IBC2024: DVB-I and DVB Native IP ready for prime time
One clear takeaway from IBC2024 in Amsterdam last week was that an increasing number of companies – broadcasters, manufacturers, service providers and platform operators – are looking to DVB’s solutions for IP-based television delivery to address the challenges that come with a changing media market.
The questions posed by a steady stream of visitors to the DVB booth and the proliferation of DVB-I and DVB-NIP (Native IP) demonstrations and showcases elsewhere at the show together provided ample evidence that the industry is moving, to quote DVB Head of Technology Emily Dubs, “from exploring to deploying” for the new generation of IP- and internet-centric specifications.
DVB-I and FTA satellite
DVB-I had already captured the headlines at previous editions of IBC, not least with the German DVB-I Pilot winning an innovation award last year. This year’s show saw the commercial launch of Sat.tv Connect, a service from Eutelsat that uses DVB-I to organize and deliver service lists to connected TVs. The service, which was demonstrated on the DVB booth in Amsterdam, will be available across Europe and beyond, greatly enhancing the user experience for free-to-air satellite television with service lists dedicated to specific countries, regions and language groups.
Also on the DVB booth, another satellite operator, SES, demonstrated a different approach to using DVB-I for direct-to-home (DTH) television, this time delivering the service lists over the air via broadcast. The demo targeted use cases where a broadband connection is not available. Using DVB-I here allows receivers to automatically adapt to technical parameter changes (e.g. new transponder selection) and channel lists to adapt according to service availability, etc.
Irish DVB-I tests continue
Another popular demonstration, available on both the DVB and EBU booths at IBC2024, was the second phase of the DVB-I proof-of-concept from Ireland’s free-to-air platform Saorview. The PoC, which it is hoped will pave the way for a later public trial, integrates several features that could be important for a next-generation hybrid platform: seamless inclusion of the RTÉ Player app within the EPG, deep linking to catch-up viewing and box sets, accessibility features, etc. Accessibility was also a key element of the DVB-I demo from Catalonian broadcasters 3Cat on the EBU booth.
Conversations on the DVB booth and elsewhere pointed to considerable interest and activity among TV set vendors in integrating DVB-I clients in future models. Vestel has up to now been the primary supplier of TV sets for demonstrations and trials, having DVB-I compliant sets available on the market in several European countries already. It seems likely that Vestel will soon be joined by several other manufacturers, which would in turn provide a greater incentive to those interested in launching services.
DVB-NIP deployments expected
On DVB-NIP too, there was a real feeling of momentum towards further deployments. A first roll-out in Peru, where the government is using DVB-NIP to help close the connectivity gap in rural areas, seems likely to be joined by others around the world. At a DVB-hosted panel discussion on the topic, gateway manufacturers indicated that they anticipated announcing further deployments in the months ahead. Information shared with the DVB Project Office suggested that private satellite operators in India and Mexico are preparing DVB-NIP projects, while there is also activity in Turkey – with aviation and maritime among the use cases – and Africa, around both distance education and DTH television.
In Europe, too, there is interest in the potential of DVB-NIP. The DVB booth hosted a live demonstration of a DTH multiscreen experience powered by DVB-NIP and DVB-I, with content from Italian broadcaster Rai sent to the main TV screen and streamed to personal devices.
More information about the demonstrations at IBC2024 can be found in the following handouts:
The video below, made available by Millinium Events, includes introductions to some of the DVB-I demos on the DVB booth, presented by Thomas Stockhammer (Qualcomm), Jordi J. Giménez (5G-MAG) and Gordon Maynard (OnScreen Publishing).
Skip straight to the demo you’re interested in using the links below:
