Product category: Embedded Software and Operating Systems
News Release from: Ocean Blue
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 03 May 2007
Set-top-box software to add broadband
access
Ocean Blue Software is working with the DTG standards design group to develop broadband support for MHEG-5, the system behind red button services on digital TV.
Ocean Blue Software is completing development of new software to allow set-top boxes to connect to broadband, opening new opportunities for interactive "red button" services The company is part of the DTG standards design group finalising broadband support for MHEG-5, the system behind red button services on digital TV
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 12 Dec 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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HD software suite is ready for Freesat service
Ocean Blue Software, the specialist digital TV software developer, has released its platform for the upcoming DVB-S Freesat satellite service.
Terrestrial software gains interactive edge
Ocean Blue Software has developed the world's first set-top box software to allow full interactive services for DVB-T broadcasts, including Freeview.
The new MHEG return channel will provide, for example: interactive voting, shopping and video-on-demand, even web browsing on the TV.
The standard is likely to be ratified by the DTG this year which will pave the way for manufacturers to produce set-top boxes with support broadband and PSTN dial-up.
"Availability of full interactive services on digital TV, particularly Freeview, has been limited due to the lack of a return channel", said Ken Helps, Founder and CEO of Ocean Blue Software.
Further reading
MHEG-5 and DSMCC software runs on ALi chipsets
Bristol-based Ocean Blue Software and Taipei-based ALi Corp have completed a software engineering project to adapt the Ocean Blue Voyager MHEG-5 and DSMCC software to ALi M3101 and M3330 chipsets.
Digital TV software meets MHEG-5
Iwedia and Ocean Blue Software have announced the certification by the UK Digital Television Group (DTG) of their MHEG-5 V1.06 solution.
"Over 80% of homes will have broadband by 2010".
"It makes sense to tap into that bandwidth to provide additional services to digital TV viewers".
"The failure of the Multimedia Home Platform (MHP) to gain traction in the market means the ISO version of the MHEG-5 software standard is now a viable solution for digital terrestrial broadcasters", added Helps.
"This has allowed us to start the development of the first fully interactive middleware, incorporating the forthcoming standards for a return channel".
The market for DVB-T broadcasts continues to grow, particularly in Europe.
The advancement in the MHEG-5 software standard will now attract the attention of emerging broadcasters, in countries such as: France, Russia and Poland.
The EuroMHEG standard creates numerous business opportunities and revenue streams for broadcasters and content developers.
The majority of European countries are still considering software technology for their set top boxes.
Ocean Blue's Voyager software system MHEG-5 and DSM-CC is the standard mandated middleware solution for Freeview digital TV receivers.
Voyager is the result of more than 10 man-year development project and is fully tested and in production.
The MHEG-5 and DSM-CC software was developed in the standard C programming language and is thus portable to many different operating systems and hardware computing platforms.
Ocean Blue's Sunrise is a suite of integrated software products, which provides all the functionality for receiving both analogue and digital video and audio on digital set top boxes and televisions.
Ocean Blue's Surfsoft (a Freeview Playback standard version is available) system software is a content management systems that has been saved on a hard disk-based digital TV device.
Surfsoft's many features and functions include time shift, trick modes, search, retrieve, save, record, timed recording and pause.
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