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FG IPTV-C-0398

INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION / Focus Group On IPTV
TELECOMMUNICATION
STANDARDIZATION SECTOR
STUDY PERIOD 2005-2008 / FG IPTV-C-0398
English only
WG(s): 1, 5, 6 / 3rd FG IPTV meeting:
Mountain View, USA, 22-26 January 2007
CONTRIBUTION
Source: / KT
Title: / Requirements of IPTV Interactive Data Services for Retransmission of Terrestrial Data Broadcasting Service

Introduction

This document contributes to interactive control requirements for IPTV service in order to identify transmission framework in view of retransmission of terrestrial data broadcasting service together with the A/V channel.

This contribution includes the following subjects.

1.  Background of IPTV Interactive Data Services for Retransmission of Terrestrial Data Broadcasting Service

2.  Requirements of IPTV Interactive Data Services for Terrestrial Data Broadcasting Service

It is proposed that the text described in this contribution could be developed in the 3rd FG IPTV meeting: Mountain View, USA, 22-26 January 2007.

1. Background of IPTV Interactive Data Services for Terrestrial Data Broadcasting Service

As explodes the high-speed IP networks and as progresses convergence between IP-based communication and broadcasting area, demands for the interactive high quality services are increased. With this requests, TPS (Triple Play Service) appears to satisfy the customer expectation. Especially, Internet Protocol television (IPTV) becomes an important key service with interactive services.

As a category of interactive services, interactive data service includes multi-channel multimedia data services such as A/V channel related electronic program guide, multiparty real time communication, T-commerce providing specific product information, and on demand service appropriate to the personal needs. Practically, with the development of the return path for the interconnection network, user wants not only high-quality multi-channel service but also new ways to interact with various contents and other users.

Now, there are several interactive service providers such as satellite, cable, and IPTV service provider using satellite, cable, and IP network respectively. Unfortunately, due to the limit of the bandwidth of uplink as return path in satellite and cable network, there are some difficulties for the dynamic and seamless service. Meanwhile, thanks to the NGN or BcN supporting enough bandwidth, IPTV is able to provide interactive service vividly.

Standard for the interactive data service is in progress actively in many organizations. For example, there is DVB-MHP for the satellite data service, OCAP for the cable network which is nominated by CableLabs and ACAP for the terrestrial data service which is proposed by ATSC. However, because there is no explicit standard for the interactive data service over IPTV, a substantial number of service providers prepare its own interactive data service system with different format and standard. This causes incompatible service model and platform. Therefore, it is necessary to establish IP-based optimal interactive control standard including efficient transmission standard to support numerous interactive services in IPTV.

IPTV has affinity to not only adopt broadcasting transmission method of satellite, terrestrial, and cable but also integrate it with multicasting with unicasting transmission method to provide interactive service. Interactive control requirement including IP multicasting with unicasting transmission could be presented to reduce the current waste of bandwidth and to renovate incomplete transmission framework. For the interoperability and compatibility of interactive data service, some issues such as re-transmission and combination of terrestrial broadcasting platform’s interactive data services are also considered in this document.

2. Requirements of IPTV Interactive Data Services for Terrestrial Data Broadcasting Service

The interactive service of IPTV can be combined with other platform’s services such as terrestrial (or cable, satellite) A/V channel and interactive data service. Sometimes it is necessary to re-transmit other platform’s interactive data services for the transparent service without contents processing. The integrated interactive service system may provide customer with easy interface about several platform’s services and allow service provider to make flexible, cost-effective, and efficient system by defining schema which is presented regardless of real time broadcasting and additional valued data service, composing the schema with an integrated method.

More issue of interactive control – IPTV interactive control system RECOMMENDed to be able to combine or re-transmit other platform’s interactive services.

As an example of a combined interactive data service, this document shows transmission method for the combination of A/V channel and application which is described in Figure 1 as well as re-transmission method for the A/V channel and application in Figure 2.

Figure1. Transmission method example for the combination of A/V channel and Application

Figure2. Re-transmission method example for the A/V channel and Application

2.1 Requirements of supporting Engine Platform

(1) Java VM

(2) Compliance with GEM DVB-J platform

(3) Compliance with terrestrial ACAP application

(4) Stored applications from stored service which is adapted from MHP

(5) Stand alone applications from AIT file

2.2 Requirements of Application Model & Signaling

In addition to AV channel, various IPTV application services, which like VOD and data service portal, are supported. The application service model, which isn’t bound to specific AV channel, is needed to support these application services.

(1) Application Model

–  Terrestrial application: ACAP-J

–  Unbound application: ACAP-J

–  Bound application: ACAP-J

(2) Signaling of ATTS Function

–  Simulated as stored application in the service of ATTS (Always Tuned Transport Stream)

–  One dedicated IP tuner is always selecting the service in ATTS.

–  Other data of application is transported through other IP tuner

2.3 Requirements of Multiple IP Tuner for Receiving SI (Service Information)

In the IPTV systems, multiple IP tuner can be implemented without additional physical tuner. Consequently, one channel always can be used to receive applications information and SI effectively.

–  Within the framework of transmission, SI for all the available services is transmitted in the ATTS.

–  Within the framework of set-top box, the middleware is configured to build SI database from the dedicated tuner to ATTS.

3. Proposal

This contribution proposes interactive control requirements for IPTV service in order to re-transmit for the A/V channel and application service.

IPTV_MID_XXX: IPTV middleware SHOULD be able to retransmit terrestrial A/V channel and interactive data application service in compliance with ACAP application.

IPTV_MID_XXX: IPTV middleware SHOULD provide unbound and bound application in compliance with ACAP application.

IPTV_MID_XXX: IPTV middleware SHOULD be able to provide stored application in the service of ATTS (Always Tuned Transport Stream)

IPTV_MID_XXX: IPTV middleware SHOULD provide multiple IP tuner for receiving SI (Service Information)

4. Contributors

Dae-Gun Kim / KT, KOREA / Email: / Tel: 82-2-2070-5543
Fax: 82-2-2070-5555
Lark Kwon Choi / KT, KOREA / Email: / Tel: 82-2-2070-5579
Fax: 82-2-2070-5555
Hwang Suk Kyun / KT, KOREA / Email: / Tel: 82-2-2070-5580
Fax: 82-2-2070-5555
Kim Mun Hee / KT, KOREA / Email: / Tel: 82-2-2070-5564
Fax: 82-2-2070-5555
Choi Byung Man / KT, KOREA / Email: / Tel: 82-2- 2070-5530
Fax: 82-2-7070-5555
Young Hui Lee / KT, KOREA / Email: / Tel: 82-2-2070-5500
Fax: 82-2-2070-5555

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