TV-Anytime EPG for low-cost STB / DTV front-end

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TV-Anytime EPG for low-cost STB / DTV front-end

• Anthony Morel
• Philips Research East Asia, Shanghai

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TV-Anytime Background

• The TV programmes you want, when you want
• The target device the Personal Video Recorder,
  featuring mass storage (hard-disk)
• TV-Anytime Phase 1 Specification
• Metadata Find the content
• Content Referencing / Location Resolution Carry
  out recording
• Network independent (content/services on DVB, IP,
  )
• Middleware independent
• TV-Anytime applications can be built-in the
  device or delivered as interactive applications

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Aim of the Project

• Study the TV-Anytime technology for China
• In particular, show that TV-Anytime is not only
  for the Personal Video Recorder
• Demonstrate TV-Anytime for low-cost receivers
  first, which do not require a huge investment
  from the broadcasters
• ? One standard fits both current and future
  devices
• Build local expertise about TV-Anytime

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TVA for Receivers without Storage

• Digital TV services require a good EPG (many
  channels)
• TV-Anytime provides, among others, a standard for
  the EPG data
• Built-in or delivered EPG application can use EPG
  data according to TV-Anytime
• In China
• There is currently no consensus on the middleware
• TV-Anytime enabled retail Digital TVs can display
  an EPG even if provinces use different middleware
  as long as they broadcast TV-Anytime data
• Such provinces can also subsidise low-cost STB to
  access the basic DTV programme. The EPG
  application can use low-level implementation,
  saving middleware costs and increasing the
  efficiency.

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TV-Anytime Fits All
iDTV
STB
PVR

Advanced EPGVirtual TV Channels
Application
Built-in EPG
EPG
v.2
TV-Anytime Metadata over DVB
Data
Broadcaster (Province 1)
Broadcaster(Province 2)
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Challenges

• Be leader in TV-Anytime development in China
• Both broadcaster part and receiver part are
  needed
• Involve local content/service providers
• Solve technical issues
• The target device of TV-Anytime, Personal Video
  Recorder, features mass storage (hard-disk)
• Low-cost devices have no mass storage
• Besides, unlike for DVB SI EIT, there is no
  minimum repeat rate for TV-Anytime services over
  DVB
• No disincentive for broadcasters to add more
  information
• Yet, the receivers should cope with possible low
  repeat rates

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EPG End-to-end Demo Overview
Broadcaster Side
DB
User
Publishing
EPG Parser
Raw XML Metadata
Receiver Side
TVA
MetadataEncapsulation
MetadataExtraction
Metadata in efficient broadcastformat
DVB (out ofscope)
Insertion inDVB TS
Extraction fromDVB TS
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EPG End-to-end Demo Overview
DB
TVA API EPG
Metadata Publishing
Low-Cost STB / DTV Front-End
DVB-C
Serial
MetadataEncapsulation
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Low-Cost STB / DTV Front-End
Source decoding PNX831X
Silicon Tuner TDA 8271
100 mm
Channel decoding TDA 10021
125 mm
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Publishing
DB
XML
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Metadata Encapsulation
Allow Partial Updates
XML Fragments
Fragmen-tation
ValidationCleanup
XML
XML
Optimise the Bandwidth
Data Container
Compressed Fragments
EncapsulationIndexing
Data Container
Encoding
Indexing
Format Datafor Carousel
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Metadata Extraction

• TV-Anytime foresaw the following methods

1. Acquire from the metadata stream and cache
the data to disk with the receiver providing its
own methods of navigation.
PDR using database. Size of database gtgt 1 Mbytes
2. Use the TVA Indexing solution to enable
online navigation of the metadata stream.
Issues Bandwidth, QoS
3. Cache both TVA indexing information and data
to disk to provide an enhanced version of method
2 above.
Implemented Cache Compressed data in Memory
Size lt 1 Mbytes
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EPG Application

• TV-Anytime enables
• Link to graphics (e.g., channels logos)
• More robust personalisation (thanks to XML
  metadata)
• Longer, more detailed schedule (thanks to
  bandwidth efficiency)

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Conclusion

• The use of TV-Anytime is not limited to the PVR
• TV-Anytime allows the EPG to become a standard
  feature in retail integrated DTV receivers,
  regardless of the middleware
• Also allows low-cost STB for DTV switchover with
  bare minimum middleware
• Our project demonstrated that low-cost STB / DTV
  front-end products can use TV-Anytime metadata
  services
• Instead of using proprietary solutions, the
  broadcasters have now the option of using a state
  of the art standard for the current and future
  receivers on their network

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