Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV)

What is hbbtv

With the development of television and television integrated with the World Wide Web, the Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV) project was born.

HbbTV is the merger of two projects that emerged in February 2009 from the merger of the French and German project H4TV HTML Profil. It is essentially an integration of different technologies for data transmission (Internet), television broadcasting and teletext. It also supports interactivity (providing information to the user on demand).

Your television must have:

• A digital tuner,
• Your TV broadcaster must support HbbTV.
• Internet connection (for operation and interactivity).
• HbbTV support by your TV.

If your TV does not support HbbTV you can buy a special set-top box to receive the service.

Services provided by HbbTV

• video on demand
• Catch-up, repeat TV, reruns
• program guide
• News, sports, weather information
• Extended TV – quizzes, additional information
• Interactive advertising and e-commerce
• Early warning system
• E-government, education, health care
• Games
• Video advertising
• Targeted advertising

How HBBTV works

Now about how HbbTV works. And how we interact with content when watching videos and working with HbbTV.

The first way HbbTV works

HbbTV is a hybrid of over-the-air or cable broadcasting and the Internet. For example, the TV program that is broadcast on cable TV contains additional data, many people compare it to teletext, but it is not. It is more like computer-processed video with interactive elements. The TV or set-top box that supports HbbTV has its own software to process the received signal, this software takes over the broadcast and if necessary, when the user accesses the interactive controls, shows additional information as requested, this is very similar to the channel and program name information you see on regular digital broadcasts.

The second way of working with HbbTV

You are watching a soccer match, the broadcaster of the game supports HbbTV technology, in addition to the video itself, information is transmitted for display on the TV screen (number of goals, etc.). The team scored a goal, for more satisfaction from watching the match the viewer can order a replay, in which case he will be given a fragment of the soccer match for re-watching via the Internet. Additional information about the game can also be found in the broadcast information. It is a hybrid of broadcasting and the Internet.

The third way HbbTV works

You can also receive video on demand, such as a movie or TV program, in which case the company providing HbbTV must have servers where the TV program information is stored. In this case, HbbTV works like a streaming service, like Netflix or Amazon.

To create additional information in television programs, a team of specialists work to create the elements that will be displayed in HbbTV. In addition to ease of viewing, the programs may, of course, contain advertisements, as in principle other streaming video services also do.

In which countries HbbTV works

• Not all broadcasters support HbbTV, you have to ask your broadcaster for more information.
• Australia
• Austria
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iran
• Italy
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Russia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Turkey
• United Kingdom
• Belgium
• Netherlands
• Bulgaria
• Poland
• Slovakia
• Lithuania
• Estonia
• Saudi Arabia
• Vietnam
• Malaysia