DTV4All Project

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DTV4All Project

• Dr Takebumi ITAGAKI
• Co-ordinator of DTV4All Project
• School of Engineering Design
• Brunel University (UK)
• E-mail T. Itagaki_at_brunel.ac.uk

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DTV4All Project - introduction

• DTV4All is a project funded by the European
  Commission, under the CIP ICT Policy Support
  Programme, to facilitate the provision of access
  services on digital television across the
  European Union.

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DTV4All Project - introduction

• Consortium
• Brunel University (UK) project co-ordinator
• Red Bee (UK) content provider
• Danish Radio (DR) national public broadcaster
• IRT (DE) research institute for broadcasting
• RBB (DE) local public broadcaster
• TVC (ES) local public broadcaster
• Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona (ES)
• trial co-ordinator
• RAI (IT) national public broadcaster

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Main Aims of the Project

• Offer and evaluate mature subtitling, audio
  description, audio subtitling and signing
  services in a minimum of four territories within
  the EU for at least 12 months
• gtgt Results from Pilots will be presented by Prof
  Pilar ORERO
• Identify improvements in existing access services
  and ways of addressing the key technical,
  organisational and legal obstacles to the
  sustainable take-up of these services in the
  timeframe 2008-2010 throughout Europe.
• gtgt A case study will be presented by Ms Bettina
  HEIDKAMP-TCHEGLOFF
• Test Results and Recommendations are available on
  
• http//www.psp-dtv4all.org/

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Current Situation in EU (1)

• Most EU member countries started their digital TV
  deployment with or without access service
  provisions.
• Some high-end manufacturers have started using
  pan-European platforms with minor localisations
  in their own versions of middleware.
• Private Subscription Operators managed to
  implement access services
• ? in full control throughout the delivery chain
  (content production broadcasting receivers)
• Public Broadcasters may not be in the same
  position
• ? not in control of the receivers (Set-Top-Box,
  Integrated DTV), funding and resource issues.

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Current Situation in EU (2)
ITU
Representations at ITU could only be done
through a member state.
Technical, Regulatory Issues
Radio Frequency Allocation
a joint forum e.g. DTG (UK)
ITU Member State Regulatory Bodies
Technical Issues
RF License
Funding
TV License Taxes
Manufacturer
Broadcaster
DigitalEurope
TV Content
EBU
Viewers
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Current Situation in EU (3)

• DVB subtitles and audio access services could be
  available without drastic changes in
  transmission.
• ? DVB and MPEG standard are in place.
• STB may need some changes, but high-end STBs are
  ready for access services.
• ? Production Cycle, Consumer Regulations need
  a clear road map
• Some EU member countries managed to implement
  access services with a help of a technical
  forum with regulator(s), broadcasters,
  manufacturers and user representatives.
• UK DTG, Nordic Countries NORDIG c.f. Japan
  ARIB
• Issuing implementation guidelines, checking
  compliance

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Short Term Road Map

• Need for a technical forum with regulator(s),
  broadcasters, manufacturers and user
  representatives.
• Need for a user forum prioritising access
  services, setting quotas and imposing quality
  control

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Mid/Long Term Road Map

• Need to consider production cycle for a
  functionality update
• reasonable STB/DTV replacement cycle (every 5
  10 years)
• 5 year old products may not be covered need
  legal backing
• Need to prepare for next generation TV
  deployment
• New standard / technology deployment (10 20
  year span)
• Switch over scheme and Switch off planning
• gtgt Mr Nick TANTON of BBC will present on UK
  digital switchover support scheme

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Standardisation Moves

• ITU-T/-R
• gtgt Details will be presented by Mr Peter LOOMS
• Digital Europe
• gtgt Details will be presented by Mr Frank
  KAMPERMAN of Digital Europe
• DTG (Digital TV Group UK) http//www.dtg.org.uk/
  
• UK technical specification for digital
  terrestrial television (known as the DTG D-Book)
  includes receiver requirements for accessibility
  to subtitles, audio description and text to
  speech for both standard definition and high
  definition programming.

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Workshop Agenda (1)

• Results from Pilots (DTV4All Project Pilot
  Co-ordinator, Prof Pilar ORERO Universitat
  Autònoma de Barcelona)
• Recommendations for mature and emerging access
  services (DTV4All Project WP4 Leader, Mr Peter
  LOOMS Looms Consulting)
• Case study "How subtitles for Digital Video
  Broadcasting (DVB) should look like? How text
  service can be made barrier-free on Hybrid
  Broadcast Broadband Television (HbbTV)?" (DTV4All
  Project, Ms Bettina HEIDKAMP-TCHEGLOFF Rundfunk
  Berlin-Brandenburg)

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Workshop Agenda (2)

• accessible DTV value chain
• Manufacturers perspective (Mr Frank KAMPERMAN,
  Philips Consumer Lifestyle Advanced Technology,
  on behalf of Digital Europe)
• Users perspective (Ms Mia AHLGREN, Swedish
  Disability Federation, on behalf of European
  Disability Forum)
• Broadcasters perspective (Mr David WOOD, European
  Broadcasting Union)
• UK digital switchover support scheme (Mr Nick
  TANTON, BBC Switchover Help Scheme)