Next-gen features for Freeview
February 29, 2012
UK digital television industry association the Digital TV Group has unveiled the latest technical specification enhancements for Freeview and Freeview HD – as the digital television industry gathers for its annual Summit on 2 March in London.
Enhancements to the ‘D-Book’ – which sets out the detailed technical standards for digital terrestrial television in the UK – include:
- Enhanced EPG with the ability to go both backwards and forwards, allows a viewer to navigate to a programme’s webpage or view a trailer for the programme
- Remote Booking (enables viewers to book recordings or set reminders from a website or application)
- Enhancements to the current Broadcast Record Lists feature
- Clearer reference of the ETSI MHEG specification to drive international harmonisation
An updated D-Book will be published on 31 March 2012.
These enhancements build on the current edition of the D-Book (D-Book 7) published in 2011, which marked a turning point in UK digital terrestrial television with the introduction of an industry-agreed, technical specification for Connected TV products and services.
The DTG’s Technology Director and editor of the D-Book, Simon Gauntlett, will discuss the enhancements in detail, as well as the D-Book’s adoption of international standards, at the DTG Summit.
The DTG’s Director General Richard Lindsay-Davies said the Digital TV Group had balanced UK business requirements and high consumer expectations with the increasing demands of globalisation and business complexity to deliver another world-leading digital television standard for Freeview.
The DTG recognises the importance of emerging technologies such as Second Screen and Home Networking. Development work in these areas will begin in the spring. The DTG will also focus on future uses of spectrum such as LTE and White Spaces.