Multimedia Application Framework Q13SG16

1
Multimedia Application FrameworkQ13/SG16
Seminar on ITU-T hot topics for Standardization
(Mar del Plata, Argentina, 2 September 2009)

• Marcelo Moreno
• Multimedia Networking ResearcherTeleMidia Lab -
  PUC-Rio
• moreno_at_telemidia.puc-rio.br

2
Introduction

• Multimedia Applications for IPTV
• Interactivity
• Services
• Games
• And more

3
Introduction

• IPTV set-top boxes
• Multiple vendors
• Multiple platforms
• Multimedia Applications must be
  platform-independent
• Interoperability is mandatory
• Content creators/providers need a common
  application framework

4
H.IPTV-MAFR

• ITU-Ts effort to identify and harmonize the
  relevant multimedia application frameworks
• Established technologies
• New emerging technologies
• Question 13, Study Group 16
• Multimedia application platforms and end systems
  for IPTV

5
H.IPTV-MAFR

• Set-top box vendors will be able to compete in
  multiple markets
• Migration between markets is supported choosing
  well-known MAFR standards
• Hybrid set-top boxes
• Component-based engines
• Configurable systems
• Content interchange

6
H.IPTV-MAFR

• MAFR can be classified by the authoring paradigm
• Declarative Application Frameworks
• e.g. HTML, BML, SVG, NCL
• Procedural Application Frameworks
• e.g. Java (MHP)
• 2 recommendations approved
• 13 working documents

7
H.760 (ex-H.IPTV-MAFR.0)

• H.760 - Overview of multimedia application
  frameworks for IPTV services
• Identifies and briefly describes the relevant
  standards of multimedia application frameworks
• Interoperability and harmonization in IPTV
  services

8
H.760 (Overview)

• Declarative application frameworks
• BIFS, BML, CEA-2014, CSS, DOM, DVB-HTML,
  EcmaScript, HTML, LASeR, MHEG-5, NCL, SVG, WTML
• Procedural application frameworks
• GEM-based frameworks, M3W
• Annex A describes common usage of web-related
  technologies (HTML, DOM, CSS, EcmaScript)

9
H.761 (ex-H.IPTV-MAFR.9)

• Nested Context Language (NCL) and Ginga-NCL for
  IPTV services
• NCL is a glue language that holds media together
  in a multimedia presentation, describing
  relationships among media objects in time and
  space
• XML-based, high-level constructs
• Ginga-NCL is an NCL presentation engine built as
  part of an IPTV middleware

10
H.761 (NCL)

• NCL highlights
• Code reuse
• Multidevice support (in a home network)
• Content adaptability
• Spatiotemporal media synchronization
• No restrictions about media objects
• Procedural code handled as a media object. Native
  scripting in Lua
• Open-source reference implementation

11
H.IPTV-MAFR.1

• Binary Format for Scene for IPTV
• Scene description language, a part of MPEG-4
  standard.
• Designed to allow for the efficient
  representation of dynamic and interactive
  presentations
• Description of the spatial and temporal
  organization of the different scene components.

12
H.IPTV-MAFR.2

• Broadcasting Markup Language for IPTV (BML)
• Declarative application specification for
  multimedia broadcasting in Japan
• Standardized by ARIB.
• BML consists of XHTML, CSS, Document Object Model
  (DOM) and ECMAScript.
• BML defines additional API and objects for IPTV
  using ECMAScript.

13
H.IPTV-MAFR.3

• CEA-2014 for IPTV
• Remote User Interface specification
• Allows a user interface to be remotely displayed
  on devices.
• Based on existing web technologies XHTML,
  EcmaScript, CSS and DOM 2.
• It is a web based protocol and framework for
  Remote user interface (UI) on UPnP Home Network
  and over Internet.

14
H.IPTV-MAFR.4

• Cascading Style Sheet for IPTV
• CSS is a Style sheet language by W3C
• Used to describe the presentation of a document
  written in a markup language.
• A CSS can be either linked to a document through
  a URI or included in the document.
• Does not constitute by itself a MAFR

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H.IPTV-MAFR.5

• Document Object Model for IPTV
• Platform-, language-neutral interface
• Allows programs and scripts to dynamically access
  and update the content and structure of
  documents.
• It does not constitute by itself multimedia
  framework but is used with some markup languages.

16
H.IPTV-MAFR.6

• ECMAScript for IPTV
• Scripting language by ECMA
• Used on the Web and supported in many
  applications
• Included as a component in many presentation
  engines (PE) such as BML and DVB-HTML

17
H.IPTV-MAFR.7

• LASeR and SAF for IPTV
• MPEG-4 Part 20, designed for representing and
  delivering rich-media services to
  resource-constrained devices
• It defines two binary formats LASeR, a binary
  format for encoding 2D scenes and SAF, a binary
  format for aggregating in a single stream LASeR
  content with audio/video streams.

18
H.IPTV-MAFR.8

• MHEG-5 for IPTV
• Represents an application as a set of scenes
  based on synchronization and spatial-temporal
  relationships of multiple media formats
• It supports structural composition, event-action
  associations, navigation, and user interaction
  capabilities.

19
H.IPTV-MAFR.10

• Scalable Vector Graphics for IPTV
• Describes 2D graphics and graphical applications
  in XML.
• Allows for three types of graphic objects vector
  graphic shapes, images and text.
• Drawings can be interactive and dynamic.
  Animations can be defined and triggered either
  declaratively or via scripting

20
H.IPTV-MAFR.11

• Worldwide TV Markup Language IPTV
• Content format for delivery using Internet
  Servers.
• Supports key features to enable service-oriented
  applications.
• Platform comprises a micro-browser and a markup
  language (WML 1.3 spec).
• User agent behavior is more sophisticated than a
  standard internet based HTML browser.

21
H.IPTV-MAFR.12

• MPEG Multimedia Middleware IPTV
• M3W Multimedia platform API defines mainly audio
  and video processing APIs handling front-end,
  decoders and post-processing of A/V.
• M3W Multimedia APIs offer a high-level API that
  is independent of the target hardware. Focus on
  MPEG technologies.

22
H.IPTV-MAFR.13

• HTML for IPTV
• Hypertext Markup Language
• XHTML
• DHTML
• HTML profile for IPTV

23
H.IPTV-MAFR.14

• Lua for IPTV services
• Extension programming language to support
  procedural programming with data description
  facilities.
• Lua is intended to be used as a powerful,
  lightweight scripting language.
• Lua engine is small and easily portable to
  several hardware platforms.
• The Lua engine is distributed as free software
  under the MIT license.

24
Final Remarks

• Market is in serious need of standardized
  interoperable solutions.
• Interoperability will provide benefit for all and
  encourage growth of the multimedia application
  market.
• The H.760 recommendation series standardizes the
  relevant MAFR technologies.

25
Final Remarks

• Interoperability is achieved through configurable
  platforms that can be adapted to specific MAFR
  subsets.
• The use of standardized, media-independent glue
  language is also a good solution for
  interoperability and harmonization.
• MAFR discussions are under way in Q13/SG16, a
  highly active question.

26
Thank you
Seminar on ITU-T hot topics for Standardization
(Mar del Plata, Argentina, 2 September 2009)

• Marcelo Moreno
• Multimedia Networking ResearcherTeleMidia Lab -
  PUC-Rio
• moreno_at_telemidia.puc-rio.br