Cabot announce technical collaboration with the BBC exploring advanced DVR functionality using MHEG

Sep 07, 2006

Cabot Communications, the specialist digital TV software supplier, today announces it is working in partnership with the BBC in a technical collaboration exploring advanced Digital Video Recorder (DVR) functionality using MHEG technology. The outcome of this partnership will potentially traverse Push Video on Demand (PushVoD) applications and various other enhanced MHEG applications such as narrative video based games.

Rahul Chakkara, Controller BBCi, commented “It is clear that audience needs are changing. They want to watch, listen and use our content when and how they choose. The BBC is working in partnership with Cabot Communications to explore ways in which DVR technology can be used to meet these emerging audience needs.”

A number of technical developments have already arisen as a result of the collaboration. The partnership has leveraged several advantages through the control of DVR functionality via MHEG APIs including: the ability for MHEG applications to make bookings for content acquisition from the broadcast stream; download of data in a broadcast carousel onto the hard-disk drive (HDD); the ability for MHEG applications to access acquired media assets on the HDD including recorded programmes, text, images and AV clips; and the ability to launch MHEG applications resident on the HDD. These features create many creative opportunities for content providers to both extend existing interactive services and offer completely new ones.

“The technology provides MHEG authors the building blocks to create more dynamic applications not only based on text and graphics but also AV clips,” commented Bob Lamb, Managing Director of Cabot Communications. “Push mechanisms allowing content to be ‘pre-loaded’ onto DVR boxes open up several application scenarios such as PushVoD, resident promotional trailers and larger MHEG applications. In addition, the ability to store and launch MHEG applications on the HDD will enable application providers to deploy a wider range of applications whilst reducing usage of broadcast bandwidth.”

The BBC will be conducting a closed technical trial to test some of the technologies and navigation models around 'Push-VoD' to DVR devices. Cabot Communications will also be demonstrating some of the technical developments that have arisen as part of this collaboration at the Cabot stand, number 1.331, at IBC from 8-12th September.