Italian broadcasters are planning to adopt the new HTML5-based HbbTV 2.0 when the specification is released later this year.
In a statement the Confindustria Radio TV says the current HbbTV 1.5 generation of products are based on a “clumsy, outdated and even patented browser (CE-HTML)”. The creation of another ‘legacy’ product was not on the agenda.
With early HbbTV compliant products not expected to become available until 2016, the next edition of Italy’s new HD-Book (Version 3.0) – due for publication in October – will keep with MHP as the only middleware of choice in Italy.
Instead Italy will wait until the DVB’s release of Phase 2 ultra high definition specifications at the turn of the year. These will then be incorporated into an HD-Book 4.0, where HbbTV 2.0 will also be endorsed as new middleware for interactive services in Italy.
According to GfK data of the 73.1 million DTT receivers sold in Italy since 2004 there are 43.3 million IDTVs and 29.8 million set-top boxes. There are 361,000 connectable HD STBs and 2,242,000 connected TV sets.
