Media and device testing specialists Digital TV Labs has won a tender from the HbbTV Association to develop the tests covering key new technologies for the forthcoming HbbTV 2.0 test suite.
The contract is for the provision of tests for companion screen discovery using DIAL, remote launching of companion screen applications and remote application to application communication. It also includes tests related to the synchronisation of applications and content across devices, multi-stream synchronisation, and improved support for applications to synchronise to video in HbbTV 2.0.
HbbTV 2.0 is the latest generation of the DVB broadcast hybrid standard for the delivery of broadcast and broadband services, through connected TVs and set-top boxes. HbbTV 2.0, which also includes HTML 5.0, HEVC and DVB DASH among other technologies, enables services could include Ultra HD, second screen companion applications, push-VoD and ad-insertion, as well as broadcast video synchronised with broadband delivered audio or subtitle tracks.
The HbbTV 2.0 test suite will be fully supported by Digital TV Labs Ligada iSuite for HbbTV, the industry-standard automated test tool for HbbTV. The HbbTV 2.0 tests augment Digital TV Labs’ range of test suites for national platform profiles such as the UK, Australia, New Zealand and its DRM and DASH test suites.
“This important contract is vital to ensure the HbbTV 2.0 ecosystem is free from interoperability issues and it augments the UK Freeview Play HbbTV 2.0 test suite already available to manufacturers,” commented Andy Hickman, CEO of Digital TV Labs. “This latest contract reinforces Digital TV Labs as the leading provider of connected TV test tools for the industry.”
Digital TV Labs expects a HbbTV 2.0 Test suite full release towards the end of 2016, ready for 2017 products, although individual test cases will be made available earlier as they are released to HbbTV members.
