MHEG5 As An Interactive and Presentation Platform For One Way Broadcast Networks

Worldwide MHEG5
MHEG5 as an interactive and

presentation platform for one way
Broadcast Networks
www.pixsan.com info@pixsan.com
Why specify Interactive TV?
Interactive TV extracts maximum benefit from digital TV

(for both viewers and broadcasters).
Applications and services include:
Digital Teletext and information services News, sport, weather

Enhanced TV Multi-channel eg sport, news, concerts
etc
Games and voting/participation TV
formats Associate with Entertainment
programming
Operator information / account
management Account information, billing etc
T-commerce for shopping channels “Web-like” advertising
E-government Civic information, health, education
Interactive platforms
Name Supplier Market Open Set Per Comment

Standard Up receiver
Cost cost
(estimated)
Open TV Vertical pay No High $5 - 10 Generally
partners
Nagra CA
NDS Vertical pay No High $4 - 12 Generally

NDS CA
Various Vertical pay Yes but Med $5 - 7 Any

Horizontal patented
FTA
Various Vertical pay Yes, no Low $1 - 2 Any
Horizontal patents
FTA
MHEG-5 Overview
 Developed in ISO-MHEG group and DAVIC in 1995
– Intended as UI for DAVIC interactive services and VOD
– Simple object oriented interpreted language
 Standardised in ISO 13522-5
 Adopted by UK DTG in 1997
 UK Profile includes text, graphics and DSM-CC carousel systems
 Profile evolved to UK Profile 1.06 (current)
 ETSI standard ES 202184
 NZ profile extends to include extra Maori characters and EPG key
 New deployed in 2008 and advancing 2009
– IP Interaction Channel (return path)
– PVR support
– Improved graphics
– HD compatibility
25th February 2008
MHEG-5 Rollout
 Successfully deployed in UK
– >18m receivers sold
– 99% UK Freeview platform penetration, >25% usage
 Launched in New Zealand in May 2007
– DVB-S receiver sales over forecast so far (already >60,000 units)
– DTT launches 2008 with MPEG-4 HD and MHEG-5
 Trials and evaluations in Ireland, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Turkey, India
and Russia with interest from other countries in Europe and Asia
 No known essential IPR
 MHEG middleware software approx US$1 per receiver
 STBs are lowest retail price in the world UK <$15
 Wide integration into iDTVs in Europe
– 50% of sales iDTV…MHEG available to most leading brands
What is MHEG-5?
 Simple object orientated programming language
– to control presentation of content made up from audio, video, text and still
graphics objects
– to provide user interaction with the application
– supporting real time video and audio presentation
– focussed on TV requirements
– low overhead and high speed
 A complete environment including
– Authoring tools and data systems
– Broadcast transmission using DSMCC Object Carousel standard and optional
IP-based connectivity
– Middleware – the MHEG middleware or ‘stack’ that is resident in the STB. This
provides an API on which interactive applications can run
MHEG vs Java
 MHEG-5 is designed specifically for TV presentation

– Remote control operation
– Displays built on TV layout
– Works in its own safe memory space
– Robust interpreted language
 Java is a complex general purpose tool with adaptations for TV
 As illustration of comparable complexity

– MHP (based on Java) has >10000 unit tests
 There are no other standardised Java systems for TV
– MHEG has <350 tests
 MHEG-5 loads and runs faster
MHEG applications are smaller
MHEG applications have been designed to compete with almost all common MHP functionality
Source: MHP/MHEG Coexistence project. BBC Research.
• Smaller applications means faster start and lower cost transmission
MPEG-4 and MHEG-5
 Inclusion of HD/SD MPEG-4 in the system makes a

difference to a number of issues
– Cost of silicon
– Number of receiver suppliers in short term
– Complexity of receiver outputs
– MHEG-5 display strategy for HD services
 Receiver costs are higher in short term
– but bandwidth utilisation is better
 Next generation iDTV will include MPEG-4
 Receiver solutions have easy IP connection
 MHEG-5 HD support launched in 2008 (Freesat in UK)
Projects using MPEG-4 / MHEG-5
 Freeview NZ DTT
– Launches 2008
 Boxer – Sweden, Denmark, Norway
Republic of Ireland
– Launch 2008
 Many iDTV designs for 2008/9 will
incorporate both technologies
 Freesat in UK
– Launch 2008
 Hong Kong DTT (TVB)
– Launched 2008
 BBC iPlayer to launched in 2009 using
MHEG5.
MHEG Interaction Channel
 Extension of Profile to add ‘always on’ IP connection
– Connected to home network
– Could be connected via phone
 Enables
– Seamless extension of interactive services using content from known
servers
– Commercial transactions
– Security
 Now under development for use in 2009
– Including test regime
 Next version under discussion
– MHEG control of presentation of streamed or downloaded A/V from IP
source
– Provides Broadcaster-controlled IPTV
Conformance Regime
 In UK conformance regime was weak until 2005/6.

– Many problems arose from this, especially for retailers
 A tough conformance regime, using Pass/Fail tests to
achieve brand acceptance, is recommended for
– SI, Subtitles, MHEG-5, RF, OAD, AFD, etc
 OAD capability is essential for all receivers
 Much can be derived or licensed from DTG in UK

– Including subcontracting work
International Rollout
 UK has 23m+ MHEG receivers sold
 Freeview New Zealand

– Operational on DTH
– DTT launches April 2008
 TVB in Hong Kong on air shortly

– Hong Kong profile released soon
 Projects under discussion in ASEAN region
MHEG-5 Profile for Pay DVB-C or DVB-T
 Current Baseline is UK Profile plus option for EPG launch key(s)
 Support for local languages including options for Chinese, Indian and
African fonts.
 Graphics and downloadable font system
 Interface to Conditional Access to control SMS and other subscriber

messaging
 Loaded games option
Providing Interactive Applications
 Most applications are similar, with different design and
content.
– Publishing information
– Displaying graphics and pictures
– Interaction through ‘list and select’ or ‘show and select’.
– Navigation to different services
 Most applications in MHP and in MHEG are made with higher
level ‘template’ tools and very stable operating applications
 Most cost in applications is in content production (information
and pictures)
 Templates and authoring tools are available as Open
Standard GPL Tools
MHEG System Architecture
Authoring Tools Broadcast Playout Viewer Premises
TV Display
Program Video & Audio

(Video Server playout)
MHEG TX
Mux MHEG content
Tools
MHEG Appl’n
Live content feeds & updates MHEG content MHEG Engine

e.g. Weather, News, Sports
(XML) MHEG Appl’ns
Set Top Box
Content DSMCC
Management Object Carousel
Systems
EchoMHEG solution 17
UI & EPG
TrueType Fonts MHEG Application

EIT Schedule
LCN
MHEG Engine (Freesat)
DVB Subtitling
AV Decoder
ASN.1 16 Bit Graphics
DVB SI Host Parser Engine
DEMUX Downloadable
DSMCC
CI Font Manager
OAD Image Decoders
Back Channel
TLS HTTP PNG, JPG, IPlane
Background
Network Stack Non Volatile FS
Plane
Storage Media
Hardware Adaptation Layer

Drivers
Some Applications
 Text
 Multiscreen
 Complex Advertising
 Games
 EPG
Skytext on Freeview UK
• 500 ‘pages’ with frequent content updates (mostly

automatic)
• Integrated with SysMedia content management and
production system
• Profit generating (though advertising)
Text Service -Traditional Chinese
Multiscreen Services
 MHEG controls the

presentation and choice
of multi-screen services
– User chooses which to
view
– Has access to information
on each event
– 40%+ of digital sports
viewers in UK use these
applications
25th February 2008 BES Expo MHEG-5 S&T
Shopping - QVC (Freeview UK)
• Integrated with QVC’s existing CMS using XML

• Runs completely automatically using a data-driven model
• Profit generating through sales increases
• Can be extended to include transactions
MHEG System Architecture
Viewer Premises
iTV Authoring Broadcast Playout TV Display

Tools
Program Video & Audio

(Video Server playout)
MHEG TX
Mux MHEG content
Tools
MHEG Appl’n
MHEG content MHEG Engine

Live content feeds & updates
e.g. Weather, News, Sports (XML) MHEG Appl’ns
Set Top Box
Content DSMCC
Management Object Carousel
Systems
Interaction Internet connected return channel

Server
QVC prototype with online purchase
Green ‘Buy Button’ leads to online purchase via the IP interaction channel
Games - Tetris
• Stand-alone
gaming
application:
• Free-to-play
or pay-per-
play via
premium rate
phone
Games “Studio Runners”
‘Sokoban’ maze game for BBCi
EPG application for NZ
EPG – Traditional Chinese
Platform-wide EPG
 MHEG-5 can provide platform-wide EPG

– Loads quickly from carousel
– Data carriage is efficient
 Compressed in carousel
 (EIT schedule uses uncompressed data)
– Same appearance and behaviour on all receivers
– Branding of platform and per channel
– Advertising opportunities
 Needs carriage on all muxes
 PVR control from MHEG-5 EPG in development
EPG Menu Screen Example
Summary
 Digital TV enables additional interactive services that benefit both viewers

and broadcasters
 MHEG-5 offers a proven and stable middleware with low consumer cost,
strong manufacturer support from major brands and suppliers
 No known essential IPR licensing
 MHEG-5 is also widely available in flat screen iDTVs from many

manufacturers
 A minimum profile specification and simple conformance testing ensures
that all receivers are interactive-enabled at an affordable price
 Profile with Chinese language support already available
– Receivers in pre-production to this specification
 Profile for Indian language support under development
 PVR, High-definition and IP support are also available for future services

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Worldwide MHEG5

MHEG5 as an interactive and

Interactive TV extracts maximum benefit from digital TV

Digital Teletext and information services News, sport, weather

Name Supplier Market Open Set Per Comment

NDS Vertical pay No High $4 - 12 Generally

Various Vertical pay Yes but Med $5 - 7 Any

25th February 2008

 MHEG-5 is designed specifically for TV presentation

 As illustration of comparable complexity

Source: MHP/MHEG Coexistence project. BBC Research.

• Smaller applications means faster start and lower cost transmission

 Inclusion of HD/SD MPEG-4 in the system makes a

 Receiver solutions have easy IP connection

 MHEG-5 HD support launched in 2008 (Freesat in UK)

 In UK conformance regime was weak until 2005/6.

 Much can be derived or licensed from DTG in UK

 UK has 23m+ MHEG receivers sold

 Freeview New Zealand

 TVB in Hong Kong on air shortly

 Projects under discussion in ASEAN region

 Current Baseline is UK Profile plus option for EPG launch key(s)

 Interface to Conditional Access to control SMS and other subscriber

Program Video & Audio

Live content feeds & updates MHEG content MHEG Engine

TrueType Fonts MHEG Application

Hardware Adaptation Layer

• 500 ‘pages’ with frequent content updates (mostly

 MHEG controls the

25th February 2008 BES Expo MHEG-5 S&T

• Integrated with QVC’s existing CMS using XML

iTV Authoring Broadcast Playout TV Display

Program Video & Audio

MHEG content MHEG Engine

Interaction Internet connected return channel

25th February 2008 BES Expo MHEG-5 S&T

25th February 2008 BES Expo MHEG-5 S&T

‘Sokoban’ maze game for BBCi

 MHEG-5 can provide platform-wide EPG

 Needs carriage on all muxes

 PVR control from MHEG-5 EPG in development

 Digital TV enables additional interactive services that benefit both viewers

 MHEG-5 is also widely available in flat screen iDTVs from many

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