Data Broadcasting Services at BS Digital Fair

-BML: XML-based Multimedia Coding




Examples of BS Digital Fair Demonstrations
Menu Screen
Interactive Participation:
Cinema request voting
On-Demand:
Professional soccer game results
On-Demand:
Weather

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.

What XML-based multimedia coding is

XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is a language which is scheduled to be used for the next generation Internet.
The XML-based multimedia coding system controls the following functions;
Display control in space/time (It controls where, when, and what is shown on the screen.)
Linkage of information and media (It displays related programs and Internet URLs.)
Information delivery structure (Displays titles and articles, etc.)
User interfaces such as icons (A calling up of information you wish to see by selecting the icon on the screen.)

XML only regulates the making of tags to mark data. However, Data broadcasting system established tags for use in data broadcasting as BML (Broadcast Markup Language).


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)
Menu Screen
Anytime News
Program related information

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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