IBC 2015. Hall 10 stand 10.F51. IRT demonstrates in collaboration with LG Electronics and HTTV an implementation of the HbbTV 2.0 companion screen feature at IBC 2015 at IRT’s booth.
The recently published HbbTV 2.0 standard allows for new applications that will connect mobile companion screen devices like tablet PCs or smart phones with the TV to extend the user experience to multi-view and multi-user applications.
IRT has developed a prototype service which allows to demonstrate some of the core companion screen features of HbbTV 2.0. A city guide app on the mobile companion screen device shows a map of Munich which displays a number of markers indicating tourist attractions. Clicking on these displays more information and offers to start a
corresponding video on the TV screen – if a HbbTV 2.0 device can be detected in the home network. In this case the app on the companion screen can use the HbbTV 2.0 application launch feature to launch a HbbTV application on the TV screen.
Subsequently both applications can use the app to app communication feature to allow interactions between both screens and the video on the TV screen can be fully controlled by the app on the mobile companion screen. Thus the user can enjoy a Munich city tour completely controlled by the mobile device and see newly produced UHD videos of Munich attractions on the big TV screen. The HbbTV 2.0 second screen functionality complements IRT’s Cloud-based solution which has been already launched in trial services.
Both industry partners, LG Electronics and HTTV, have independently of each other integrated the HbbTV 2.0 companion screen feature into device prototypes. Such early implementations are very valuable to verify the concept of the HbbTV 2.0 standard and trigger interoperable implementations.
The demonstration at IBC will be shown on LG’s HDR-capable 4K OLED TV (model 55EG9200). LG’s industry-leading OLED display technology ensures that images are displayed in perfect black as well as perfect colors, while the set’s razor-thin design enhances the viewing experience, measuring an incredibly slim 4.8mm at its thinnest point.
“HTTV is very committed to HbbTV and we are promoting this standard to the largest market with our STB TVOS as well as with our Head End servers” said Regis Saint Girons, CEO of HTTV. He added “We are thrilled to participate to this first HbbTV 2.0 showcase with IRT which demonstrates the innovation brought by HbbTV 2.0 and paves the way to implement full compliance with the new standard specifications in our TVOS”
The HbbTV 2.0 specification was published early this year. Beyond its support for connected devices, it supports the latest web standards like HTML 5, TTML subtitles (EBU-TT-D), the DVB profile of MPEG-DASH and the new video codec HEVC enabling new formats up to UHD. Market launch for first HbbTV 2.0 devices is expected for 2016.
The showcase was established as part of the FI-CONTEN2 project, a European project funded within the FI-PPP Program of the European Commission.
