The Open IPTV Forum (OIPF) is pleased to announce the publication of the Architecture Specification for IPTV infrastructure elements and services to be included in Release 2 of the OIPF Specifications. The Architecture Specification is freely available for download from the Publications section of the Forum website www.oipf.tv.
Release 1 of the OIPF technical specifications was published early in 2009, and the Forum technical workgroups are now actively engaged in developing Release 2. The Release 1 profiling specification, which will finalise the first release, is expected at the end of September. The newly published Release 2 Architecture Specification provides the additional functional components and technologies needed to support the Release 2 requirements published earlier.
The Release 2 architecture specification addresses a number of new services and features by introducing or extending functionality in a number of key areas:
broadening of the service domain to include mobile networks, allowing OIPF-specified features such as remote access, notifications, and session transfer & replication to extend to mobile devices
- enhanced content access for consumers including more sophisticated local & network PVR, timeshift, PPV and personalized channels
- remote access and remote management functions for more flexible control of the TV experience
- functions to increase consumer convenience, such as notifications, TV bookmarking, parental controls and session controls across multiple devices
- features which assist the service provider in the provision and measuring of the service, including forced playout controls and audience research
The OIPF was established in 2007 to develop and publish end-to-end specifications for standardised IPTV solutions, helping eliminate many of the interoperability and portability issues which have historically hampered IPTV service providers as they build their solutions. The specifications are being developed in a phased manner, to provide interested parties with timely and increasingly comprehensive coverage of the many infrastructure and functional areas involved in an end-to-end IPTV solution.
According to Yun Chao Hu, Chair of the OIPF, “The Forum was established to develop specifications to satisfy a recognisable and urgent market need, and we have consistently set ourselves aggressive targets for our development work. This latest milestone maintains our momentum and reinforces the credibility of the organisation as it continues to grow and thrive, and I wish to congratulate all those who have contributed to the successful development of the Architecture Specification for Release 2. Reaching agreement among a large and diverse membership is not without its challenges, and it is to the credit of all involved that by maintaining an appropriate focus we continue to make effective progress towards the practical benefits the Forum was set up to deliver. “
For further information about this news release, please contact: Claire d’Esclercs press@oipf.tv
NOTES FOR EDITORS
IPTV (Internet Protocol Television or Interactive Personalised Television) is a system where a digital television service is delivered using Internet Protocol over a network infrastructure, which may include delivery by a broadband connection. A general definition of IPTV is television content that, instead of being delivered through traditional broadcast and cable formats, is received by the viewer through the technologies used for computer networks. With IPTV, the television screen becomes a means of communication, allowing the viewer to interact with the service. It will have numerous applications, for example, in video on demand, shopping, for special needs, quiz shows, voting in television shows etc.
The Open IPTV Forum is fully open to participants from across the communications and entertainment industries, and brings together network operators, content providers, service providers, consumer electronics manufacturers and home and network infrastructure providers. The members of the Open IPTV Forum are working together on the development of open standards because they recognise that combining the expertise of all involved will help to streamline and accelerate deployments of IPTV technologies. Their aim is to make the next generation of IPTV a mass market service and to maximise the benefits of IPTV for consumers as well as the industry.
For further information about the Forum: visit http://www.oipf.tv