DVB-T Network with Multimedia Home Platform Services Goes Live in Austria
December 12, 2006 // Published as a news service by IHS
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Austria launched a digital video broadcasting-terrestrial (DVB-T) network with extensive multimedia home platform (MHP) services.
Austria is the first country in the world to launch services based on MHP 1.1.2, with the goal of providing a nationwide supply of TV programming and multimedia-based services in a new and future-proof way with no monthly charges, said the Digital Video Broadcasting Project (DVB).
In the first phase of the rollout, Austrian Broadcasting Services used 11 transmitters to reach about 70% of the population with a single multiplex. Next year will see the rollout of a second multiplex.
Television viewers in Austria, where up to 40% of the population watch analog services, have typically been regular users of the teletext information service, said the DVB. Therefore, it was important to be able to replicate and enhance such services on the digital platform.
The new multimedia service is known as MHP Multitext. The service offers new features such as integrated pictures and picture-in-picture functionality. There are plans in the future to offer interactive services such as voting and gaming applications.
MHP Multitext is seen as a means of bridging the digital divide by making the multimedia world accessible to everyone, said the DVB.
To back up this vision, the Austrian Regulatory Authority for Broadcasting and Telecommunications put in place a subsidy for approved MHP-enabled receivers. The first 100,000 households to purchase such a receiver will receive a subsidy of €40. There is a further subsidy available for low income households.
Preparation for the rollout of MHP services in Austria began with the !TV4Graz pilot project in 2004. Since then much work has been done on improving user interfaces and developing editorial systems, as well as developing the capabilities of the interactive channel, said the DVB.
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Alongside the electronic program guide (EPG), broadcasters in Austria are also offering various information portals dealing with news, sports and weather. The Interactive Application Centre provided by Siemens was used to offer a chat application in parallel with the Starmania audition show.
Source: Digital Video Broadcasting Project (DVB).