DRM

3. The future of HbbTV: DRM integration and support for prominence

This article is the third in the ‘Understanding HbbTV‘ series, a collection of insights developed by the HbbTV Association to help broadcasters, developers, and technology partners make the most of the HbbTV standard. Each article explores a different aspect of hybrid television: from the core architecture and specification to business models, interoperability, case studies, and the wider regulatory landscape.

The goal of the series is to bridge technical knowledge and real-world practice, showing how HbbTV enables open, scalable, and innovative services that combine the best of broadcast and broadband. Whether you’re building your first HbbTV app or shaping the strategy behind a national service, these articles offer a practical foundation for understanding the standard and its ecosystem.

As television becomes increasingly IP-connected, broadcasters are seeking secure and interoperable ways to deliver premium content and maintain visibility in the crowded media landscape. The next evolution of HbbTV, driven by new specifications and closer integration with emerging DVB standards, addresses both of these needs.

Integrating DRM into the core HbbTV framework

Historically, the HbbTV specification did not define its own approach to Digital Rights Management (DRM), leaving implementation to manufacturers and broadcasters. This sometimes led to inconsistent behaviour, for example, when a TV supported a DRM system but the HbbTV app could not access it reliably.

To address this, HbbTV is introducing a dedicated DRM Specification that formalises support for widely used systems such as Microsoft PlayReady and Google Widevine. This ensures predictable, secure operation across all compliant devices.

The upcoming HbbTV 2.0.5 core specification will require these DRM capabilities to be available on any television that includes DRM functionality. This closes the interoperability gap and makes HbbTV a fully capable environment for premium content delivery, including SVOD, TVOD, and other paid content models.

What it means for developers

For application developers, integrated DRM means greater certainty in playback workflows and fewer manufacturer-specific adaptations. Apps can request protected streams through standard APIs and expect consistent support across HbbTV-compliant devices. This simplifies the deployment of services such as subscription video, event-based pay-per-view, and targeted content offerings.

It also opens the door for HbbTV to support more advanced business models, including transactional access to UHD content or time-limited promotional access, without leaving the HbbTV environment.

Aligning with DVB-I for a connected future

The DRM integration coincides with a wider alignment between HbbTV and DVB-I, the specification designed to deliver linear television services over IP networks.

Many DVB-I services rely on HbbTV for presentation, consent management, and DRM functions. While basic DVB-I service lists can be consumed without HbbTV, a richer, more interactive experience, including secure playback, typically requires HbbTV’s application environment. Together, the two standards create a complete, hybrid delivery framework for the next generation of connected TVs.

Helping to deliver prominence for public-interest services

Another important discussion across Europe concerns prominence, the principle that public service and culturally significant channels should remain easily discoverable in connected TV environments. This principle was reinforced in the AVMS Directive (2018) and is now being implemented nationally through media legislation and platform agreements.

HbbTV is not, in itself, a prominence mechanism, it doesn’t dictate which services appear first on a home screen. However, it provides a technical means to realise prominence in practice. For example, an icon on a TV’s home screen could serve as a launch point for an HbbTV application, ensuring that designated services are always accessible, even within a manufacturer-controlled interface.

HbbTV also supports broadcasters in maintaining prominence indirectly: its interactive features, such as restart, catch-up, and rich guides, help viewers engage with national and public-interest content, sustaining audience reach and visibility over time.

Security, visibility, and flexibility: A future-ready platform

With integrated DRM, alignment with DVB-I, and compatibility with regulatory frameworks like prominence, HbbTV continues to evolve as the cornerstone of hybrid TV in Europe. It combines the reliability of broadcast, the flexibility of broadband, and the assurance of open standards.

For developers, this evolution means new opportunities: to deliver premium, secure, and discoverable services through a single, interoperable framework, built on the technologies they already know.

In the next article in the ‘Understanding HbbTV’ series, we’ll look at how HbbTV supports a diverse range of services beyond video, from accessibility and voting to targeted advertising and contextual information.