A project has been launched to define a broadband return path for the MHEG standard which is used for Freeview digital terrestrial television in the UK. A separate initiative aims to promote the MHEG interactive television middleware standard for use in other countries.
A project has been launched to define a broadband return path for the MHEG standard which is used for Freeview digital terrestrial television in the UK. A separate initiative aims to promote the MHEG interactive television middleware standard for use in other countries.
MHEG-5 is the interactive software standard used for digital terrestrial television in the UK, with over 12 million compatible receivers deployed.
Originally developed and standardised by ISO in the mid 1990s, MHEG-5 is a low-cost open standard that can run on limited hardware. It also has limited capabilities compared to more advanced proprietary platforms, or the MHP standard which was designed as its successor.
A working group has been set up to develop and deliver a specification for a broadband return path as an extension to the existing 1.06 profile of MHEG-5 used in the UK. The project is being co-ordinated by the Digital TV Group, or DTG, the industry association for digital television in the UK.
When Freeview was launched in the UK, a decision was taken to avoid the complication of using a return path. As a result the range of interactive services that is possible on the platform has been comparatively limited.
The addition of an always-on broadband return path, rather than a slow dial-up modem, would open up a range of new interactive applications, including voting, games, communications and transactions, and it would allow data to be delivered over broadband, or even downloaded or streamed audio and video.
“With the increasing availability of broadband, the prospect of an always-on interactive TV return path is now a viable option,” said David Cutts, chairman of the DTT Return Path working group and director of Strategy & Technology, also known as S&T, a supplier of MHEG middleware.
Interested parties, including international contributors are invited to join the group to provide input of international standardisation through the relevant bodies.
International promotion
A group of companies that provide this middleware has formed an International MHEG Promotion Alliance, IMPALA to help broadcasters and receiver manufacturers with the deployment of MHEG-5 interactive services in international markets.
The founder members are S&T, Cabot Communications and EchoStar Europe, which owns Eldon Technology.