Two German public broadcasters, Bayerische Rundfunk in Bavaria and ZDF, have launched hybrid TV services using the HbbTV standard on digital terrestrial broadcasting across the region, the IRT announced in Munich.
The IRT, the technical institute of the German public broadcasters, has already demonstrated its ability to transmit the HbbTV signal on digital terrestrial networks on this year’s IBC in Amsterdam. The broadcasters already use HbbTV on their satellite transmissions and now DVB-T has been added. HbbTV allows viewers to access additional information and content by pressing the Red Button on their remote control.
The signaling for the HbbTV service is broadcast across Germany on ZDF’s DVB-T network. In Bavaria, the HbbTV functionality is also available on ARD (Das Erste), Bayerisches Fernsehen, Arte, BR-alpha, Phoenix and EinsPlus. Additionally, HbbTV is also available for HR Fernsehen in the Franken region and for MDR in the state of Thuringia as well as for SWR Fernsehen and EinsExtra in Southern Bavaria.
In order to access the HbbTV service, viewers will need a connected TV set that complies with the standard and a broadband internet subscription. The first DVB-T receivers with HbbTV are expected to come on the market before the end of the year. At this year’s Medientage congress in Munch, the IRT and Loewe are showing the first prototype of a receiver with DVB-T, DVB-S and DVB-C together with HbbTV connectivity.
