DTG Connected TV specification now openly available to industry

D-Book 7 Part B version 2 builds on HbbTV to align UK with pan-European standards

LONDON — The Digital TV Group (DTG), the industry association for digital TV in the UK, has released the second version of D-Book 7 Part B (the technical specification for UK connected TV products and services) to both members and non-members of the DTG.

In line with the DTG’s commitment to international harmonisation of connected TV standards, D-Book 7 Part B references the latest version of the HbbTV hybrid broadcast broadband TV specification and includes additional features to meet the requirements of UK service providers. The DTG will propose UK requirements to HbbTV for inclusion in HbbTV version 2.

“D-Book 7 Part B reflects over three years of critical industry collaboration to meet the UK requirements for connected TV. The publication of Part B not only ensures world leading services for UK consumers but demonstrates our continued commitment to the harmonisation of standards across the European Union and the rest of the world.” said DTG Director General, Richard Lindsay-Davies, “This latest development is particularly important because it clearly references and builds on the most recent HbbTV standard, currently with the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) for ratification. The DTG will continue to develop the D-Book as new innovations are discussed.”

D-Book 7 Part B is now available on the DTG’s website.

D-Book 7 Part A (the technical specification for Freeview HD) remains available to DTG members only.

Notes

DTG Council has approved the DTG to present (non-exclusively) the consolidated UK requirements for Connected TV to the HbbTV working group, and later provide technical solutions, for HbbTV version 2 and future iterations. DTG Council has also agreed that the DTG will continue its working group activities to harness UK innovation, feeding these into European standards wherever appropriate going forward using the established processes.

D-Book 7 Part B extends the interoperability guidelines in D-Book Part A (the technical specification for Freeview HD) into the Connected TV world and defines the critical interoperable coexistence of broadcast and broadband services and devices.

As well as incorporating parts of the HbbTV specification the D-Book is also built upon international standards, including those published by OIPF, ETSI (incorporating HbbTV) and ISO/IEC (MPEG-DASH), with extensions to cater for UK-specific features.