SERAPHIC and IRT show latest HbbTV 2 features at BroadcastAsia 2017

Wednesday, May 24th, 2017
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SERAPHIC partners with IRT to show the latest HbbTV 2 features at BroadcastAsia 2017

SINGAPORE — BroadcastAsia 2017 — SERAPHIC, the leading digital TV browser and “TV+ Internet” solution provider, today announced that it has been able to support the latest HbbTV 2.0.1 specification in its HbbTV solution. To demonstrate HbbTV 2 features, SERAPHIC partners with IRT, a neutral research and competence centre for audiovisual technologies, to showcase ARD Mediathek – the largest catch up TV service in German speaking countries – for mobile devices in a prototype version using the latest HbbTV 2 Companion Screen technologies at Asia’s largest broadcasting exhibition BroadcastAsia 2017, taking place at Singapore from May 23-25. It allows users of the ARD Mediathek application to view the contents from the ARD, the largest public-service broadcasting network in Germany, and cast video clips onto HbbTV 2.0 DTV devices.

“This signifies that we’ve stepped into a new stage. HbbTV 2 technologies can finally run on the TV screens in our living rooms and deliver the fascinating hybrid, immersive viewing experience for our customers anytime,” Ye Wang, CEO of SERAPHIC, pointed out.

The latest release of SERAPHIC’s Sraf HbbTV 2 solution supports Companion Screen, Media Synchronization, TTML, Clear Key and other key HbbTV 2 capabilities which allow application developers to extend user viewing beyond traditional screens in the living rooms and incorporate additional options to deliver a richer, immersive experience for consumers, which best fits the current fragmented time situation.

Wang also reveals that SERAPHIC’s HbbTV 2 solution has been proved with “superb performance” on mainstream DTV and STB chipset platforms such as ALi, Broadcom, MStar, etc. “It saves integration efforts of device manufacturers and therefore could enable them to accelerate time-to-market,” Wang adds.

Klaus Merkel, HbbTV project coordinator at IRT, commented, “As central research and competence centre, IRT is supporting broadcasters, TV and STB manufacturers to develop novel services for connected TVs, namely the HbbTV platform, by offering trainings, implementing prototype applications and testing services.” For the HbbTV 2 companion screen showcase with SERAPHIC, IRT provided test material and an HbbTV 2 enabled prototype of the Android version for ARD Mediathek, that was developed with German public broadcaster ARD and is envisaged as the basis for one of the first HbbTV 2 services in Germany.

“SERAPHIC is always seeking for close collaborations with industry partners in the fast developing HbbTV area. We are delighted to work with IRT and lead a successful cooperation case through joint efforts and effective communication. We promise that SERAPHIC will take further actions to deliver more support to HbbTV application developers in the latest HbbTV 2 device technologies side, with more flexible approaches,” Wang said.

BCA attendees can experience a demonstration of the latest integration from HbbTV SERAPHIC’s booth (Stand 4D3-06) at Suntec, Singapore, May 23 – 25, 2017.