Kineton International Plugfest & HbbTV Testing Event 2026 Report
Kineton hosted the International Plugfest & HbbTV Testing Event 2026 in collaboration with the HbbTV Association at Kineton’s headquarters in Naples from June 22 to June 26 this year.
Throughout the week, Naples became the meeting point for the international HbbTV community, welcoming professionals from leading companies across the industry to collaborate, exchange expertise, and validate the interoperability of the latest technologies driving the Connected TV ecosystem.
The event brought together representatives from 15 international organizations, including TV device manufacturers, broadcasters, operators, and technology providers, once again confirming the Plugfest as a key platform for technical collaboration and the continued advancement of the HbbTV ecosystem.
Interoperability sessions focused on key technologies such as HbbTV, DVB-I, UHD, NGA, and HDMI, providing participants with a controlled testing environment to compare implementations, identify issues, and enhance compatibility across devices, services, and applications. In parallel, the HbbTV Testing Event enabled participants to contribute to the validation of the upcoming HbbTV Test Suite v2026-2 through both on-site and remote testing activities.
Events of this scale represent a vital opportunity for all participants to foster collaboration, encourage knowledge sharing, and collectively support the evolution of the standards that will shape the future of Connected TV.
The week was about much more than technical sessions. The event also featured after-hours social gatherings in the heart of Naples, where participants enjoyed the city’s unique atmosphere and renowned culinary tradition together. These moments facilitated valuable networking opportunities and meaningful exchanges among participants, demonstrating that collaboration extends beyond technical challenges and is also built through shared experiences and lasting relationships.
The third and final plugfest event of the year is jointly hosted by Deutsche TV-Plattform (DTVP) and Digital TV Group (DTG), and will take place from Monday, 12 October, to Friday, 16 October 2026, at the Fraunhofer FOKUS headquarter in Berlin, Germany.
Rocco Longo
Software Development & Test Supervisor
