HbbTV celebrated reaching 50 at IBC 2011, the International Broadcasting Convention, which ends Tuesday. Not its birthday, since HbbTV was first announced to the market in August 2009, but the milestone of the Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV consortium reaching 50 members.
More than 30 of these companies demonstrated implementations at the conference that were based on HbbTV, an open and business neutral technology platform that combines TV services delivered via broadcast with services delivered via broadband and also enables access to Internet-only services for consumers using connected TVs and set-top boxes.
ABI Research said its latest survey suggests HbbTV is already having a positive effect on consumer’s adoption of connected TV, particularly in Germany and France, where HbbTV has the greatest traction so far. Connected TV penetration was highest in France, with 22 percent of respondents who have a home network also having a connected TV. In terms of usage, 41 percent of French respondents with a TV connected to their home network browse the Internet, which came in second only to viewing online video (54 percent).
“We’re pleased to see HbbTV strongly represented at IBC,” said Klaus Illgner-Fehns, chair of the HbbTV consortium. “Since its formation HbbTV has received support from across the delivery chain ensuring that the standard represents the interests of the broadcasters, CE device manufacturers and software providers.”
HbbTV uses existing broadcast and broadband TV standards and web technologies including OIPF (Open IPTV Forum), CEA, DVB and W3C. The HbbTV consortium is aimed at providing an alternative to proprietary technologies and delivering an open platform for broadcasters to deliver value added on-demand services to the end consumer.
The HbbTV consortium consists of both television broadcasters and CE companies. Its steering group members are: ANT Software Limited, EBU (European Broadcasting Union), France Televisions, Institut für Rundfunktechnik GmbH, OpenTV Inc, Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV Inc., Samsung, SES ASTRA SA, Sony Corporation, and Television Francaise 1- TF1.
Related Links:
IBC 2011 HbbTV announcements (PDF) – http://tinyurl.com/3vv57cz
Photo shows HbbTV service sample, ARD Digital’s Start Bar by Access
