The HbbTV standard continues spreading across Europe-- the consortium predicts HbbTV-compliant TV sets will reach 60 million by 2014, an "unmatched" success for a pan-European TV initiative.

The rollout got a push last year with 20 EBU members (including RAI, RTVE, YLE, RTBF and NRK) agreeing to use HbbTV from 2012, and the establishment of a common hybrid TV app market.

Germany already has a range of HbbTV services and receivers, while TNT 2.0 platform trials are underway in France. Trials and launches are also going on in other European countries.

The latest HbbTV specification (1.5) adds HTTP adaptive streaming (based on MPEG DASH) and EPG data support, as well as multiple DRMs with common encryption.

HbbTV is a neutral platform using existing standards and web technologies (OIPF, CEA, DVB and W3C). Vendors making part of the HbbTV Consortia include ANT Software, ACCES, Sony and Humax.

Go HbbTV Sweeps Interactive TV ACross Europe

Go HbbTV