News

Following 18 months of broadcast tests, Spain is to adopt the Hybrid Broadcast Broadband Television (HbbTV) standard for connected, or smart, TVs and set-top boxes. HbbTV enables content delivered via the Internet to be integrated with broadcast TV and was established by the HbbTV consortium of broadcasting and electronics companies, including SES (operator of the ASTRA satellites). HbbTV has also been adopted in Austria, France, Germany and Holland.

Visit www.hbbtv.org for more information

Polish state broadcaster Telewizja Polska (TVP) has produced an HbbTV application to support the Euro 2012 football championships co-hosted by Poland. The HbbTV (Hybrid Broadcast Broadband Television) standard was founded by a consortium of broadcasting and electronics companies including SES (operator of the ASTRA satellites) to enable content delivered via the Internet to be seamlessly integrated with broadcast TV, and the TVP Euro 2012 app provides interactive on-screen information on players, match statistics, viewer polls, etc alongside broadcast coverage of the football.

TVP will provide further HbbTV apps to support its programming after the Euro 2012 championships end on July 1.

Visit www.tvp.pl for further information

Three manufacturers have been confirmed to produce ‘next generation’ receivers for the UK’s free-to-air satellite service Freesat later this year. Humax, Manhattan and Sagemcom will produce the new hybrid boxes, which run the HbbTV (Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV) platform, established by broadcasting and electronics companies including SES (operator of the ASTRA satellites). HbbTV enables content delivered via the Internet, such as catch up services and television ‘apps', to be seamlessly integrated with broadcast TV via satellite. Freesat broadcasts via the ASTRA 28.2°E satellites.

Visit www.freesat.co.uk for further information

Connected TV is set to take off in Spain this year. Following formal adoption in Spain of the HbbTV standard for integrating online content with broadcast TV, connected TV applications and agreements have been announced by several channels including Canal Plus, Antena3, Tele5 and TV3, and La1, La2, Canal 24 Horas and Teledeporte from the state broadcaster, RTVE.

The HbbTV service from RTVE includes access to 50,000 programmes and will be available through smart TVs including models from LG, Samsung and Sony. Spanish electronics and ICT industry association, Ametic estimates that 25% of the 4.5 million TVs expected to be sold this year will be HbbTV-ready sets.

The HbbTV (Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV) standard, founded by broadcasting and electronics companies including SES (operator of the ASTRA satellites), enables content delivered via the Internet, such as catch-up services and television ‘apps', to be seamlessly combined with broadcast TV.

Visit www.ametic.es for more information