB-T2 multiplex. The signal will be received by a TV equipped with an integrated SatIP Server. The Server informs the SatIP Client devices in the house of the available services and streams. The SatIP Client, installed as an app on the device, enables the user to select and watch an available service.

The publication of the latest version of TS 101 154 technical standard marked a major milestone for the broadcast industry. In addition to the UHD resolution and the extended color space already covered in the previous version, this specification defined how to use High Dynamic Range (HDR), Higher Frame Rates (HFR) and Next Generation Audio (NGA) in a DVB environment. These advanced features have been eagerly awaited by the industry to provide, together with 4K UHD resolution and the wider color space, a new level of experience to the end-user. The DVB-T2 modulated signals are wirelessly received by a TV with HFR prototype software for the demo. The demo features various video sequences that have been prepared in progressive HD (1080p) resolution. The sequences allow the visitor to make an immediate comparison between HDR and SDR as well as HFR (100 Hz) and SFR (50 Hz) by just zapping between the services.

As always, the DVB stand will be tended by DVB representatives and technology experts, available to answer queries and provide information on DVB's wide ranging family of open, interoperable, market driven specifications. In addition, you can drop by the stand to catch up on the Study Mission taking place on WiB to evaluate a possible future for Wideband reuse-1. Also, the VR Commercial Module has held its first meeting and you can learn of the work that DVB is undertaking in this exciting technology.

DVB's ongoing work to meet the challenges posed by IP delivery in the broadcast environment will be highlighted as well as the work being carried out with ABR Multicast, DVB MPEG-DASH, and DVB's cooperation with HbbTV.

We look forward to welcoming you on our usual place in Hall 1 Stand D81 and showing you what we have achieved over the last year and what we are working on.
Specification For DVB TTML Subtitling Systems Approved

Image courtesy of BBC
Today's broadcast content can be distributed in many forms and via many different paths. Whilst broadcast services traditionally relied on bitmap-based subtitles because of processing simplicity, advanced processing and text rendering have made text-based approaches feasible. These offer more flexibility and better options to improve the user experience. At the most recent meeting of the DVB Steering Board, a new specification for DVB TTML subtitling systems was approved. The specification enables the delivery of next generation subtitles in transport streams for broadcast television services, based on W3C Timed Text Markup Language (TTML). The specification complements the bitmap based subtitle solutions, which have been in use for over 20 years.

The main purpose of the new subtitling system was as a subtitling system for UHDTV and to some extent it completes the tools available for UHDTV broadcasting. DVB now has all the main things needed for the age of UHDTV - video, audio, and subtitling.

TTML subtitles are increasingly being adopted, including by standards bodies ARIB, ATSC, EBU, SMPTE, ISO/MPEG in the Common Media Application Format specification and many others including platform specifications such as HbbTV. TTML subtitles were initially chosen by DVB for internet delivery of services using the DVB profile of MPEG DASH (TS103 285). TTML subtitles provide a data rate efficient solution for SD, HD and even UHD resolutions.

This new TTML delivery specification will allow service providers to transition over time to a common TTML subtitle format for both broadcast and internet delivered services.

DVB Technical Module Chair, Kevin Murray, remarking on the new specification said "The approval of the transport stream carriage of the TTML specification adds a very important component to the DVB specifications, most notably providing support for UHD subtitles. This also provides a common subtitling mechanism between transport stream and DASH delivered content and, being a textual based format, opens up a range of new possibilities for enhancing accessibility of services."

Commenting on the approval by the Steering Board, DVB Chairman, Peter MacAvock said "Access Services facilitated by DVB's new specification are a cornerstone of media services. DVB's existing bitmapped subtitling specification now has a complement that facilitates subtitling across different platforms and helps DVB addressing the ever increasing demand for accessible content across all platforms."

The specification has been published as BlueBook A174 and can be found here on the DVB website. It has been forwarded to ETSI for standardization as an EN (European Norm). The elevated EN status is designed to ensure the TTML specification has a similar status to its bitmapped cousin (EN 300 743).
DVB Forms Liaison With SAT>IP Alliance 

The SAT>IP Alliance provided the specification for in-home distribution of broadcast content via the domestic IP network. DVB has always had a close working relationship with the SAT>IP Alliance to make broadcast delivery to handhelds as easy as possible. This association has now been cemented by the recent signing of a Liaison Agreement between the two parties. The purpose of which is to maximize the synergies between the two organizations.

While you could easily think that SAT>IP technology only works with satellite as the name implies, it also supports all other broadcast delivery mechanisms such as cable, terrestrial and managed IPTV transmissions. It can retransmit from DVB-S2, DVB-C2 and DVB-T2 to IP, in other words: DVB>IP. It can be used to facilitate the delivery of live broadcast (based on transport stream technology) onto IP networks in a very cost efficient manner. The technology is now supported by numerous manufacturers and has been successfully introduced in several markets. It allows the end-user to receive broadcast content on mobile devices such as tablets or smart phones as well as on TV sets equipped with the necessary receiver.

In a common liaison statement approved by the DVB Steering Board, the two organizations have agreed that further development of SAT>IP technology will take place in DVB. This allows the overall DVB community to contribute to next generation SAT>IP features and services. SAT>IP and DVB can now jointly promote the technology and as part of the marketing plan may introduce a more specifically accurate identity to reflect the technology's support for all broadcast delivery systems.
HbbTV News

The HbbTV Association announced that version 9.2 of its test suite has been released. The aim of this release of the test suite is to support the certification of devices coming to market in 2018 for all versions of the HbbTV standard. The test suite is available to be used by any organization through one of the Registered HbbTV test centres or directly by HbbTV members themselves.

Klaus Illgner, Chairman of the HbbTV Association commented: "Designed to enable compliance with the current HbbTV 2 Specification, the v9.2 test suite mainly contains new tests that were prioritized by UK broadcasters, and we are extremely pleased to announce its release.The newly released test suite is another step towards improved services and advanced consumer features, reinforcing HbbTV as the global standard for the delivery of broadcast and broadband services via connected TVs and set-top boxes." 

HbbTV test suite releases contain both fully approved test cases and preview material. Version 9.2 of the HbbTV test suite contains 1909 HbbTV test cases, of which 1492 are approved for testing conformance.

Information on the v9.2 test suite can be found on the HbbTV website.

In other HbbTV news, the UK's Digital Television Group (DTG) announced the availability of its D-Book 9 Conformance Test Suites to enable a smoother and more efficient transition from MHEG to HbbTV.

Ian Medland, Head of Technical Development, DTG Testing said: "Our DTG testing team has worked hard to ensure the new D-Book 9 test suites reflect the expected on-air signaling we will see when HbbTV services are launched on the UK DTT platform. The Linear Services Test Suite confirms the simultaneous display of HbbTV and subtitles, including re-scaling. For RF, we have added Option 8 modulation parameters to the SI/PSI test suite so that devices are exposed to all specified DVB-T and DVB-T2 modulation modes. Finally, the DTR test suite has been updated to reflect the different mechanism for handling trailer bookings when an HbbTV application is active."

For further information or to request licensing for the new test suites visit the DTG website.
Taiwan Stretches The Boundaries Of DVB-T

The 2017 Summer Universiade athletics event took place in Taipei, Taiwan from 19 August to 30 August.  Through the support of the Taiwanese Ministry of Culture, the Taiwan Public Television Service (PTS) broadcasted the opening and closing ceremonies of the event in 4K UHDTV using DVB-T with HEVC, which must be a world's first. The Universiade is an international multi-sport event, organized for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation (FISU). The name is a combination of the words "university" and "olympiad". 

Signal testing for the special project began back in July in order to get ready for the broadcast  of special 4K content commissioned by Ministry of Culture. The content included documentaries, performance arts, nature, and classic drama programs and was transmitted between the 8-12 August .

Taiwan selected DVB-T as the standard for digital TV broadcasting back in July 2001 and was the first country to use 6 MHz channels to launch an HD, DVB-T service using MPEG-4/H.264.

The experimental UHD broadcast utilized the following parameters over DVB-T:
Channel
26
Frequency
542-548 MHz  545MHz (central)
Bandwidth
6MHz
Modulation
8K   64QAM  Non-Hierarchical
CR
2/3
GI 1/4
Payload
14.9 Mbps
Compression
Video codec: HEVC/H.265
Audio codec: HE-AAC
Resolution
2160p (3840x2160/59.94p)
 
DVB World 2018 Heads East To Warsaw

After last year's successful DVB World event in Vienna, next year the DVB World 2018 Conference & Exhibition will take place in Poland's capital city, Warsaw on March 12 - 14. The theme for the event is Expanding the Digital Opportunity.

Taking part in DVB World are some of the leading DVB experts and other digital television technology authorities that, having formed the basis of the digital switch over of broadcast television services, now oversee the broadcast industry moving onto new challenges. This includes strengthening broadcasting and facilitating its transition to seamless hybrid broadcast-broadband services and delivery.

The delivery of live TV to handheld devices; the ongoing development of UHDTV with further advances on HDR, HFR and Next Generation Audio; future transmission systems such as WiB - Wideband reuse-1 system; Targeted Advertising and also Virtual Reality being just some of the issues that will be addressed in the DVB World 2018 program.

DVB World brings together experts and practitioners who are experienced in providing direction to bring us up to date on their strategies to deal with today's changing media landscapes.

The three day DVB World Conference & Exhibition will be held at the Intercontinental Hotel, Warsaw. The hotel is set in a landmark contemporary tower in the heart of the city.

The DVB World dinner and evening event will be an ideal setting to connect with other delegates, exchange ideas and explore new perspectives.

Further information including the Conference Program, Masterclass and Hotel Reservations will be available on the DVB World 2018 website.

For Exhibition Opportunities and details on Sponsorship offers, please contact Desiree Gianetti.

DVB Speakers' Corner

With IBC fast approaching there are a number of opportunities to find DVB topics on the conference program.

Peter MacAvock, DVB Chairman will chair the Paper Session: What Does the Future of TV Delivery Look Like? in the Emerald Room on 14 September from 15:15 to 17:00.  Vittoria Mignone, Reasearch & Development, Rai will also present Long Term Perspectives Of TV Convergence Towards 5G: Mobile And Fixed Applications.

Peter MacAvock, DVB Chairman will participate in  IBC C-Tech Forum: 5G Programme presenting Insights into the 5G Roadmap -  What will be coming and when?   on 16 September from 10:00 to 10:30 in Room G102-3. There will be an open floor discussion immediately following his presentation.

Alberto Morello , Research & Development, Rai  will present in the Paper Session: Novel Ideas and Cutting Edge Technologies The Potential Of T2 In A WiB Planned DTT Scenario on 17 September from 10:15 to 11:45 in the Emerald Room.

Thierry Fautier, Harmonic will chair the UHD Forum Session: Ultra HD - Where We Are and Where We Are Going on 18 September from 12:00 to 14:00 in Room E012. This Ultra HD Forum Masterclass will discuss HDR and higher frame rates and how they will make the UHD experience even more immersive. There will also be an in-depth look into Next Generation Audio from Dolby, DTS and Fraunhofer.


Speakers' Corner is a regular column of DVB Scene eNews that serves to let readers know where they can see DVB related presentations at the various conferences, seminars and events around the world.  If you are a DVB Member speaking on a DVB topic at an upcoming event get in touch and let us know and we will publish it here.
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Module Activities

04, 11, 18, 25 September -  TM-IPI DVB-DASH - Webex Telco.  Please refer to the DVB Meetings Calendar for the agenda .

05 September - TM-IPI ABR Multicast taskforce focus group - Webex Telco. Please refer to the DVB Meetings Calendar for the agenda .

06 September - CM-WIB - DTG, London. 
This group studies the commercial potential and feasibility of Wideband frequency reuse-1 techniques. At this meeting the group will continue to consider the results of the initial technical analysis for the potential of WiB provided by the TM-WIB and will be working towards agreeing the scope of and approaches that the group will undertake.

15 September - IPRM73 - Novotel City Hotel, Amsterdam. 
Agenda to cover IPRM related issues.

20 September - CM-AVC - Novotel City Hotel, Amsterdam. 
Meeting to discuss commercial requirements and specifications covering UHDTV, multicast ABR, supplementary service streams, next generation audio and subtitling.

20 September - CM-VR - Novotel City Hotel, Amsterdam.  The agenda to include discussions on the following use cases: Live VR, On-demand VR and use case alignment with other bodies.

21 September - TM-AVC - Novotel City Hotel, Amsterdam.   TM-AVC is meeting to discuss potential enhancements to the audio and video aspects of DVB specifications, including DVB services delivered via the DVB DASH specification.

25 September - TM-GBS 132 - Location TBD. 
The replacement of TR 102 679 (Register of DVB URNs and Classification Schemes) with website content will be discussed.

This listing is correct at the time of publication. Meeting participants should consult the DVB Meetings Calendar for up-to-date information.
Join the Global Community of Digital Experts

DVB Member
Membership of DVB is open to all organizations involved in digital broadcasting and offers involvement in the development of DVB specifications across terrestrial, satellite, cable and IP delivery platforms. 

The key advantages of becoming a DVB Member are to:
  • Co-develop future specifications through technical proposals, IPR, Steering Board, etc.
  • Gain early view of specifications through DVB meetings, documents, email lists
  • Network with other DVB Members and industry partners at meetings and events
  • Promote DVB standards through workshops, seminars, conferences, trade shows
  • Promote your company and DVB products through DVB events, meetings and publications including DVB Scene and DVB Scene eNews
  • Discounts for Member delegates attending the annual DVB World conference.
Employees of Member companies gain the following benefits:
  • Access to DVB documents, meeting reports, draft specifications, etc.
  • The right to submit documents for consideration by modules and sub-groups
  • The right to join, follow and contribute to the DVB email reflectors
  • The right to attend module and sub-group meetings and conference calls
  • Take part in the DVB specification process, with the right to stand for Steering Board election.
In addition to the above benefits, DVB Members will also be invited from time to time to contribute to the promotion of key DVB standards, whether through trade shows, conferences or seminars. These opportunities can increase market awareness of your company and bring you to the forefront of your respective area of expertise.

It's never been a better time to join DVB. Take part in developing the most successful standards for digital broadcasting. 

For more information about joining DVB, contact  Eva Markvoort .

 


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