Successful HbbTV seminar

March 2012. HbbTV is hot; the new international industrystandard for delivering interactive, digital television via a hybrid solution is developing. Cablers, broadcasters, operators, providers and facilitators will soon face this technology. The annual Divitel Customer Seminar with this years theme ‘Get yourself introduced to the world of HbbTV’ is therefore well attended.

On March 29 the annual Divitel Customer Seminar was held. Traditionally this event takes place at Divitel’s premises in Apeldoorn, but due to continued growth of Divitel (and the lack of space), the Deventer IJsselhotel provided an excellent setting for this event.

SBS Broadcasting and the Dutch Public Broadcasters (NPO) are actually very busy with the HbbTV technology standard that combines broadcasting services with internet services by adding additional information to the broadcasting signal. Mr. Josbert van Rooijen (SBS) and Marco Slik (NPO) shared their experiences and first screenshots with the audience.

In Germany HbbTV was introduced earlier, but is still being developed as an technology standard in cooperation with several countries to ensure the industry standard. Mr. Christoph Schaaf of Germany’s largest cable operator Kabel Deutschland shared his vision on HbbTV as part of a series of new technologies for use in cable networks.

And there’s no HbbTV without apps and widgets of course! Mr. Johannes Schmid of MIT-Xperts new how captivate the audience by telling them the do’s and don’ts of developing and managing apps.

Add to this day a great networking lunch and some demos and one can look back on a successful event!

Photos: Myleneshoots.nl

About HbbTV

HbbTV (Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV) is a technology standard-in-progress that’s already used in Germany, France and Spain. The technology standard is in development and combines broadcasting services with internet services by adding additional information to the broadcasting signal; these additional info can be recognized by a TV or settop box. In this way, technology parties such as broadcasters, distributors and tv-producers are able to offer digital, interactive television without investing in an expensive IPTV-platform.

In practice, this means that a viewer only needs to push the HbbTV button on its remote control and then immediately enters the relevant information page. In short.: HbbTV makes it possible to receive extra information, to interact with tv programs, look up previously broadcasted programs or rent a movie (video on demand).