BROADCAST & BEYOND – LONDON. There is likely to be an announcement by some flat screen manufacturers in the next few weeks about bringing HbbTV screens to market in Germany by Christmas, according to Thomas Wrede, VP, Product Management, SES Astra.
He added that the next steps in HbbTV were, in the short term, the publication of the HbbTV standard by ETSI by the end of this year; development of test suites for HbbTV devices; launch of additional attractive HbbTV services, there not being enough yet; and a consumer market intro at IFA.
In the mid term, they were further technological developments; adding streaming potential; and HbbTV as a standard component for flat screen TVs.
While HbbTV is “a unique opportunity for broadcasters and manufacturers” and will “greatly enhance consumers’ media experience, it was “very important” to bear in mind that “HbbTV needs a coordinated marketing effort.”
At the moment, market research firm GfK already reports HbbTV connected TV sets as being sold on the German market without any formal introduction. Major broadcasters in Germany (including RTL, ARD, ZDF, ProSiebenSat.1) are using the standard to deliver services.
