Broadband TV News editor Julian Clover will be the master of ceremonies for the annual conference of the DVB Project in Dublin next month. He looks ahead to the event with DVB’s chair Peter MacAvock.
Julian Clover: Peter, you must be looking forward to having DVB World back in your home town of Dublin again?
Peter MacAvock: For sure. DVB World was established in Dublin and held there for many years. It’s great to come back to Dublin and this year’s event promises to be one of the best. The challenges facing the industry are manifold, and it’s an exciting time to be working with the industry in DVB.
JC: DVB’s raison d’être is about designing technical standards for digital TV: where does this annual conference fit in that mission?
PMA: DVB is a grouping of some 150 or so companies, peopled by experts in the field of TV. Indeed, many feel it’s the only place where the whole content provider value chain can gather together to discuss and shape its future. DVB World is an important window on that world, and it’s a valuable gathering place for those who are involved in the industry, but not directly involved in the Project’s technical work.
JC: Looking at the programme, I see sessions dedicated to OTT and 5G. Why have you chosen to focus on these two areas in particular?
PMA: As you mentioned, DVB is synonymous with digital TV standards and specifications, but the OTT, 5G, hybrid TV challenges are forcing a re-think of how DVB approaches its work. Are open technical standards the way we would go about providing the best solutions for the industry? These hot topics will all be on the agenda.
JC: There’s also a pre-conference masterclass. Why did you invite your HbbTV colleagues to fill that slot for 2019?
PMA: DVB’s middleware system of choice was MHP, designed in the early 2000s to enhance the digital TV user experience. MHP was probably five years ahead of its time, perhaps more; HbbTV is displacing it, and has succeeded admirably. HbbTV was borne out of a DVB activity, many of its Members are also DVB Members, and we retain a close working relationship. Indeed, HbbTV and DVB jointly promote their solutions as being a complementary approach to address the challenges of Hybrid TV.
JC: Is there one session in particular that you’re looking forward to hearing?
PMA: DVB has embarked on a study of how it might best interface with the 5G world. It’s great to have the 3GPP community and DVB experts to gather to discuss how the two technologies can work together. As an employee of one of the organisations heavily involved in the 3GPP standardisation work – the EBU – I’m looking forward to what I hope will be a valuable set of exchanges that will influence how we work together in the future
JC: I will have the pleasure of being master of ceremonies for the conference. What kinds of delegate will I find seated before me in the audience when I step onto the podium at Croke Park?
PMA: The audience at DVB world is made up of those who are following the Project’s work, implementing it in practice and shaping the industry which it seeks to serve. It’s a rich environment where the exchanges between the speaker and the audience are almost as valuable as the quality presentations themselves. It’s impossible to attend DVB World and not learn something new.
DVB World 2019 is in Dublin on 11-13 March. Broadband TV News readers can avail of a 40% registration fee discount using the following promo code at checkout: DVBW19BBTVN
