The relationship between HbbTV and DVB-I is moving from theory to reality. As the first regular DVB-I deployments gather pace, broadcasters, manufacturers and technology providers are demonstrating how they work together to create a more unified, discoverable and future-proof television experience.
This was the focus of the latest HbbTV webinar, held on 22 July 2026, which brought together experts from across the DVB-I ecosystem to examine real-world deployments in Europe and beyond. The session featured William Cooper (Service List Registry), Frank Heineberg (RTL Deutschland), Stefano Braghieri (RTI-Mediaset), Ersoy Özdemir (Vestel International), and moderator Jörn Krieger, offering perspectives from platform providers, broadcasters and device manufacturers. Watch the webinar recording here and access the presentations here.
Rather than discussing DVB-I as a future concept, the webinar highlighted deployments already underway or close to rollout in New Zealand, Australia, Germany and Italy, showing how HbbTV has become an essential component of many DVB-I implementations.
Simplifying television in a fragmented world
Opening the webinar, William Cooper, Founder & CEO of Service List Registry (SLR), described the challenge facing today’s television industry.
Viewers now have more content available than ever before but discovering that content has become increasingly difficult. Broadcast channels, streaming services, FAST channels and on-demand libraries are spread across multiple platforms and user interfaces, creating a fragmented viewing experience. At the same time, broadcasters face growing competition from global streaming platforms while device manufacturers seek ways to deliver richer user experiences.
Cooper argued that distribution alone is no longer enough.
“Discovery delivers distribution” has become the defining principle. Content must not only be available, but it must also be easy for viewers to find.
This is where DVB-I and HbbTV work together.
DVB-I provides the service discovery layer. It describes television services using metadata, allowing receivers to discover broadcast and IP-delivered services through unified service lists.
HbbTV provides the application and presentation layer. Using familiar web technologies such as HTML, JavaScript and CSS, it enables broadcasters to deliver branded user experiences, programme guides and interactive services.
Together they provide a platform that allows viewers to access television services regardless of whether they are delivered via terrestrial, satellite, cable or broadband networks.
Cooper stressed that these are complementary technologies rather than competing standards, each solving different parts of the television experience.
New Zealand prepares one of the first national DVB-I launches
One of the most significant announcements during the webinar was the progress being made in New Zealand.
Building on its established HbbTV ecosystem, Freeview New Zealand is preparing to launch Freeview NextGen in Q3 2026, combining DVB-I service discovery with HbbTV to provide viewers with a unified television experience.
Rather than requiring viewers to understand how content is delivered, DVB-I allows services received via terrestrial broadcast, satellite, cable or broadband to appear together in a single service list.
A persistent HbbTV application provides the programme guide and user interface across all services, creating a consistent viewing experience while remaining integrated into the television’s native interface.
According to Cooper, the service is expected to launch with support from television manufacturers including Hisense and TCL, potentially making New Zealand one of the world’s first markets to deploy DVB-I as a national consumer service.
Germany moves towards commercial rollout
Frank Heineberg, VP Standards & Innovations at RTL Deutschland, provided an update on Germany’s ambitious DVB-I rollout, currently targeted for autumn 2026.
Germany’s approach has been notable for its collaborative structure.
Following successful pilot activities beginning in 2023, the Bavarian Regulatory Authority for New Media (BLM) convened a DVB-I roundtable in 2024. The DVB-I Round Table is bringing together key stakeholders from across the media ecosystem to prepare the market launch of DVB-I in Germany. Participants include ARD, ZDF, RTL Deutschland, Seven.One Entertainment Group, VAUNET, ZVEI and the Bundesnetzagentur (Federal Network Agency), while BLM serves as moderator.
One major milestone has been the publication of the DVB-I Book Germany, a key component of which is the Technical Implementation Profile, developed by the DVB-I Task Force of the Deutsche TV-Plattform (DTVP).
These documents define the technical, regulatory and organisational framework for deployment, including device requirements, service onboarding, certification processes and the national service list.
Rather than attempting to launch every possible feature on day one, Germany is adopting a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) strategy, establishing a robust baseline platform before introducing additional functionality over time.
Heineberg also explained how Germany’s service list will organise services into logical categories covering public service broadcasters, commercial broadcasters, regional services, international channels and radio services.
This structure aims to make navigation intuitive while accommodating the wide variety of television services available in the German market.
HbbTV plays a central role
Although DVB-I receives much of the attention, Heineberg emphasised that HbbTV remains fundamental to the German deployment.
The German DVB-I profile requires receivers to support both DVB-I and HbbTV, with HbbTV enabling several important capabilities beyond basic service discovery.
These include:
- linked applications for advanced media presentation
- DRM-enabled commercial services
- consistent interactive experiences across broadcasters
- support for broadcaster applications launched from DVB-I services.
One notable observation was that disabling HbbTV on compatible receivers could prevent certain DVB-I services from operating correctly, underlining just how closely the two technologies are becoming integrated.
For Germany, HbbTV is not an optional enhancement, it is an essential component of the overall DVB-I experience.
Italy builds on years of practical experience
Italy has been one of Europe’s earliest DVB-I adopters, with trials running since 2023.
Stefano Braghieri of RTI-Mediaset explained why HbbTV remains central to the Italian implementation.
While DVB-I provides service discovery, broadcasters still require capabilities that today are best delivered through HbbTV applications.
These include DRM-based content protection, premium content access, JavaScript-based DASH playback, quality-of-service monitoring and addressable advertising.
Braghieri highlighted that broadcasters also need to preserve existing commercial models developed around HbbTV applications already deployed on digital terrestrial television.
Rather than creating separate experiences, broadcasters are working towards a single HbbTV application capable of operating across both broadcast and broadband-delivered services.
This approach maintains consistent branding and user experience regardless of how content reaches the television.
Italy is also using HbbTV applications to satisfy regulatory requirements, including obtaining user consent before switching viewers to broadband-delivered content where necessary.
Trials move towards commercial services
The Italian DVB-I trial has demonstrated that DVB-I can coexist successfully with existing broadcast infrastructure without disrupting terrestrial television services.
Several important building blocks are already in place.
An Italian implementation profile has been published through the UHD Book, defining receiver requirements while remaining closely aligned with work undertaken in Germany to minimise market fragmentation.
An independent Service List Registry is already operating, while a third-party certification process ensures compatible receivers can access Italian DVB-I services.
Meanwhile, Italy’s communications regulator AGCOM has begun work on the regulatory framework required to support commercial deployment, recognising that DVB-I must integrate into an already well-established digital television ecosystem rather than replacing it.
The focus now shifts from proving the technology to creating the commercial and regulatory environment needed for national rollout.
A manufacturer’s perspective
Ersoy Özdemir, TV Business Development Manager at Vestel International, offered valuable insight into DVB-I from the perspective of a television manufacturer.
Vestel began developing DVB-I support as early as 2021 through specialist engineering teams already experienced in HbbTV and Freeview Play.
Early involvement allowed Vestel to participate in proof-of-concept activities and broadcaster trials across multiple countries, including Italy, Finland, Ireland, Spain, Australia and New Zealand.
This practical experience reinforced several important lessons.
Firstly, successful DVB-I deployment depends on close collaboration between broadcasters, manufacturers and platform operators.
Secondly, while standards and test suites provide an essential foundation, real broadcaster services remain vital for uncovering interoperability issues that only emerge during practical deployment.
Finally, consumers benefit directly through simpler setup, richer service information and consistent interactive experiences.
Özdemir described HbbTV and DVB-I as complementary technologies, with DVB-I providing the discovery foundation while HbbTV delivers the rich interactive experiences that viewers increasingly expect.
Manufacturers, he concluded, play a critical role by transforming open standards into products that consumers can actually buy and use.
Collaboration emerges as the common theme
Although the presentations covered different countries and perspectives, several consistent themes emerged throughout the webinar.
The first is that DVB-I is no longer an experimental technology. Multiple markets now have operational trials, implementation profiles and clear commercial deployment plans.
Secondly, HbbTV has established itself as a strategic partner to DVB-I rather than an alternative. Broadcasters repeatedly demonstrated how HbbTV applications provide the functionality needed to support DRM, advertising, service presentation and user interaction.
Finally, successful deployment depends on industry collaboration.
Broadcasters, manufacturers, regulators, standards organisations and technology suppliers all have distinct roles to play. Markets such as Germany and Italy have demonstrated that building consensus across these groups is as important as solving the technical challenges themselves.
Looking ahead
The webinar painted a picture of an ecosystem entering a new phase.
After several years focused on standards development, proof-of-concepts and technical trials, attention is now shifting towards commercial deployment.
New Zealand appears poised to become one of the first markets to launch a national DVB-I service. Germany is targeting commercial rollout later this year, while Italy continues to mature one of Europe’s most advanced trial environments. Manufacturers are already integrating DVB-I capabilities into commercial products, and broadcasters are refining the operational models needed for long-term success.
Perhaps the strongest message from the webinar was that HbbTV and DVB-I each fulfil distinct but complementary roles within the television ecosystem. DVB-I provides a standardised approach to service discovery and metadata, while HbbTV delivers the application environment that enables rich user experiences, interactivity and advanced broadcaster services. Together they create a unified framework that allows television services to span both broadcast and broadband networks seamlessly.
As deployments accelerate over the coming months, broadcasters, manufacturers and technology providers are demonstrating how these complementary standards can work together to simplify service discovery, preserve broadcaster prominence on TV screens and deliver a consistent viewing experience across an increasingly hybrid television landscape.
