The broadcast service provider Media Broadcast has shown a barker channel using the HbbTV standard over DVB-T during the Medientagen in Munich.
Several online services could be reached from the dedicated barker channel. They included the VOD portal from redbull.tv, content from Süddeutsche Zeitung TV (a German newspaper), the HbbTV offer from home shopping channel QVC and the demo-VOD portal from Media Broadcast.
The technical basis of the innovative system solution is the use of a barker channel broadcasting the data stream of a signalling data (at 200 kbps) pointing to the text, audio and video content on the internet.
Such a special barker channel can be broadcast over all platforms including satellite, cable and digital terrestrial.
“The use of a barker channel for the coupling of TV and internet offers content providers entirely new possibilities,” said Henrik Rinnert, the head of the television business unit, Media Broadcast.
“We not only improve the discoverability of hybrid web and TV services on the TV, but we also create especially for niche and local channels an attractive way to reach the viewers. We therefore make an important contribution to flexible expansion of TV services and set new and important impetus to the distribution strategy of content providers.”
