Partners in the EU-funded project 2-IMMERSE have developed a platform for
multiscreen services. The architecture of the 2-IMMERSE platform has been built
around the HbbTV 2 specification, mainly using
the new companion-screen protocols for app-to-app communication and inter-device
media synchronisation.
At the beginning of the project there were no TV sets implementing the HbbTV-2 standard available. Therfore, project partners built custom prototype set-top boxes (STB) which emulate the behaviour of HbbTV 2 terminals. For the most recent trials with theatre and sports content, STBs where based on Intel NUC Linux PC.
In parallel we collaborated with TV manufacturers to help them getting there TVs HbbTV-2-ready. The 2-IMMERSE MotoGP trial application has been successfully tested and validated with HbbTV2 enabled TVs that became available in spring 2018. Have a look at the below video for a demo.
The HbbTV 2 features showcased in the video are:
- Animated on-screen-graphics synchronised with IP or broadcast video.
- Discovery of the HbbTV2 TV by the companion application which subsequently joins the experience on the TV.
- Accurate synchronisation of the companion application with the experience on the TV (IP or broadcast video).
- Communication of the companion app with the HbbTV app via the local network to control
You can see this demonstration at IFA in Berlin (31 August – 5 September) and IBC2018 in Amsterdam (14-18 September) at the IRT stands (hall 2.2@IFA, 10F51@IBC) in addition to the 2-IMMERSE main presentation in the IBC Future Zone.