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Home»What is HbbTV?

What is HbbTV?


HbbTV is Hybrid Broadcast Broadband television. It is a method of combining traditional linear TV with extra information, interactive streams and catch-up TV.

With HbbTV, broadcasts can deliver extra services via their broadcast services, including:

  • Enhanced teletext-style news and information
  • Access to on-demand programme libraries.
  • Interactive streams providing additional content or options to play along with quizzes.

HbbTV has grown in popularity, especially in countries where traditional teletext services are still going strong. Broadcasters and viewers are making the step straight from traditional teletext to HbbTV.

In the UK, HbbTV adoption is being driven by the BBC and the platforms it has a shareholding in: Freeview and Freesat.  The UK is late to the party, with the BBC having pushed MHEG5 for much of the last 20 years as a replacement for traditional teletext.

You can find out more about HbbTV at www.hbbtv.org.

How else can HbbTV be used?

An advantage of HbbTV is that broadcasters can deliver access to their catch-up/on-demand services to viewers without the broadcaster having to sign up with multiple manufacturers and platform operators to ensure the app is available. So for example, public broadcasters in Germany, Spain, Poland and Czech Republic make extra content available via their HbbTV app, triggered by pressing the red button. All the viewer needs is a HbbTV compatible TV, broadband connection and reception of the channel to access the app.

One notable exception is Sky, who doesn’t offer HbbTV support on Sky Q in most countries, even though the boxes are compatible. The UK is the exception. Here, following an agreement between the BBC and Sky in November 2019, HbbTV support was activated through a software update. This allows access to BBC iPlayer through the BBC HbbTV red button+ service.

Usage in the UK

In the UK, only BBC channels carry an HbbTV flag – here the BBC uses it to allow users to access content from the BBC iPlayer apps. In the future it wants to use it to deliver content substitution (i.e. potentially inserting regional news on HD).

Elsewhere, take-up of HbbTV is led by platform operators, including Freeview. Freeview offers a HbbTV based Freeview Accessible Programme Guide (channel 555) and an on-demand portal (channel 100).

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RXTV info | Covering the reception and distribution of UK terrestrial TV (Freeview), cable, satellite and connected TV services for users and installers.

Freeview changes

30th June 2022

  • Channel 41 | Horror is replaced by Legend [COM4/SDN]
  • Channel 65 | FreeSports closes [COM7].
  • Channel 65 | That’s TV UK moves to this channel number.
  • Channel 68 | CBS Drama renames to Reality Xtra and changes multiplex [COM6/ArqB moving to Local/Comux].
  • Channel 69 | CBS Justice is closing [COM6/ArqB]
  • Channel 77 | NOW 80s moves from multiplex COM7 to G_MAN. Coverage in Manchester only.
  • Channel 87 | PBS America+1 closes [COM7]. The main PBS America channel continues on 84.
  • Channel 91 | Classic Hits (formerly That’s Music) moves to this channel number and moves from COM7 to COM6/ArqB.

Other Freeview channel updates…

Satellite
  • Astra 1N, 19.2°E 12604 H (SR22000, FEC 5/6, DVB-S, QPSK) Bloomberg Europe New frequency.  SID 7200.  [Old version on  Astra 1L, 19.2°E 11597 V carries label advising to retune.]
  • Astra 2F, 28.2°E 12226 V (SR27500, FEC 2/3, DVB-S2, 8PSK) BBC Two Northern Ireland HD test transmissions (Service ID 11015/1199)
  • Astra 2E, 28.5°E 11836 H (SR 27500, FEC 5/6) Sky News Ireland new frequency (SID: 5406)

Saorview: Irish DTT  | How to manually tune Sky box | Sky Glass channel list |  UHF channels and centre frequencies

 

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