Asia-Pacific Broadcasting (APB) @ConnecTechAsia Show News - Day 2 | Page 29

@ConnecTechAsia2018 www.apb-news.com 27 June 2018 WEDNESDAY 29 Commercial advantages of using HbbTV BY ANGELO PETTAZZI There are a couple of relevant new items in the hybrid broadcast broad- band (HbbTV) environment that could lead to new commercial oppor- tunities for broadcasting industry stakeholders; the Operator Appli- cation (OpApp) specification — a recently published ETSI standard — and the collaboration with the Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) project, to define a new standard for Targeted Advertising (TA). With the availability of the new OpApp specification, HbbTV solu- tions become more flexible and re- solve a variety of operator integration issues. OpApp allows TV operators to provide an operator-branded viewer experience as an application on TVs. This kind of applications act as a “virtual set-top box (STB)”, providing effectively all functionalities of an STB, without the need to install one. In recent years, there have been sev- eral attempts by network operators to get their service, including their look-and-feel, on TV sets. Mostly, these have been specific to a single manufacturer and a single operator, and did not scale up to the com- plexity of today’s TV ecosystem. The OpApp specification is a standard Web-based application that realises an operator experience that, once chosen and installed by viewers on their TV receivers, is readily available each time the TV is switched on. Operators apps have clear ben- efits for consumers, operators, man- ufacturers, and even broadcasters. Acknowledging commercial reality, a key part of the approach is the assumption that operator apps are deployed based on a bilateral agree- ment between operator and manu- facturer, and the specification leaves room for some important choices to be nailed down in this agreement. The other relevant initiative is the liaison between HbbTV and the DVB: the adoption of HbbTV by a territory is only likely where that territory has adopted DVB instead of an alterna- tive, such as ATSC or ISDB. In order to compete with other standards, HbbTV provides a run-time environ- ment, an interactive solution that stakeholders can leverage in DVB markets only. In light of this collaboration, DVB started a new specification work on TA that could be integrated in 2020 connected TV sets. It is worth not- ing that TA leveraging HbbTV 2.0.1 technology is already happening in markets such as Germany, Austria, Italy and others, where call-to-action enhance broadcast ads and L-shaped personalised banners are targeting clusters of specific interest viewers. However, the real market challenge is the ad substitution, where a broad- cast linear channel ad spot can be substituted with a personalised one, supplied via broadband from an ad server, even leveraging programmatic technology, to target clusters of spe- cific interest viewers. HbbTV technology is a well-posi- tioned candidate to achieve this goal. This is different from ad insertion in broadband, video-on-demand (VoD), or even on linear channels, where ad insertion is a reality even with HbbTV technology. The client-side substitution of a broadcast ad with a broadband ad in TV sets leveraging HbbTV is challenging the device im- plementations, and tests so far have shown some limitations in delivering a viable viewer experience at the transition between broadcast and broadband, and vice versa. The new DVB work on TA is tar- geting these limitations, promising to deliver a better experience for view- ers, ad investors and broadcasters. Today at 2.30pm, Teresa Cheung from Eurofins Digital Testing, an HbbTV member, will deliver her speech entitled Commercial Advan- tages of using HbbTV at the Broadcast- Media Com- mercial Track of Connec- Te c h A s i a 2018 Sum- mit, discuss- ing these topics. Stay tuned, then. Angelo Pettazzi is chair of HbbTV marketing and education group. SATELLITE CONNECTIVITY SO SEAMLESS AND SECURE, THEY HELP YOU CONNECT THE WORLD Singtel Satellite has been delivering reliable and high-performance satellite connectivity to consumers and enterprises across Asia, Middle East and Africa regions. Our three teleports point to more than 30 satellites and are supported by an extensive terrestrial network of more than 428 direct points of presence in 362 cities. Leveraging our diversified infrastructure, you can count on us to bring you closer to your audience with our suite of trusted satellite services. Visit www.singtelteleport.com or email [email protected] See us at CommunicAsia 2018 26 to 28 June | Marina Bay Sands, Singapore | Stand #1N2-07