Multimedia Home Platform open standard for interactive services.
Multimedia Home Platform or MHP is the open middleware system designed by the DVB Project.
MHP defines a generic interface between interactive digital applications and the hardware on which those applications execute.
Based on a Sun Java virtual machine, the MHP specification decouples the application from the specific hardware and software details of different compatible systems, enabling digital content providers to address all types of terminals ranging from low-end to high-end set top boxes, integrated digital television sets and multimedia personal computers.
MHP extends existing DVB open standards for broadcast and interactive services in all transmission networks including satellite, cable and terrestrial television systems.
Developed through the open DVB process, MHP provides an essentially open standard and seeks to adopt a patent pooling approach to intellectual property. Every member of DVB is obliged to license on fair and reasonable terms and the major technology holder Sun Microsystems has essentially granted a free license to use its technology in core MHP implementations.
One of the commercial drivers for MHP is that it facilitates the horizontal market in which the broadcaster is not directly responsible for the platform on which their services run, as in the case of free-to-air services.
MHP defines three profiles. Enhanced Broadcast supports interactive enhancements to broadcast services. The Interactive profile supports a higher level of interactivity employing a return channel. The Internet profile supports network connectivity based on internet protocols.
In order to provide interoperability in other markets, Globally Executable MHP or GEM specifies those elements of the DVB MHP standard that may be replaced by functional equivalents, thus defining a common core. This forms the basis of harmonisation of international standards such as OCAP, ACAP and ARIB.
MHP 1.1 is published as ETSI standard TS 102 812 V1.1.1.
GEM is published by ETSI as TS 102 819.