The DVB Steering Board has approved an extension to GEM (Globally Executable MHP) that will enable the synchronisation of services over different networks to support advanced hybrid scenarios.
GEM enables the creation of interoperable TV applications that run on various digital TV devices such as terrestrial, satellite and cable set-top boxes, IPTV terminals and gateways, and Blu-ray players. The fact that GEM is essentially network independent makes it particularly useful in IPTV and hybrid broadcast/broadband environments.
In recent years, televisions and set-top boxes having more than one tuner have come to the market and hybrid broadcast/broadband TV sets are gaining a growing market share. GEM and GEM-based terminal middleware specifications have been successfully deployed into hybrid markets and already address a broad spectrum of use-cases.
While the GEM specification already supports multi-tuner and multi-network devices, the extension is aimed at facilitating new use cases that require synchronisation of media streams into a common service presentation.
Peter Siebert, Executive Director, DVB commented: “With good access to Internet services, low data rate requirements for video, flat panel displays and powerful inexpensive chipsets, the time is now right for hybrid broadcast/broadband services. Because the user interface is different, existing HTML applications cannot be directly transferred to the TV screen. With this new extension, the multitasking and multi-application GEM environment is particularly suited to hybrid services.”
BlueBook A153 (GEM Media Synchronisation API) is available for downloading on the DVB website.
