DVB Targeted Advertising standards published by ETSI

The first two parts of the DVB specification for Targeted Advertising (DVB-TA), enabling dynamic substitution of content in linear broadcasts, have this week been published by ETSI as formal standards. TS 103 752-1 covers Carriage and signalling of placement opportunity information in DVB Transport Streams, while TS 103 752-2 deals with Interfacing to an advert decisioning service and optimal preparation of media.

DVB-TA opens exciting possibilities for broadcasters, who can tap into new revenue streams by offering more impactful advertising campaigns and personalized content on linear broadcast networks. Targeted Advertising thus represents a key evolution for horizontal broadcasting markets as they seek to keep pace with online video distribution.

First implementations

Several early implementations of DVB-TA technology were demonstrated at the recent DVB DEMOS event, by ENENSYS Technologies, Harmonic, Verance Corporation and Viaccess-Orca. (Click the company names to jump straight to the relevant sections of the live stream recording.)

The DVB-TA specifications are complemented by parallel work that has taken place in the HbbTV Association to address those commercial requirements from DVB that relate to the interface between a broadcaster app and the TV set or set-top box. The HbbTV-TA specification enables a broadcaster app to control the process of replacing a broadcast advert with a broadband-delivered advert.

Further work on the DVB-TA specifications ecosystem continues within the DVB Project. This includes the implementation of SoME (signalling on media essence), where audio and video watermarking are used to signal targeted advertising insertion opportunities, as well as the use of DVB-TA within a DVB-I system.