"White Book Hybrid-TV / Smart-TV" Version 2.0 now in English

GermanTV-Platform explains new trends of interactive television

Combining TV and online services on TV flat screens interactive television is growing dynamically to become a mass market. The percentage of hybrid flat-screen TVs, receivers and DVD-/Blu-ray-devices that are able to display a growing number of web applications in addition to broadcasting services, is constantly increasing. The publication "White Book Hybrid-TV / Smart-TV" (Version 2.0) of the German TV-Platform, which offers an overview of current developments in technology and market, is now also available in English. The association seeks to give impetus to currant discussions among experts at EU level (press statement).

TV-Apps, Red Button and OTT services on flat screens: An increasing amount of customers are enthusiastic about the possibilities of multimedia networking of consumer electronics. According to GfK Retail and Technology GmbH in 2012 more than fifty percent of the TV devices sold in the German market were Smart TVs (4, 8 million). A similar trend is visible in most of the European Member States.

Smart TV is a combination of traditional broadcasting via DVB or IPTV and internet connection via LAN / WLAN. Smart TV thus offers many additional attractive functions for the viewers. Like modern Videotext with moving images, interactive electronic program guides, VoD and catch-up-services. The devices also offer Apps portals on the TV screen with games, news, weather, video, music and many more content. The Smart TV experience often is completed with the possibility to connect the home network or the second screen to the TV set. Some App portals have an open internet browser integrated or offering access to social media.

The term Smart TV which is also known as hybrid or connected TV has established a wording for the new type of devices allowing interactive TV-experience and an extended media diversity with digital television. The German TV-Platform supports the development of interactive television since 2009 with a dedicated Working Group. One output was the White Book on Hybrid Television first published in 2011, in addition to the consumer booklet "Hybrid TV" (lately published as 3rd edition) and the information Flyer “Interactive Television: HbbTV on Smart TVs " (published at IFA 2012). The second edition of the White Book renamed “Smart TV” is now available in English - together with other documents on these website by Web&TV. Since 2010 HbbTV (Hybrid broadcast broadband TV) is an ETSI standard which has been supported from the first day from the German TV-Platform and has been written from some members of the WG Smart TV.

Successful participation in industry meetings and trade shows

New working and project groups started

At the IFA press conference of the German TV-Platform in September 2012 the new working and project groups of the association were introduced. Also at the 26th Munich Media Days in October, the TV platform successfully participated with a booth. In addition, several new publications for consumers, retailers and experts have appeared. The conclusion drawn by Gerhard Schaas (LOEWE), CEO of German TV- Platform: "We invite all players to participate in our interdisciplinary and cross-sector groups."

The Working Group Infrastructure is led by Dr. Ulrich Liebenow (MDR) and deals with all broadcast channels and its evolution. The Working Group Devices and Networking under the direction of Dr. Helmut Stein (ISDM) has three project groups for the development of HDTV and 3DTV, for interoperability and for user navigation. These new Working Groups are completed by the ongoing work of the WG Smart TV, led by Jürgen Sewczyk, JS Consult, which is devoted primarily to the interactive TV applications.