Momentum is building behind DVB-I after developments in New Zealand, Ireland and Germany pointed to further progress for the open specification for internet-based discovery and description of television services.
Freeview New Zealand said at DVB World 2026 it is working towards a nationwide DVB-I production launch, positioning the standard as the future of free-to-air television in the country.
The platform said it has been preparing for a market in which IP delivery of linear television becomes commonplace, working with broadcasters, the wider DVB community and CE manufacturers including TCL and Hisense.
Freeview said the objective is to keep free-to-air television easy to find and universally available as viewing habits change, while maintaining the local TV experience audiences are used to.
In Ireland, RTÉ has outlined plans for a closed technical trial of DVB-I for the Saorview DTT platform. The trial, announced at DVB World 2026, will build on an earlier proof of concept and is expected to involve up to 100 users between June and November 2026.
The results will be used to inform a later decision on whether Saorview should move towards a next-generation hybrid platform based on DVB-I.
In Germany, Deutsche TV-Plattform has published version 1.00 of its first DVB-I Implementation Profile for receivers, following a two-year process led by the DTVP Task Force DVB-I in cooperation with the DVB-I Round Table.
The profile sets out the technical requirements receivers will need to meet to interoperate with the German DVB-I service list. It covers reception technologies, metadata, regionalisation, DRM, accessibility and service list updates.
It is expected to form an annex to a planned DVB-I Book Germany and is intended to support the launch of a public DVB-I service in Germany later in 2026.
The trio of announcements adds to growing industry activity around DVB-I as broadcasters and platform operators look for ways to blend the simplicity of linear television with IP-based delivery and discovery.
