MHEG-5 and its new features in DVB networks worldwide

1
MHEG-5 and its new features in DVB networks
worldwide

• 25th February 2008
• David Cutts
• Managing DirectorStrategy Technology
• Founder member of IMPALA

2
Agenda

• ST and Impala
• Benefits of Standardised Middleware
• MHEG-5 and MHP
• MPEG4 and MHEG-5
• Extended MHEG for 2008
• Conformance Regimes
• MHEG Applications
• Summary and Contacts

3
Strategy Technology

• Independent company
• Offices in London, Bristol, Denver, Hong Kong
• Works largely in digital interactive TV
• Supplies RedkeyTM MHEG-5 engines to receiver
  manufacturers
• Leads MHEG-5 specification activity in DTG/ETSI
• Supplies MHEG-5 applications and playout
  equipment (Object Carousels)
• Carousel equipment also used in MHP and in US
  OCAP rollout in US Cable
• Customers include RAI in Italy (MHP), Time Warner
  Cable in US (OCAP), RTM Malaysia, Taiwan TV (for
  MHP trials)

4

• The International MHEG Promotion Alliance is a
  not-for-profit organisation whose principal aim
  is to promote the use of the MHEG-5 international
  standard in digital TV worldwide.
• For more information see www.impala.org.
• Founder members of Impala are ST, Echostar
  Europe and Cabot Communications
• Supporters include Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, NZ
  Freeview, Finlux, Hitachi, TopUpTV, TVonics and
  Zinwell
• IMPALA promotes. Its members compete.

5
Agenda

• ST and Impala
• Benefits of Standardised Middleware
• MHEG-5 and MHP
• MPEG4 and MHEG-5
• Extended MHEG for 2008
• Conformance Regimes
• MHEG Applications
• Summary and Contacts

6
Why specify interactive TV?

• For maximum benefit from digital TV (for both
  viewers and broadcasters) a middleware should be
  specified and deployed on all receivers in a
  network to support interactive services and
  applications including
• Platform EPG (Electronic Programme Guide)
• Digital teletext and information services
• Enhanced TV formats (programme related)
• Games and voting/participation TV formats
• And with Interaction Channel (return path)
• Audience measurement
• Operator information / account management
• t-commerce for shopping channels
• e-government

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Middleware considerations

• Interactive TV works best when all (or the vast
  majority) of the receivers in a market have
  middleware installed
• Content and services that reach just a small
  percentage of a broadcasters audience do not
  support a viable business / commercial model
• Technical standard considerations are important
  but not as important as enabling an audience for
  interactive services
• No Audience No Business!

8
Using Public Standards

• Use of Public Standards enables
• widespread adoption and
• multiple vendors at each part of the industry
  chain
• price and performance competition
• Requires conformance scheme to ensure
  interoperability and ease of use

9
Agenda

• ST and Impala
• Benefits of Standardised Middleware
• MHEG-5
• Extended MHEG for 2008
• Conformance Regimes
• MHEG Applications
• Summary and Contacts

10
MHEG-5

• Developed in ISO-MHEG group and DAVIC in 1995
• Intended as UI for DAVIC interactive services and
  VOD
• Simple object oriented interpreted language
• Standardised in ISO 13522-5
• Adopted by UK DTG in 1997
• UK Profile includes text, graphics and DSM-CC
  carousel systems
• Profile evolved to UK Profile 1.06 (current)
• ETSI standard ES 202184
• NZ profile extends to include extra Maori
  characters and EPG key
• New Hong Kong profile released with support of
  Traditional Chinese
• Extensions under development for deployment in
  2008
• IP Interaction Channel (return path)
• PVR support
• Improved graphics
• HD compatibility

11
MHEG-5 Rollout

• Successfully deployed in UK
• gt18m receivers sold
• a single ST customer shipped 700k units in Q3
  2007
• 99 UK Freeview platform penetration, gt25 usage
• Launched in New Zealand in May 2007
• DVB-S receiver sales over forecast so far
  (already gt40,000 units)
• DTT launches 2008 with MPEG-4 HD and MHEG-5
• Trials and evaluations in Ireland, Hong Kong,
  Malaysia, Singapore, Turkey, India and Russia
  with interest from other countries in Europe and
  Asia
• No known essential IPR
• MHEG middleware software approx US1 per receiver
• Lowest retail price in UK lt40
• Wide integration into iDTVs in Europe
• 50 of sales iDTVMHEG available to most leading
  brands
• Note the above applies mostly to MPEG-2 platforms
  in 2008

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What is MHEG-5?

• Simple object orientated programming language
• to control presentation of content made up from
  audio, video, text and still graphics objects
• to provide user interaction with the application
• supporting real time video and audio presentation
• focussed on TV requirements
• low overhead and high speed
• A complete environment including
• Authoring tools and data systems
• Broadcast transmission using DSMCC Object
  Carousel standard and optional IP-based
  connectivity
• Middleware the MHEG middleware or stack that
  is resident in the STB. This provides an API on
  which interactive applications can run

13
MHEG vs Java

• MHEG-5 is designed specifically for TV
  presentation
• Remote control operation
• Displays built on TV layout
• Works in its own safe memory space
• Robust interpreted language
• Java is a complex general purpose tool with
  adaptations for TV
• As illustration of comparable complexity
• MHP (based on Java) has gt10000 unit tests
• There are no other standardised Java systems for
  TV
• MHEG has lt350 test
• But there are very few, if any, broadcast
  applications for TV that can be done in MHP and
  not MHEG-5
• MHEG-5 loads and runs faster

14
MHEG applications are smaller
Source MHP/MHEG Coexistence project. BBC
Research.
Smaller applications means faster start and
lower cost transmission
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Agenda

• ST and Impala
• Benefits of Standardised Middleware
• MHEG-5 and MHP
• MPEG4 and MHEG-5
• Extended MHEG for 2008
• Conformance Regimes
• MHEG Engines
• MHEG Applications
• Summary and Contacts

16
MPEG-4 and MHEG-5

• Inclusion of HD/SD MPEG-4 in the system makes a
  difference to a number of issues
• Cost of silicon
• Number of receiver suppliers in short term
• Complexity of receiver outputs
• MHEG-5 display strategy for HD services
• Receiver costs are higher in short term
• but bandwidth utilisation is better
• Next generation iDTV will include MPEG-4
• Receiver solutions have easy IP connection
• MHEG-5 HD support in development for 2008

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Projects using MPEG-4/MHEG-5

• Freeview NZ DTT
• Launches 2008
• Republic of Ireland
• Launch 2008
• Many iDTV designs for 2008/9 will incorporate
  both technologies
• Freesat in UK
• Launch 2008
• Hong Kong DTT (TVB)
• Launch 2008
• Receiver manufacturers already working on
  implementation
• Others in planning phase

18
Agenda

• ST and Impala
• Benefits of Standardised Middleware
• MHEG-5 and MHP
• MPEG4 and MHEG-5
• Extended MHEG for 2008
• Conformance Regimes
• MHEG Engines
• MHEG Applications
• Summary and Contacts

19
Extensions for 2008

• Interaction channel (Return path)
• Uses (broadband) always on IP return path
• Enables
• delivery of more interactive content
• secure commercial transactions
• HD graphics and fonts
• PVR Support
• Including Push VOD
• Specification work in DTG
• Will output to ETSI
• Conformance tests being built by DTG Testing

20
MHEG Interaction Channel

• Extension of Profile to add always on IP
  connection
• Connected to home network
• Could be connected via phone
• Enables
• Seamless extension of interactive services using
  content from known servers
• Commercial transactions
• Security
• Now under development for use in 2008
• Including test regime
• Next version under discussion
• MHEG control of presentation of streamed or
  downloaded a/v from IP source
• Provides Broadcaster-controlled IPTV

21
Agenda

• ST and Impala
• Benefits of Standardised Middleware
• MHEG-5 and MHP
• MPEG4 and MHEG-5
• Extended MHEG for 2008
• Conformance Regime
• MHEG Engines
• MHEG Applications
• Summary

22
Conformance Regime

• In UK conformance regime was weak until 2005/6.
• Many problems arose from this, especially for
  retailers
• A tough conformance regime, using Pass/Fail tests
  to achieve brand acceptance, is recommended for
• SI, Subtitles, MHEG-5, RF, OAD, AFD, etc
• OAD capability is essential for all receivers
• Much can be derived or licensed from DTG in UK
• Including subcontracting work
• MHEG 1.06 has 350 tests
• Stable, managed, licensable test suite
• Development programme in place for extensions
• Note MHP has gt10,000 tests
• MHP tests for recent versions not completed

23
Agenda

• ST and Impala
• Benefits of Standardised Middleware
• MHEG-5 and MHP
• MPEG4 and MHEG-5
• Extended MHEG for 2008
• Conformance Regimes
• Rollout
• MHEG Applications
• Summary

24
International Rollout

• UK has 23m MHEG receivers sold
• Freeview New Zealand
• Operational on DTH
• DTT launches April 2008
• TVB in Hong Kong on air shortly
• Hong Kong profile released soon
• Projects under discussion in ASEAN region

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MHEG-5 Profile for India

• Current Baseline is NZ Profile
• UK Profile plus EPG launch key
• Profile for India needs support for local
  languages
• Graphics and downloadable font system under
  development allows this to work
• Discussion already underway with cable operators
  in India
• Contract announced today with Digicable (Mumbai)
• Complete system including applications and
  playout

26
Agenda

• ST and Impala
• Benefits of Standardised Middleware
• MHEG-5 and MHP
• MPEG4 and MHEG-5
• Extended MHEG for 2008
• Conformance Regimes
• MHEG Applications
• Summary and Contacts

27
Providing Interactive Applications

• Most applications are similar, with different
  design and content.
• Publishing information
• Displaying graphics and pictures
• Interaction through list and select or show
  and select.
• Navigation to different services
• Most applications in MHP and in MHEG are made
  with higher level template tools and very
  stable operating applications
• Most cost in applications is in content
  production (information and pictures)
• ST provides applications and content tools in
  collaboration with partners

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MHEG System Architecture
Viewer Premises
iTV AuthoringTools
Broadcast Playout
TV Display
Program Video Audio(Video Server playout)
TX
MHEG Tools
Mux
MHEG content
MHEG Appln
MHEG content
MHEG Engine
Live content feeds updatese.g. Weather, News,
Sports (XML)
MHEG Applns
Set Top Box
DSMCCObject Carousel
ContentManagementSystems
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New ST Product - MHEGPresenter

• High-level XML content description language
• Defines page layout, content, behaviour and
  navigation
• Head-end pre-processing into compact files for
  transmission
• Compact MHEG-5 Application on STB
• Renders screen layouts and functions
• Handles user input and interactions
• Suitable for publishing services
• Interactive Advertising
• Text/information Services
• Shopping
• Easy to use with content production/layout tools
• Can use Latin and Asian character sets
• MHEG-5 language training and development tools
  also available

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Some Applications

• Text
• Multiscreen
• Complex Advertising
• Games
• EPG

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Skytext on Freeview UK

• 500 pages with frequent content updates (mostly
  automatic)
• Integrated with SysMedia content management and
  production system
• Profit generating (though advertising)

32
Text Service -Traditional Chinese
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Multiscreen Services

• MHEG controls the presentation and choice of
  multi-screen services
• User chooses which to view
• Has access to information on each event
• 40 of digital sports viewers in UK use these
  applications

34
Shopping - QVC (Freeview UK)

• Integrated with QVCs existing CMS using XML
• Runs completely automatically using a data-driven
  model
• Profit generating through sales increases
• Can be extended to include transactions

35
MHEG System Architecture
Viewer Premises
iTV AuthoringTools
Broadcast Playout
TV Display
Program Video Audio(Video Server playout)
TX
MHEG Tools
Mux
MHEG content
MHEG Appln
MHEG content
MHEG Engine
Live content feeds updatese.g. Weather, News,
Sports (XML)
MHEG Applns
Set Top Box
DSMCCObject Carousel
ContentManagementSystems
Interaction Server
Internet connected return channel
36
QVC prototype with online purchase
Green Buy Button leads to online purchase via
the IP interaction channel
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Games - Tetris

• Stand-alone gaming application
• Free-to-play or pay-per- play via premium rate
  phone

38
Games Studio Runners
Sokoban maze game for BBCi
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EPG application for NZ
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EPG Traditional Chinese
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Platform-wide EPG

• MHEG-5 can provide platform-wide EPG
• Loads quickly from carousel
• Data carriage is efficient
• Compressed in carousel
• (EIT schedule uses uncompressed data)
• Same appearance and behaviour on all receivers
• Branding of platform and per channel
• Advertising opportunities
• Needs carriage on all muxes
• PVR control from MHEG-5 EPG in development

42
Agenda

• ST and Impala
• Benefits of Standardised Middleware
• MHEG-5 and MHP
• MPEG4 and MHEG-5
• Extended MHEG for 2008
• Conformance Regimes
• MHEG Applications
• Summary and Contacts

43
Summary

• Digital TV enables additional interactive
  services that benefit both viewers and
  broadcasters
• MHEG-5 offers a proven and stable middleware with
  low consumer cost, strong manufacturer support
  from major brands and suppliers
• No known essential IPR licensing
• MHEG-5 is also widely available in flat screen
  iDTVs from many manufacturers
• A minimum profile specification and simple
  conformance testing ensures that all receivers
  are interactive-enabled at an affordable price
• Profile with Chinese language support already
  available
• Receivers in pre-production to this specification
• Profile for Indian language support under
  development
• PVR, High-definition and IP support are also
  available for future services

44
Contacts Thank you!

• Strategy Technology Contacts
• David Cutts
• Managing Director
• David.cutts_at_s-and-t.com
• Colin Prior
• Director of International Sales
• colin.prior_at_s-and-t.com
• Distribution in India
• Novacom Digitronics Private Limited
• dmanidhar_at_novacomindia.com