UK-based interactive TV technology provider, Strategy & Technology (note: the company's offerings include DSMCC object and data carousels, MHEG application development, MHEG engines for receiver applications, TV-Anytime stream generation, and more), says that it has received an order for an end-to-end MHEG-5-based interactive TV solution from FreeView, a consortium of New Zealand free-to-air broadcasters (TVNZ, CanWest, Radio New Zealand, and the Maori Television Service), which next year plans to launch an eponymous free-to-air digital satellite and digital terrestrial TV service based on the DVB-S and DVB-T standards (note: the service will initially launch on satellite). The deal will also see S&T's distributor in New Zealand, Magna Systems and Engineering, providing ongoing installation and support services to the consortium. According to S&T, the deployment of its MHEG-5 technology with FreeView will be the first full-scale deployment of MHEG-5 outside the UK (where it is used for the UK's free-to-air digital terrestrial service, Freeview). Its deal with FreeView--which will see S&T providing the consortium with its TSBroadcaster and TSPlayer systems, as well as an EPG application for the FreeView DTH service--follows the successful completion of a proof-of-concept trial hosted by TVNZ, that used sample MHEG-5 applications and set-top boxes.
According to S&T, the system it is supplying will provide all the FreeView broadcasters with a fully redundant playout platform for interactive applications. The company also says that its EPG will provide consistent appearance and behavior across different FreeView-certified receivers and set-tops. "We have worked very closely with S&T and other suppliers to deliver a successful proof-of-concept that showed the capabilities of the MHEG-5 technology and the advantages of a consistent EPG," FreeView general manager, Steve Browning, said in a prepared statement (note: Browning was also responsible for the TVNZ-hosted trial that resulted in the selection of S&T's technologies). "We believe this will offer significant benefits to broadcasters and consumers alike when the FreeView platform launches next year." Added S&T's director of international sales, Colin Prior: "We are delighted to have concluded 
this order from FreeView and in particular with FreeView's decision to select the MHEG-5 standard for the platform. MHEG-5 offers a flexible interactive solution as well as the significant advantage of low incremental cost in receiver devices that will ensure that the whole FreeView audience is able to receive interactive applications." (Note: Strategy & Technology recently teamed with Cabot Communications and EchoStar Europe to set up an organization called the International MHEG Promotion Alliance or IMPALA. The organization seeks to promote use of the MHEG-5 standard outside the UK--see [itvt] Issue 6.96 Part 1.)
Originally Published: November 6, 2006 in [itvt] Issue 7.03 Part 2
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