Multimedia Home Platform

NokiaOKIA DVB-MPH NOKIA between the broadcasting, tel- market where users have the choice DVB agrees open interactive TV ecommunications and computing of buying a basic mobile phone for standard technologies in the horizontal mar- voice communications or a more ket.” At present, the digital TV mar- advanced model that also offers in- A new interactive broadcasting ket is developing along ‘vertical’ teractive services using the very standard is set to revolutionise the lines where broadcasters subsidise latest WAP technology.” Compat- market for digital television and proprietary set-top boxes in return ible with all of the DVB platforms, convergence services worldwide. for customers subscribing to pay- MHP will be implemented by dig- Called DVB-MHP (Multimedia TV channels. ital terrestrial (DVB-T), cable (DVB- Home Platform), this Java-based C) and satellite (DVB-S) broadcast- technology will use open software Open standard According to Timo ers both in Europe and the rest of architecture to provide interactive Lahnalampi, Product Manager, the world. “America’s OpenCable services to digital TV customers re- Nokia Multimedia Terminals, MHP consortium is currently looking for gardless of the service provider and offers several benefits over propri- a common API and is considering STB (Set Top Box) supplier. Types etary platforms - both to customer Java based approach,” states Mr of services that will be launched and service providers alike. “The Lahnalampi. Spain’s digital terres- once MHP is fully available range open approach means that the end- trial service, Quiero TV (formerly from digital text services - com- user can buy a set-top box from ONDA digital) has already stated it plete with high quality pictures and any vendor and still receive a wide will migrate to MHP from the animation - to interactive shopping range of interactive applications.” OpenTV API as soon as the manu- and Internet access. Officially ap- At the same time broadcasters can facturers are ready, while MHP is proved by the DVB (Digital Video implement their own Conditional also the chosen interactive TV Broadcasting) Technical Module in Access (CA) systems. Whereas to- standard for Australia’s digital ter- January 2000, the new standard day’s proprietary set-top boxes use restrial TV networks. will be available in three ‘profiles’: different and largely incompatible enhanced broadcast, interactive middlewares, MHP specifies Java broadcast and Internet access. Two based technology for its Applica- of the three profiles (enhanced tion Programming Interface (API). broadcast and interactive broad- Current proprietary middleware cast) have already been approved providers have stated they also will by the DVB and work is underway provide extensions to their with the third one (internet pro- middlewares in order to ensure file). According to DVB chairman, compatibility with MHP when it is Theo Peek, the MHP standard will launched. help to develop the market for digital television services, just as GSM Modular approach Like the open has done for mobile telephony. and well-established GSM stand- “This is one of the most important ard for mobile phones, MHP pro- developments in DVB to date. It vides a modular approach that al- presents a significant milestone on lows consumers to choose the the way to finalising the Multime- equipment matching their own dia Home Platform project.” Sev- needs. Importantly, the standard is eral manufacturers, including also backwards-compatible so cus- Nokia, are backing the new multi- tomers buying MHP set-top boxes media standard with the first gen- won’t have to replace their equip- eration of MHP-compliant set-top ment when new types of interac- boxes expected end of 2000. MHP tive services are added. “Custom- technology also contains the nec- ers who want everything the inter- essary software for implementation active platform has to offer will be in IDTVs (Integrated Digital Televi- able to buy a set-top box with the sions) and multi-media PCs. Adds highest levels of processing power. Mr Peek: “DVB is delivering on its “Alternatively, they will be able to promise to create the systems choose a more basic unit which will facilitate convergence instead,”states Mr Lahnalampi. “This is similar to the mobile phone