DVB-I is an open standard for discovering and delivering media services so that any compatible device or display can present them to the user. In the run up to its annual DVB World conference, the DVB Project has published a guide to DVB-I aimed at business leaders, policy makers and media industry advisors. The explainer aims to describe in non-technical terms the relevance of the specification to the future of television distribution.
If the smart television home screen is now a gatekeeper, DVB-I is the key, writes Remo Vogel, the chair of the DVB Project. “DVB-I is the cornerstone of our vision for an IP-native future,” he notes. “It standardizes how IP-delivered channels are discovered and presented alongside broadcast content. As a result, a viewer’s choice isn’t dictated by platforms. Whether a channel arrives by broadcast or broadband, it appears in a unified, easy-to-navigate list.”
By adopting the standard, manufacturers can gain seamless access to online channels without relying on agreements with platform providers, while fulfilling national regulatory requirements in relation to the prominence of services of public value.
DVB-I is a specification that allows compatible devices, whether DVB-I is built in by the manufacturer or available as a separate app, to know what television services are available.
A DVB-I service list can reference services delivered by terrestrial, satellite or cable broadcast, online, by a combination of broadcast and broadband networks, or by emerging delivery technologies such as 5G Broadcast.
Service lists can be obtained from a service list registry, through an operator or broadcaster, or from locations specified by the device manufacturer or app developer.
“Presence in the service list is a guarantee of discoverability,” the DVB chair explains in the house journal DVB Scene. “DVB-I removes the risk of delisting or marginalisation, ensuring that a broadcaster’s presence is determined by compliance to standards rather than commercial leverage.”
The DVB-I specification does not dictate how services appear on screen. Manufacturers and operators retain full control of their user interface.
DVB-I offers a coherent, standards-based approach to television service discovery at a time when video distribution is increasingly fragmented across networks, platforms and devices.
It allows organisations to modernize their offerings while continuing to serve established viewer habits and respect regulatory frameworks and commercial relationships.
As television markets continue to evolve, DVB-I provides a stable foundation that can accommodate new delivery technologies, new aggregation models and new expectations for how audiences navigate services.
Whether used to maintain prominence for public service broadcasters, to simplify device integration, to support operator workflows or to anchor regulatory objectives, it represents a flexible and future-oriented framework that can help ensure television services remain discoverable, reliable and accessible regardless of how the media landscape changes.
DVB World takes place in Amsterdam on 17-18 March 2026. A DVB-I explainer for business and policy leaders is available from the dvb-i web site.