Television is the media hub device for Web, TV and Communication

Media Convergence

In the ‘Media Convergence of the Future’ project Fraunhofer FOKUS and the RTL Deutschland media group have joined forces to bond linear TV programs with non-linear Internet content with the aim of creating interactive and personalized television. The technical groundwork for the venture is given by the IPTV system developed by FOKUS which integrates set-top boxes (STB), PCs or any other kind of end device in a shared media environment.

At the IFA 2008 (Hall 5.3, Stand 02) Fraunhofer FOKUS is showcasing how Internet-based content of the RTL Deutschland media group can be adapted for television, integrated with the TV programs of the Group and managed by the remote control. New advertising concepts compellingly show the range of possibilities open for an interactive and personalized viewing experience.

“Highly graphic scenarios for tomorrow’s media world can be built using the TV content and online products of RTL, VOX, n-tv, SUPER RTL and Clipfish,” says Dr. Stefan Arbanowski, head of the Media Interoperability division at the Fraunhofer Institute FOKUS, talking about the synergies generated by the partnership. “Join this up with the work done by FOKUS in convergence of technologies and content, and the shape of tomorrow’s media world becomes visible to us all.”

The technical basis for the fusion of linear TV content with non-linear Internet formats is provided by the ‘Next Generation Network (NGN)’, an IP-based platform which will run all media formats like IPTV, Video-on-Demand, the Web and the whole field of individual or group communication simultaneously and jointly on a single infrastructure serving any kind of end device. Development work leading to seamless convergence of heterogeneous media technologies and disparate media and communication formats is currently being conducted by the Media Interoperability Lab at Fraunhofer FOKUS.

The partnership also investigates new forms of video and display advertising aimed at specific target groups which makes for effective and efficient control and delivery.