Data Broadcasting Services
at BS Digital Fair
-BML: XML-based Multimedia Coding
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Attracting more than 200 thousand attendees, the "BS Digital
Fair" was a great success. Data broadcasting and Hi-Vision (HDTV)
services are expected to usher in a new television era. The Fair
presented data broadcasting services consisting of full-scale
BML contents typical of what will soon be available. Also exhibited
were the type of receivers soon to be released. The information
presented, as well as the systems themselves, were developed jointly
by the NHK Science & Technical Research Laboratories, the Broadcast
Engineering Department, various receiver manufacturers, and the
Digital Satellite Broadcasting Reception System Test Center Consortium.
The NHK Multimedia Department Data Broadcast Engineering Team
also played a leading role in this developmental process.
Exhibited Systems and Contents
For the first time, full-scale BML contents typical of actual
broadcasting were developed and exhibited.
This exhibition was designed and presented in a way that demonstrated
how actual data broadcasting services will be used. Displayed
weather forecasts were based on real-time information, and news
items and sports information were also updated regularly.
This data was provided directly to the receivers, after being
converted into broadcast signals at the digital broadcasting facilities
located at the Reception System Test Center.
In addition to the real-time broadcast signals produced at the
Digital Satellite Broadcasting Reception System Test Center Consortium,
pre-produced data was also used. This data had been recorded on
a PC-based device called a "pitcher." At exhibition booths, broadcasting
signals were reproduced by these devices and then transferred
to receivers.
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Authorization
of Data Broadcasting Providers
The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications authorized data broadcasting
providers on December 17, 1999. By this authorization, all the participants
in digital broadcasting have been selected. Each provider that will
offer television broadcasting, sound broadcasting, and data broadcasting
is now undergoing full-scale examination of their attractive service
contents designed to make them succeed as businesses when regular broadcasting
begins in December 2000.
Examples of BS Digital Fair Demonstrations
NHK data broadcasting home reception images.
(From the BS Digital Fair "Living room information station"
section)
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Menu
Screen |
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Anytime
News |
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Program
related information |
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Providers to perform data broadcasting
Twelve transmission slots (1 slot =1.08Mbps of transmission capacity)
were allocated for providers specializing in data services. While 28
companies had applied for data broadcasting licenses to use these transmission
capacities, only eight of them were actually authorized. One of the
MPT's selection guidelines was "adaptability to the principle of mass-media
concentration elimination," which puts priority on new providers rather
than existing broadcasters. Therefore, applicants from NHK's affiliated
organizations and existing commercial broadcasters were not allowed
to enter this business field.
However, data broadcasting services will not be offered only by these
eight companies that provide data broadcasting services exclusively.
Eight authorized digital television broadcasters and four digital sound
broadcasters are also authorized to carry out data broadcasting using
previously allotted transmission slots. For example, NHK and commercial
broadcasters that are to begin digital Hi-Vision services have been
assigned 22 slots each, and they are to provide necessary slots from
those assigned to them for data broadcasting.
Selection of service providers completed
In digital satellite broadcasting, new types of services are going to
be promoted by the following 20 companies.
Hi-Vision broadcasting providers: (7)
SDTV television broadcasting providers: (1)
Sound television broadcasting providers: (4)
Data broadcasting providers: (8)
All the above companies are authorized to provide data broadcasting
within their transmission slots, and will compete against each other
with their services.
Possibility of expanding broadcasting industry
It is expected that data broadcasting will earn its income not only
from advertising fees but also from other new services such as teleshopping,
ticket sales, or home banking service charges. Conventional broadcasting
reception with TVs will be integrated into PC reception sets. The appearance
of services designed for PCs and game terminals is also possible. Trials
to find out what would become killer contents for data broadcasting
will be conducted for a while after such broadcasting commences.
In this way, service-contents greatly exceeding the framework of conventional
broadcasting may be created. It can be said that a dream ISDB geared
towards colorful services is about to be realized as we approach the
21st century.
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