Version 3.1.0 of the open-source DASH Conformance Software has been released, bringing a number of improvements that will be useful to developers building and testing MPEG-DASH streaming services, including those targeting HbbTV devices.
The conformance software was originally developed through the DASH Industry Forum (DASH-IF) to provide tools for checking MPEG-DASH content against relevant specifications and interoperability requirements. The open-source project continues to be developed, with this latest update funded by the DVB Project and other industry organisations. The software remains available through the existing DASH-IF Conformance repository on GitHub.
Importantly for HbbTV developers, the software goes beyond validation against the core MPEG-DASH specifications and includes checks relevant to related standards and profiles, including CMAF, DVB-DASH and HbbTV.
Version 3.1.0 introduces several significant updates, including the return of XSD-based manifest validation, support for directly entering MPD content, updates for the 3rd Edition of CMAF and improved support for $Number$ templates used with SegmentTimeline. The release also includes improvements to Docker deployment and internal error handling.
The new version was released on 10 September 2026, immediately ahead of IBC 2026.
Why conformance validation matters
MPEG-DASH gives streaming services considerable flexibility in how content, representations, segments and manifests are constructed. However, content that works successfully with one player or device may expose interoperability problems when deployed across a wider range of television receivers.
This is particularly relevant to HbbTV applications, where developers need to support an installed base of televisions from multiple manufacturers and model years.
Validation can therefore form an important part of the development and testing process. Rather than discovering problems only when content reaches a particular television or player implementation, developers can use conformance tools to identify potential problems with the MPD and associated media earlier in the workflow.
The DASH validator provides a common tool for performing these checks and can be used alongside testing on representative HbbTV devices.
XSD-based manifest validation reimplemented
One of the most significant changes in version 3.1.0 is the reimplementation of XSD-based manifest validation. The XML Schema Definitions (XSDs) used by the validator have also been updated to their latest versions.
An MPEG-DASH Media Presentation Description (MPD) is an XML document describing the structure of a presentation, including information about periods, adaptation sets, representations and the location and timing of media segments.
XSD validation checks the structure of this XML against the relevant schema. It can therefore identify structural errors, invalid attributes or elements and other problems that do not conform to the expected DASH manifest structure.
For developers, this provides a useful first level of validation before the additional DASH, DVB-DASH, HbbTV or other applicable conformance checks are considered.
Paste MPD content directly into the validator
Version 3.1.0 also makes a small but useful improvement to the way developers can use the tool: the input field can now accept MPD content directly.
This can simplify development and debugging. Instead of making a manifest available through a URL before it can be tested, developers can paste MPD XML directly into the validator.
That is particularly convenient when investigating a specific manifest problem, experimenting with changes to an MPD or validating content that is still within a development environment.
CMAF 3rd Edition updates
The release also updates various parts of the validator’s CMAF module to reflect the 3rd Edition of CMAF.
The Common Media Application Format (CMAF) provides a common fragmented MP4-based media format intended to improve interoperability and reduce the need to create multiple versions of the same media for different streaming environments.
For HbbTV services using CMAF-based content, keeping validation tools aligned with the evolving specification helps developers check their content against current requirements rather than older interpretations of the standard.
Better support for $Number$ with SegmentTimeline
Another change particularly relevant to manifest processing is improved support for $Number$ templates when used with SegmentTimeline.
DASH provides different mechanisms for describing how individual media segments can be located. Segment templates can construct segment URLs dynamically, with $Number$ allowing the segment number to form part of the URL.
SegmentTimeline, meanwhile, explicitly describes the timing and duration of media segments. Supporting the combination correctly is important for services using these mechanisms to describe their media presentation.
The improved validator support should make it easier to check streams using this form of DASH manifest construction.
Docker and error-handling improvements
There are also improvements for developers operating the validator itself.
Version 3.1.0 fixes issues with the project’s Docker build file, making container-based deployment more reliable. The release also improves internal error handling within the validator.
The Docker improvements are particularly useful for organisations wanting to incorporate conformance validation into their own development or test environments rather than relying solely on the publicly hosted instance.
Using the DASH Conformance Software
DASH-IF provides a hosted version of the latest stable Conformance Software, as well as a staging instance containing the current development version. The complete source code is also available from the project’s GitHub repository, allowing developers to install and run the validator within their own environments.
For media workflow developers, the tool can be useful at several stages of development: when initially preparing DASH content, when diagnosing playback problems, when introducing new encoding or packaging workflows, and as part of regression or automated testing.
It is worth remembering that conformance validation and testing on real receivers serve complementary purposes. Passing automated conformance checks does not guarantee that content will behave identically across every television implementation, but it can eliminate many content and manifest problems before device testing begins.
Version 3.1.0 therefore provides developers with an updated and more convenient tool for checking DASH services as part of a broader interoperability testing workflow.
Since the inaugural HbbTV Awards in Rome in 2017, the awards have reflected the changing ways broadcasters, platform operators and technology providers use HbbTV to create new services and experiences for viewers.
The evolution of the award categories mirrors the evolution of HbbTV itself. Early awards recognised broadcast enhancement, multiscreen services and content discovery, while more recent categories reflect the growing importance of advertising, accessibility, operator applications and audience measurement. Together, the winners show how HbbTV has developed from enhancing linear television into a platform supporting comprehensive streaming services.
In this three-part series, we look back at some of the notable winners and use cases from across the history of the HbbTV Awards, exploring what they reveal about the evolution of hybrid television.
Entries for the 2026 HbbTV Awards are now open. If you have developed an innovative HbbTV product, service or application, we encourage you to submit an entry via the HbbTV Awards 2026 entry form.
Making television advertising interactive
Advertising has been one of the most consistent use cases throughout the history of the HbbTV Awards. The attraction is straightforward: HbbTV can combine the reach and impact of broadcast television advertising with the connectivity and interactivity associated with digital media.
One of the clearest early demonstrations came from Switzerland’s Admeira, which won an award in 2018 with its OK Button: Dialogue Case. Rather than television advertising being something viewers simply watched, HbbTV provided a mechanism through which they could respond and engage. The judges described it as “an important and powerful solution to drive engagement in advertising”. A key feature was the ability for the application to auto fill viewers address data, avoiding the task of filling out a form using a remote control.
Commercial innovation was already evident at the inaugural awards in 2017, when Czech advertising technology company R2B2, together with Hybrid Company, won with an automated yield management solution operating across eight Czech television channels. The judges considered the solution “very innovative” and highlighted its interesting business model.
These examples illustrate two important characteristics that have continued through subsequent HbbTV advertising developments. The broadband connection provides a return path through which the viewer can interact, while the application environment creates opportunities to manage and monetise television advertising in ways that go beyond a conventional broadcast spot.
The result is the ability to retain television’s mass reach while introducing some of the flexibility traditionally associated with digital advertising.
Bringing digital targeting to linear television
Perhaps the most important commercial opportunity has been the use of HbbTV to bring addressability and targeting to linear television.
A number of award winners have demonstrated different elements of this. In 2021, Nowtilus was recognised for Serverside.ai Full-Break DAS@HbbTV, showing how dynamic advertising could be applied across complete advertising breaks. In 2022, TV Nova’sMAX REACH demonstrated another approach to extending the capabilities and reach of television advertising.
Mediaset España provides a particularly good illustration of how these technologies have developed. In 2023, Mediaset España won with Server-Side Targeted Advertising for Linear TV, combining the scale of live broadcasting with targeted digital advertising. The judges described the approach as combining “the power of live broadcasting to massive audiences with the efficiency of digital targeted advertising.”
Mediaset España returned as a winner in 2024 with Contextual Advertising for Linear Live TV. This took targeting in another direction, using AI to support the selection of advertising based on the context of the content. The judges highlighted the potential for more targeted and engaging advertising and improved return on investment.
The common thread is not a particular implementation technique, but the ability to make linear television inventory more intelligent. HbbTV provides a bridge between the broadcast schedule and broadband-delivered advertising technologies, allowing broadcasters to introduce capabilities such as dynamic ad substitution, targeting and contextual decisioning while retaining the scale of linear television.
This is an important part of HbbTV’s commercial proposition: applying digital advertising techniques to the television environment without giving up the strengths that make broadcast advertising valuable in the first place.
Creating new advertising experiences
HbbTV also creates opportunities that go beyond making conventional television advertising more targeted. Its application environment can be used to develop advertising experiences that combine brands, interactivity and the programme itself.
A particularly good example was recognised in 2025, when TVekstra won with its Pınar Protein Milk – Bringing the Energy of Volleyball Home campaign. Rather than simply replacing a conventional television spot, the campaign used advertising banners and a persistent L-shaped banner displaying live Volleyball Nations League match information.
The advertising therefore became part of the wider viewing experience. The live scores gave viewers useful information connected with the content they were watching while maintaining the presence of the brand. Over a single month, the campaign generated more than 500,000 impressions, with the judges highlighting the innovative combination of a brand and live sports scores to increase engagement.
This points towards a broader opportunity for HbbTV advertising. The television screen can support formats that complement the programme, respond to its context or invite the viewer to interact, rather than being restricted to replicating the traditional advertising break.
It also helps explain the emphasis of the 2026 Outstanding HbbTV Advertising Campaign category. As the underlying advertising technology matures, innovation can increasingly be judged by what broadcasters, sales houses, agencies and brands actually do with it.
The evolution of HbbTV advertising is therefore not simply a story of increasingly sophisticated ad delivery. It is also about creating forms of television advertising that take advantage of the hybrid capabilities of the television itself.
The growing importance of audience measurement
Advertising naturally leads to another important part of a mature television advertising ecosystem: measurement.
As HbbTV is used for increasingly sophisticated advertising, broadcasters and advertisers need to understand who is being reached and how services and campaigns are performing. The broadband connection and application environment provide opportunities to collect data from connected television sets, creating new approaches to television audience measurement and analytics.
The significance of this area is reflected in the introduction of Excellence in HbbTV Audience Measurement & Analytics as a new category for the 2026 HbbTV Awards.
It is notable that audience measurement receives dedicated recognition at this point in the history of the awards. The earlier winners tell a story about creating interactive advertising, deploying addressable advertising technology and delivering increasingly targeted and creative campaigns. Measurement is an essential part of turning those capabilities into a sustainable commercial proposition.
It also extends beyond advertising. Understanding how audiences use HbbTV services can help broadcasters and platform operators improve applications, understand content consumption and make better decisions about the services they provide.
The arrival of the new category therefore represents another indication of the maturity of the HbbTV ecosystem. Innovation is no longer only about what can be displayed or delivered to the television; it is increasingly about understanding the resulting audience behaviour and impact.
The technology behind the experience
Many of the most visible HbbTV Award winners have been applications and services that viewers can experience directly. Behind those applications, however, is a substantial ecosystem of development, testing, conformance and delivery technology.
The awards have regularly recognised this less visible but essential part of HbbTV.
In 2019, Nomor Research was recognised for its HbbTV Conformance Software. In 2022, Kineton’s KineMediaCert demonstrated another approach to conformance, using a cloud-based model designed to make HbbTV certification easier for consumer electronics manufacturers and operators.
The following year, Bayerische Medien Technik (bmt) was recognised on behalf of the German DVB-I Pilot. The judges described the work as “essential”, highlighting its role in bringing together broadcast and streaming.
In 2024, the Addressable TV Initiative (ATVI) was recognised for its certification programme for HbbTV-TA receivers. The judges highlighted the importance of providing a standardised approach to compliance, helping accelerate market adoption and support a consistent user experience.
BCi Digital’sOcelot addressable advertising suite was another winner in 2025. Incorporating the Opportune schedule-aware ad decisioning service and Otter HbbTV application, the suite demonstrated how the supporting technology around HbbTV advertising has developed into comprehensive platforms designed for large-scale deployment.
These winners may be less immediately visible to television viewers than a new application or interactive advertising campaign, but they represent an essential part of the HbbTV story. As services become more sophisticated and deployments grow, developers, broadcasters, manufacturers and platform operators need reliable tools and technologies to build, test and deliver them.
Eight years of evolution
Across this three-part series, the HbbTV Awards have provided a window into the evolution of hybrid television.
The early winners showed how broadband connectivity and applications could add interactivity and new features around the broadcast television experience. Content discovery, streaming portals and operator applications subsequently demonstrated how HbbTV could play a much larger role in helping viewers find and navigate television services.
The advertising winners reveal a parallel commercial evolution. Interactive advertising developed into scalable addressable advertising, increasingly sophisticated targeting and, ultimately, creative campaigns that combine brands with the content being watched. The introduction of audience measurement and analytics as an award category adds another important piece to that ecosystem.
Behind all of this, the tools and technologies recognised by the awards demonstrate the growing maturity of HbbTV as a platform for deploying services at scale.
The award categories will continue to evolve, just as they have since 2017. New technologies, business models and viewer expectations will create new uses for HbbTV, while capabilities that were once innovative will become established parts of everyday television services.
That is perhaps what makes the history of the HbbTV Awards particularly revealing. The winners do more than recognise individual achievements. Taken together, they provide a record of how HbbTV has grown from enhancing broadcast television into a mature platform connecting broadcast and broadband, supporting new viewing experiences and enabling an increasingly sophisticated commercial television ecosystem.
Become part of the story
The HbbTV Awards continue to recognise the products, services and applications shaping the future of hybrid television. If your organisation has developed an innovative HbbTV solution, now is the opportunity to join the growing list of award-winning services featured throughout this series.
Entries for the HbbTV Awards 2026 are now open. Find out more about the categories and submit your entry through the HbbTV Awards 2026 entry form.
Since the inaugural HbbTV Awards in Rome in 2017, the awards have reflected the changing ways broadcasters, platform operators and technology providers use HbbTV to create new services and experiences for viewers.
The evolution of the award categories mirrors the evolution of HbbTV itself. Early awards recognised broadcast enhancement, multiscreen services and content discovery, while more recent categories reflect the growing importance of advertising, accessibility, operator applications and audience measurement. Together, the winners show how HbbTV has developed from enhancing linear television into a platform supporting comprehensive streaming services.
In this three-part series, we look back at some of the notable winners and use cases from across the history of the HbbTV Awards, exploring what they reveal about the evolution of hybrid television.
Entries for the 2026 HbbTV Awards are now open. If you have developed an innovative HbbTV product, service or application, we encourage you to submit an entry via the HbbTV Awards 2026 entry form.
Helping viewers discover more
Content discovery has been a recurring theme throughout the history of the HbbTV Awards. From programme guides and broadcaster applications to streaming portals and more recent AI-based approaches, HbbTV has provided broadcasters and platform operators with new ways to help viewers find something to watch.
At the inaugural awards in 2017, Digital UK’s Freeview Explore, a content discovery and recommendation feature for Freeview Play TVs, was recognised by the judges for its “seamless integration”. It provided a scrolling carousel across 10 programme genres, latest channel updates, and curated on-demand highlights from across UK broadcasters. The service demonstrated how HbbTV could build on the familiar television experience to make it easier for viewers to discover programmes and access additional content.
2017: Freeview Explore
A year later, the ARTEHbbTV App developed by Dotscreen was another notable winner. It is a free interactive TV service, that lets ARTE viewers stream European cultural content, documentaries, concerts, and series directly on their TV by pressing the red button. The judges described it as “an elegant, rich and sophisticated user experience”, demonstrating how HbbTV could provide a richer environment for exploring both linear and on-demand content.
In 2021, Dotscreen’sSalto Electronic Program Guide provided another example of how HbbTV could be used to create a richer programme discovery experience. These services show the progression from traditional television programme guides towards interfaces that can combine information about linear programmes with access to a much broader range of content.
This has been an important role for HbbTV. Broadcast channels can remain a familiar starting point for viewing, while broadband connectivity and an application environment provide viewers with richer ways to explore what is available and routes into additional content.
As these applications became more sophisticated, content discovery increasingly became more than simply helping viewers decide what to watch. It became the starting point for complete on-demand and streaming experiences, bringing broadcast and broadband television more closely together.
From programme guides to new ways of watching
As HbbTV applications developed, content discovery increasingly became a gateway to complete on-demand and streaming experiences rather than simply a way of finding programmes.
An important example came from Mediaset España, recognised in 2021 for both LOVEStv and its Mitele services. LOVEStv brought together content from Spain’s major broadcasters, providing viewers with access to features such as catch-up and start-over television, while Mitele provided Mediaset España’s own streaming portal. Together they demonstrated how HbbTV could connect the traditional broadcast experience with a much wider choice of online content.
ZDF provided further examples of how the viewing experience itself could be enhanced. Its ZDFmediathek Highlight-Player in 2022 was designed around major sporting events and addressed a simple viewer need: being able to find and watch important moments they had missed. It allowed smart TV users to jump directly to key scenes, goals, or major moments in broadcasts via broadband integration without switching apps or missing the live stream. The judges praised the service for meeting users’ demand not to miss “the best moments in great sports events”.
ZDF followed this in 2023 with ZDFmediathek: Zapping, developed with TeraVolt. The judges observed that while the feature appeared simple, it was an advanced HbbTV capability providing an excellent user experience.
2023: ZDF Zapping
These services illustrate an important progression. HbbTV applications were no longer simply providing information about what was available to watch. They were increasingly bringing linear television, catch-up, on-demand content and new ways of navigating video together, allowing viewers to move more easily between broadcast and streaming experiences.
Operator applications and the television experience
One of the most significant developments in HbbTV has been the emergence of operator applications.
The HbbTV Operator Application, or OpApp, specification enables a platform operator to provide an application that can take over much of the television’s normal user interface. This considerably expands the role HbbTV can play in the overall viewing experience.
An early indication of this potential came in 2019 with the HD+TV App. Both HD+ and Panasonic won awards for their work on the HD+ service. The service integrates German satellite and IP broadcast services directly into the television UI. It provides live TV pause (time-shift up to 120 minutes), restart for running programs, and access to media libraries. It has deep integrations with streaming platforms and catch-up services like Joyn and RTL+ directly inside the unified guide. In 2019 the HD+ TV App also received the Judges’ Award for Most Impactful HbbTV Product or Service.
Rather than HbbTV simply adding an application alongside the television manufacturer’s own interface, the OpApp approach enables the operator to deliver a much more complete and consistent service experience.
Five years later, the significance of this approach was demonstrated particularly clearly by Freely in the UK.
Launched by Everyone TV, Freely uses HbbTV OpApp as a core part of a television platform bringing together live and on-demand services, including delivery of live television over broadband.
Freely had an exceptional year at the 2024 HbbTV Awards, winning four awards. The judges described Freely as “a game changer for UK broadcasters and viewers with HbbTV at the core” and highlighted its cooperative approach to addressing fragmentation and searchability between services.
Freely returned to the winners in 2025 with Freely Account Linking. The judges praised the way it bridged broadcast and streaming through seamless account linking and enabled greater personalisation.
The progression from HD+ to Freely illustrates how operator applications have expanded the potential scope of HbbTV. The technology can support not only an individual broadcaster application but an integrated television platform spanning multiple services and different forms of delivery.
Discovery enters the AI era
The 2025 Awards also provided a glimpse of another potential step in the evolution of content discovery.
3Cat won Best Use of HbbTV for Content Discovery with its AI Agent for HbbTV. The judges described the feature as highly innovative and particularly noted that functionality being explored by IP-native applications and connected set-top box platforms was appearing so quickly on HbbTV.
It is an interesting milestone when viewed alongside the earlier winners.
Freeview Explore and the ARTE application helped viewers navigate richer catalogues of content. Later services brought streaming and broadcast content more closely together. Operator applications then provided the opportunity to control a much larger part of the navigation and discovery experience. AI potentially adds another layer, allowing viewers to discover content in new and more intelligent ways.
The underlying objective, however, remains remarkably consistent: making it easier for viewers to find television they want to watch.
Telling viewers what the red button can do
Building an innovative HbbTV service is only part of the challenge. Viewers also need to know that the service exists and understand how to access it.
This was particularly important as HbbTV services were being introduced into new markets, and promotion has consequently featured repeatedly in the awards.
A memorable example came from 3Cat in 2018 for the promotion of HbbTV services on its children’s channel Super3. The campaign played on the idea of a clothing button and the button on a remote control to encourage viewers to press red. The judges praised its “very high impact” and the combination of social media, web and HbbTV.
The same year also produced a very different approach from MediaCorp in Singapore. Its humorous Toggle Red Buttoncampaign featured a child YouTube star and promoted access to MediaCorp’s Toggle OTT service through HbbTV. At the time, Toggle offered more than 12,000 hours of MediaCorp programming, giving viewers a substantial library of additional content behind the red button.
Both campaigns addressed a challenge that was particularly important for early HbbTV deployments: communicating to viewers that pressing a button on their television remote could open up a much larger world of content.
Promotion continued to be recognised as services matured. LOVEStv won Best Marketing or Promotion of an HbbTV Based Service in 2022, while TV Nova won in 2023 with TN LIVE. The latter used blue-button pop-up messages on existing broadcast channels to allow viewers to switch directly to a live OTT broadcast.
Freely’s 2024 marketing award reflected another stage in this evolution. The judges highlighted both the reach of the launch campaign and the joint marketing activity with television retailers and manufacturers.
2024: Freely marketing campaign
The proposition being communicated had become considerably more sophisticated, but the underlying requirement remained the same: new television experiences only deliver value if viewers can discover and understand them.
From finding programmes to navigating hybrid television
Looking across the winners reveals how much the scope of content discovery has expanded.
Early applications enriched programme guides and opened routes from broadcast channels to on-demand content. Broadcaster applications subsequently created increasingly sophisticated streaming experiences, while operator applications demonstrated that HbbTV could support navigation across an entire television platform. Most recently, AI has begun to suggest new ways for audiences to find content.
At each stage, HbbTV has provided a bridge between the familiar television experience and new forms of content and delivery.
That evolution also explains why promotion has remained important. Whether viewers are being encouraged to press the red button or introduced to an entirely new hybrid television platform, technology has to be accompanied by a clear consumer proposition.
The award winners show HbbTV increasingly influencing not just what happens around a television programme, but how viewers find, access and navigate television itself.
In Part 3 of this series, we will turn to the commercial and technical ecosystem behind those experiences, looking at the evolution of HbbTV advertising, the growing importance of audience measurement, and the tools and technologies that enable increasingly sophisticated HbbTV services to be deployed at scale.
Become part of the story
The HbbTV Awards continue to recognise the products, services and applications shaping the future of hybrid television. If your organisation has developed an innovative HbbTV solution, now is the opportunity to join the growing list of award-winning services featured throughout this series.
Entries for the HbbTV Awards 2026 are now open. Find out more about the categories and submit your entry through the HbbTV Awards 2026 entry form.
Since the inaugural HbbTV Awards in Rome in 2017, the awards have reflected the changing ways broadcasters, platform operators and technology providers use HbbTV to create new services and experiences for viewers.
The evolution of the award categories mirrors the evolution of HbbTV itself. Early awards recognised broadcast enhancement, multiscreen services and content discovery, while more recent categories reflect the growing importance of advertising, accessibility, operator applications and audience measurement. Together, the winners show how HbbTV has developed from enhancing linear television into a platform supporting comprehensive streaming services.
In this three-part series, we look back at some of the notable winners and use cases from across the history of the HbbTV Awards, exploring what they reveal about the evolution of hybrid television.
Entries for the 2026 HbbTV Awards are now open. If you have developed an innovative HbbTV product, service or application, we encourage you to submit an entry via the HbbTV Awards 2026 entry form.
Enhancing broadcast television
Enhancing the traditional broadcast television experience has been at the heart of HbbTV from the beginning. By combining a broadcast service with applications and content delivered over broadband, HbbTV gives broadcasters opportunities to add experiences that cannot be provided through the broadcast signal alone.
That role was clearly visible at the first HbbTV Awards in Rome in 2017, where there was a dedicated category for Best Use of HbbTV for Broadcast Enhancement.
The inaugural winner was Band Camp Berlin developed by German broadcaster Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (rbb) and Fraunhofer FOKUS. Launched in late 2016 for the KiKA youth channel, it accompanied a 20-part documentary series following five young musicians, allowing viewers to access interactive video content and 360° footage. The judges described the entry as “original”, a “nice idea” and “very comprehensive”. It demonstrated something that would become a recurring theme among subsequent winners: HbbTV could be used not simply to provide an additional menu of content but to add something directly to the television viewing experience.
2016: Band Camp Berlin
A year later, interactivity was again at the centre of a winning entry. Russia’s Channel One won an award with its HbbTV voting services, which supported programmes including Voice, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and Let’s Get Married. The service enables real time voting while viewers watched the live shows. The judges summed up the appeal neatly: “Interactive TV shows at their best: Engaging and enhancing.”
2018: Real time voting for ‘Voice’
Finland provided another example that year. Sofia Digital and Digita were runners-up with Participation TV with HbbTV, which the judges praised for bringing interactive entertainment to a sizeable audience.
These services illustrate one of HbbTV’s fundamental strengths. Linear television can retain the reach and simplicity of broadcasting while the broadband connection provides a return path and an application environment through which the audience can participate.
Going beyond the main screen
Another theme in the early HbbTV Awards was the opportunity to extend the television experience beyond the main screen.
A strong example came from BT in 2018 with its Multi Screen MotoGP concept. This was a broadcast innovations and augmented reality prototype developed by BT (British Telecommunication/BT Sport) to enhance live motorcycle racing coverage through multi-feed, hybrid TV and 5G-powered extended reality platforms. The service won Best Multiscreen HbbTV Service and was also runner-up for the Judges’ Grand Prix Prize. The judges described it as a “very sophisticated application” demonstrating “HbbTV 2.0 and Multiscreen at the highest level.”
The concept demonstrated how HbbTV could be used to create a richer experience around live television, with additional screens and devices complementing what viewers were watching on the TV. Sport is particularly well suited to this approach, with opportunities to provide additional information, alternative content and interactive features alongside the main event.
More broadly, multiscreen experiences demonstrated an important aspect of HbbTV’s evolution. The television did not have to operate as an isolated device. HbbTV technologies could connect the main television experience with other devices in the home, allowing broadcasters and application developers to explore new ways for viewers to interact with and experience their content.
It was another example of the expanding possibilities created by combining broadcast television with an increasingly capable application environment.
Making television more accessible
Awards is accessibility. HbbTV’s combination of broadcast television and web technologies provides opportunities to create services that make television more accessible and inclusive.
Accessibility was already being recognised in the early years of the awards, even without a dedicated category. In 2018, German broadcaster ARD won Best Technology Innovation in an HbbTV Product or Service for its Signing Livestream App, which delivered sign-language interpretation streams for live television broadcasts over broadband. The service also received a special commendation from the judges.
Their comments emphasised both the innovation and its wider value. The application was described as a “great accessibility enhancement” with “high social value”, while the special commendation praised a service that solved a real problem in an innovative way.
The following year, Bayerische Medien Technik (bmt) won Best Multiscreen HbbTV Experience for Fernsehen für ALLE/TV for EVERYONE, which leveraged HbbTV standards to merge broadcast video with internet-based accessibility features. The project also received the Judges’ Award for Best Technology Innovation in an HbbTV Product or Service, providing another example of accessibility being recognised through the broader awards categories.
Accessibility received particular recognition in 2025 with a dedicated Best Accessibility Solution in an HbbTV Serviceaward. The winner was 3Cat in Spain for its Sign language service in HbbTV with WebAssembly, which allows viewers to stream a personalized, resizable sign language video over broadband and display it picture-in-picture, perfectly synchronized with a standard broadcast TV program. The judges described it as “a highly innovative approach, taking advantage of modern web technology combined with HbbTV.”
The dedicated accessibility category was specific to the 2025 Awards, but it highlighted a use case that has been visible among award-winning HbbTV services over many years. From signing services to the application of newer web technologies such as WebAssembly, the winners demonstrate how HbbTV can be used to make television services accessible to a wider audience.
They also illustrate a broader strength of HbbTV: its ability to combine the reach of television with the flexibility of web technologies to address viewer needs that can be difficult to meet through the broadcast service alone.
From enhancement to sophisticated applications
Looking across these winners also reveals how the idea of “broadcast enhancement” itself has changed.
FTV Prima won Best Use of HbbTV for Enhanced TV Services in 2019 for TVOD previews of prime-time series. The TVOD service know as Video Půjčovna allows viewers to purchase a previews of a series 7 days before its airing in liner broadcast. This combined the immediacy and promotional power of linear television with the ability to access additional content through an HbbTV service.
As HbbTV deployments have matured, however, applications have become increasingly sophisticated. Features that might once have been presented as standalone broadcast enhancements can now form part of much larger applications combining linear television, streaming, interactivity, personalisation and other services.
This change is reflected in the awards themselves. Categories specifically dedicated to broadcast enhancement and multiscreen experiences were prominent during the first few years but have subsequently given way to broader categories recognising application and technology innovation.
For 2026, for example, the HbbTV Application Innovation Award provides a much broader canvas for recognising innovative applications than the early categories tied to individual types of enhancement.
This evolution reflects the increasing maturity of HbbTV. Developers have a growing range of capabilities at their disposal, while broadcasters and platform operators increasingly use them together rather than as isolated features.
A continuing role for broadcast enhancement
Nearly a decade after the first HbbTV Awards, enhancing the television experience remains fundamental to HbbTV, even if the terminology has changed.
The early award winners demonstrate the breadth of ideas that emerged from combining broadcast and broadband: viewers participating in television programmes, companion screens synchronised with the television, additional content related to linear programmes, and services designed to make television more accessible.
Many of these ideas are no longer treated as separate categories of innovation. They have become ingredients from which increasingly sophisticated HbbTV applications can be built.
The awards provide an interesting record of that progression. What began with individual enhancements around a linear television service has developed into an application environment capable of supporting much richer experiences.
And the evolution does not stop at enhancing the programme being watched. HbbTV has increasingly influenced how viewers find, access and navigate television services themselves.
In Part 2 of this series, we will look at the evolution of content discovery and operator applications, from early programme guides and on-demand portals through HD+ and LOVEStv to services such as Freely and the arrival of AI-assisted content discovery.
Become part of the story
The HbbTV Awards continue to recognise the products, services and applications shaping the future of hybrid television. If your organisation has developed an innovative HbbTV solution, now is the opportunity to join the growing list of award-winning services featured throughout this series.
Entries for the HbbTV Awards 2026 are now open. Find out more about the categories and submit your entry through the HbbTV Awards 2026 entry form.
As HbbTV has matured into a comprehensive platform for delivering IP-based television services, one architectural decision has become increasingly important: should applications rely on the television’s built-in DASH player, or include their own JavaScript-based player such as dash.js or Shaka Player?
This question formed the basis of a lively discussion during one of the unconference sessions at the 2025 HbbTV Symposium in Istanbul, where broadcasters, manufacturers and technology providers shared experiences from real-world deployments and debated the long-term direction of DASH playback within HbbTV. Rather than seeking a single “correct” answer, the discussion highlighted that both approaches have important strengths, weaknesses and deployment considerations.
This article summarises the key themes from that unconference session and explores when each approach is most appropriate for HbbTV services.
Two different approaches
Built-in (Native) DASH player
Every HbbTV device since version 1.5 (TS 102 796 V1.2.1) has been required to include a native DASH player. Rather than embedding a media player within the application, developers use the playback capabilities provided by the television itself. Historically, native DASH playback has been accessed using the OIPF audiovisual object APIs by creating an HTML <object> element with a MIME type of application/dash+xml. Since HbbTV 2.0.1(TS 102 796 V1.4.1), developers can also use the standard HTML5 media APIs, allowing DASH content to be played using the familiar <video> element and its associated JavaScript methods such as play() and pause(). In both cases, the television’s native player is responsible for downloading, buffering, decoding and presenting the DASH stream, while the application controls playback through the relevant media APIs.
Because the implementation is supplied by the television manufacturer (or one of its software suppliers), application developers have little visibility into, or control over, the internal operation of the player. Although implementations differ between manufacturers, native players are generally tightly integrated with the television’s hardware and operating environment.
Their characteristics include:
implemented by the TV manufacturer
accessed through the HbbTV/OIPF media playback APIs or the HTML5 media APIs
included as part of the device software
typically not updated after deployment
required by the HbbTV specification since HbbTV 1.5.
In-App DASH player
An alternative approach is to embed a DASH player directly within the HbbTV application.
dash.js is the reference implementation of the MPEG-DASH standard and is developed as an open-source project under the stewardship of the Dash Industry Forum (DASH-IF), now part of the Steaming Video Technology Alliance (SVTA). It widely used across the streaming industry for both commercial deployments and interoperability testing.
Shaka Player is an open-source JavaScript media player developed and maintained by Google. While it also provides comprehensive support for MPEG-DASH, it additionally supports Apple’s HLS streaming format, making it attractive for services targeting multiple web and connected TV platforms from a single player implementation.
Both players are written in JavaScript and run entirely within the HbbTV application. They use Media Source Extensions (MSE) to download, buffer and present media segments through the HTML5 <video> element, and Encrypted Media Extensions (EME) to interface with platform-provided DRM systems such as PlayReady or Widevine, where these are supported by the device. Since the player forms part of the application, it can be updated whenever the application is updated, allowing new features, bug fixes and performance improvements to be deployed independently of television firmware. MSE became mandatory in HbbTV 2.0.3 (TS 102 796 V1.6.1) and was already widely implemented before then, while support for EME depends on the capabilities of the target devices and DRM implementation.
Alongside these open-source options, a number of commercial JavaScript players are also available. These often build on the same underlying web technologies while adding enterprise features such as advanced analytics, advertising integration, low-latency streaming, enhanced DRM support and commercial support.
Why native players still matter
Native players have several significant technical advantages.
Performance
Because the player is closely integrated with the television platform, playback can often be more efficient.
Benefits can include:
lower CPU utilisation
reduced memory consumption
faster startup
improved playback stability
One example shared during the unconference discussion described an HD+ OpApp running on an HDMI streaming stick achieved noticeably better performance using the native player than a JavaScript implementation.
Extensive device support
Native DASH playback has existed throughout the HbbTV ecosystem for many years and has therefore been tested extensively across a very large installed base.
The HbbTV Test Suite also provides substantial coverage of native playback behaviour, giving application developers confidence that compliant implementations behave consistently.
Manufacturer optimisation
Native implementations also give manufacturers opportunities to differentiate their products.
They can optimise:
decoder performance
memory management
startup times
hardware acceleration
platform integration
These optimisations are difficult for JavaScript players to replicate.
Simpler DVB-I deployments
One interesting observation concerns DVB-I services.
Where the television already includes an appropriate native player, services can often be delivered without needing to download and execute an application. If an HbbTV application is unavailable or fails to launch, playback can still continue using the built-in functionality.
The limitations of native players
Despite these strengths, native implementations also have some important drawbacks. The greatest limitation is that application developers have relatively little control over how they behave or the features they support.
Unlike a JavaScript player, where playback behaviour can be configured and enhanced as part of the application, the capabilities of a native player are determined by the television manufacturer and the version of firmware installed on the device. Developers generally cannot fine-tune key aspects of playback such as adaptive bitrate (ABR) algorithms, buffering strategies, startup behaviour or error recovery to optimise performance for their own streaming infrastructure. This lack of control can make it more difficult to tailor playback for different network conditions, content types or quality-of-service objectives.
Similarly, support for DASH features varies across the installed receiver base. Differences may include:
supported DASH profiles
DRM integration and available key systems
adaptive bitrate behaviour and buffering implementation
If a required capability is missing or behaves differently across devices, developers have few options beyond implementing application-level workarounds or waiting for television manufacturers to introduce the functionality. Television software evolves relatively slowly, and even after a manufacturer plans to implement a new capability, widespread deployment depends on a number of factors, including:
specification stability
availability of conformance test suites
new television model release schedules
firmware release schedules for existing devices
consumers installing firmware updates
the natural replacement cycle of televisions
Consequently, new streaming technologies can take many years before becoming established across the installed receiver base. During the unconference session, Common Media Client Data (CMCD) was highlighted as a good example. Support can be introduced into JavaScript players as soon as it is implemented by the player library, allowing developers to deploy the capability simply by updating their application. By contrast, equivalent support in native players depends on manufacturers implementing the feature and rolling it out through new television models and firmware updates, resulting in a much slower adoption cycle.
Why JavaScript players are becoming more attractive
While native DASH players continue to provide excellent performance and broad compatibility across today’s installed HbbTV receiver base, the increasing availability of Media Source Extensions (MSE) on newer televisions has made JavaScript-based players a practical option for many deployments. By implementing the playback engine within the application, developers gain greater control over playback behaviour, can adopt new streaming technologies more quickly and deliver a more consistent experience across multiple platforms.
These advantages have made JavaScript players an increasingly attractive choice for new HbbTV services.
Faster feature deployment
Faster feature development and deployment is perhaps the greatest advantage of an in-app player. When new streaming standards emerge, developers can add support by updating the player library as part of their application release, rather than waiting for television manufacturers to implement the capability and for it to reach households through firmware updates and the natural replacement cycle of televisions.
Examples include:
CMCD
new DASH features
codec support (where platform capabilities allow)
improved adaptive bitrate algorithms
analytics enhancements
This rapid innovation is particularly valuable as IP streaming technologies continue to evolve.
Greater consistency
A JavaScript player behaves similarly across many platforms.
Instead of supporting dozens of manufacturer-specific native implementations, application developers work with a single player that they can configure and optimise themselves.
This often makes interoperability problems easier to diagnose because behaviour is more consistent across devices.
Easier Debugging
Modern JavaScript players provide extensive logging, metrics and diagnostic information.
This simplifies investigations involving:
encoders
packagers
CDNs
DRM systems
compared with diagnosing issues inside native implementations.
Better Alignment with the Wider Web
JavaScript DASH players are already widely used beyond HbbTV.
The same player can often be shared between:
connected TVs
desktop browsers
mobile applications
other web-based platforms
This can reduce development effort and improves consistency across services.
The challenges of JavaScript players
Running an entire media player inside a web application inevitably introduces trade-offs.
Higher Resource Requirements
JavaScript players typically require:
more CPU
more memory
additional JavaScript execution
This can be particularly noticeable on older televisions with limited processing power.
Performance therefore depends not only on MSE support but also on the quality of the browser’s JavaScript engine and other platform components.
HbbTV test coverage
Although MSE support is now widespread, HbbTV Test Suite coverage for MSE-based playback remains more limited than for native playback.
JavaScript players also depend upon more than MSE alone, including XML parsing and other browser capabilities that may affect interoperability.
Hardware acceleration
Another consideration is video decoding.
Some browser environments, particularly outside televisions, may decode video in software, potentially limiting support for high-resolution or HDR playback.
Efficient access to hardware decoders therefore remains an important consideration when evaluating JavaScript-based playback.
Choosing the right approach for your deployment
Although the technical strengths and weaknesses of native and in-app players are important, the decision is often driven by a much simpler question:
What capabilities are available across the televisions you need to support?
The answer will vary significantly between deployments, particularly where services must support a mixture of older and newer HbbTV devices.
Where MSE support is limited
If a significant proportion of the deployed receiver base does not support Media Source Extensions (MSE), developers have little choice but to rely on the television’s native DASH player.
This approach maximises compatibility and ensures the service reaches the widest possible audience. While it may limit access to newer streaming capabilities, broad device support is often the overriding commercial requirement for broadcaster services.
Where the market is in transition
Many deployments sit somewhere between the old and new worlds.
In these cases, developers may choose to support both playback approaches within a single application. The application can detect the capabilities of the receiver during start-up and select either the native player or an in-app JavaScript player accordingly.
This hybrid approach offers several advantages:
maximum audience reach
access to newer player capabilities on modern devices
gradual migration as the installed base evolves
reduced commercial risk during technology transitions
The trade-off is increased development and testing effort, as both playback paths must be maintained and validated.
Streaming video is not the only difference between HbbTV versions, and developers may already need to support separate application versions for newer and older devices in their target population.
Where MSE is widely available
Once the overwhelming majority of the target receiver base supports MSE, developers may decide to standardise on a JavaScript player.
Doing so provides a consistent playback implementation across supported devices and allows new features, performance improvements and bug fixes to be deployed as part of the application rather than waiting for television firmware updates.
For organisations operating across multiple platforms, including connected TVs, web browsers and mobile devices, this can also simplify development by allowing much of the playback logic to be shared.
A commercial decision as much as a technical one
Ultimately, the choice between native and in-app playback is rarely made on technical merit alone. Broadcasters must balance innovation against audience reach, development effort and operational risk.
A new service targeting the latest connected televisions may reasonably choose an in-app player from the outset. By contrast, a national free-to-air broadcaster serving millions of existing HbbTV receivers may prioritise compatibility and continue using native playback for some time.
As the installed base continues to evolve, many deployments are likely to follow a phased journey, from native playback today, through hybrid implementations during the transition, and eventually towards predominantly JavaScript-based playback where market conditions make that practical. This gradual evolution reflects one of HbbTV’s core strengths: enabling new capabilities to be introduced while maintaining compatibility with existing receivers.
Which Direction Is HbbTV Taking?
Within the HbbTV community there has been discussion about the future balance between native and in-app players.
One view expressed within the Requirements Group has been that the native player should remain relatively stable, with future innovation increasingly focused on JavaScript-based players. Under this approach, manufacturers remain free to exceed the specification, but HbbTV may gradually reduce investment in adding new native player features and associated conformance testing.
However, the wider industry has not reached full consensus. Browser developers have been slow to extend MSE for newer features such as advanced Next Generation Audio and object audio, including Dolby AC-4. As a result, advanced capabilities could appear in native DASH players first.
Real-world deployments continue to demonstrate that native players can offer significant performance advantages, particularly for operator-controlled services such as OpApps. At the same time, application developers increasingly value the flexibility and rapid evolution offered by JavaScript players.
The result is not a competition between two mutually exclusive technologies, but an ecosystem in which both approaches continue to play important roles.
What Happens Next?
Several possible areas for future work have already been identified within HbbTV discussions:
expanding HbbTV Test Suite coverage for MSE-based playback
considering performance requirements for JavaScript DASH players
investigating whether JavaScript players could be cached on televisions to improve startup performance
continuing cross-working-group discussions on the long-term direction of DASH playback in HbbTV.
As television delivery becomes increasingly IP-based, ensuring robust, interoperable streaming performance across the entire HbbTV ecosystem will remain a priority.
Conclusion
There is no universal winner in the native versus in-app DASH player debate. Native players continue to deliver excellent performance, deep platform integration and broad compatibility across today’s installed base. They are particularly well suited to deployments where stability, efficiency and predictable device behaviour are paramount.
JavaScript-based players, however, offer greater flexibility, faster innovation and much stronger control for application developers. They enable new streaming features to be adopted more quickly, simplify cross-platform development and make interoperability issues easier to diagnose and resolve.
For many HbbTV services, the choice will depend on the balance between performance and agility. As streaming technologies continue to evolve, both approaches are likely to coexist, with native players providing a stable foundation for many devices while in-app players drive the next generation of IP television capabilities.
Matthew Huntington Manager HbbTV Developer Programme
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.
This article is the final part of a series based on the HbbTV Symposium and Awards 2025, bringing together insights from across the industry on the future of broadcast services and connected television. Covering topics from broadband-only delivery and addressable advertising to interoperability and evolving standards, the series captures key discussions and expert perspectives shaping the next phase of HbbTV and the wider TV ecosystem.
While the first day of the HbbTV Symposium 2025 focused on keynotes, presentations and panel discussions, the second day shifted to a different format. The annual unconference provided delegates with the opportunity to shape the agenda themselves, bringing together broadcasters, manufacturers, platform operators, technology providers and standards experts to discuss emerging challenges and opportunities across the HbbTV ecosystem.
Eighteen sessions were held throughout the day, covering topics ranging from DVB-I commercialisation and all-IP television to accessibility, artificial intelligence, sustainability, advertising and testing. While the discussions varied widely, several common themes emerged.
One of the strongest themes was the industry’s transition towards IP delivery. Sessions on commercialising DVB-I, making HbbTV fit for purpose for all-IP environments and supporting public broadcasters in a streaming future all highlighted the need for broadcasters to adapt to changing viewing habits while preserving the openness and interoperability that have traditionally characterised television. Participants discussed how DVB-I and HbbTV can work together to provide a consistent viewer experience across hybrid and IP-only environments, while ensuring that national broadcasters retain visibility and prominence in increasingly competitive connected TV ecosystems.
The all-IP session generated particularly lively discussion. Participants debated whether HbbTV already contains everything needed to support all-IP services, whether parts of the specification should be simplified, and how developers can be encouraged to view HbbTV as a lightweight web-based environment rather than a broadcast-specific technology. Questions were also raised around remote-control evolution, platform integration, AI and whether new approaches may be needed to make HbbTV more visible in an IP-first world.
Accessibility was another important topic. Participants explored how sign language delivery could be standardised using HbbTV technologies and how broadcasters could work together to define common requirements before approaching manufacturers. The session reinforced the growing interest in making accessibility services more flexible and personalised.
Several discussions focused on emerging technologies. A session on provenance and authenticity examined how broadcasters and standards organisations might respond to the increasing threat posed by deepfakes, manipulated content and AI-generated media. Participants debated whether provenance information should become part of future HbbTV and DVB specifications, and whether standards such as Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) could provide a foundation for cross-platform trust mechanisms. The session generated enough interest that participants proposed establishing a dedicated HbbTV study mission on the topic.
Artificial intelligence was also discussed from a more practical perspective. One session explored how AI could improve content discovery and user interaction through natural language interfaces. Participants examined concepts such as AI agents interacting with DVB-I service information and controlling HbbTV services, while considering where future standardisation efforts might be required.
Advertising and monetisation featured prominently throughout the day. Sessions explored the role of audience data in advertising, dynamic ad substitution, gamified advertising experiences and TV shopping. Participants shared experiences of using HbbTV to increase viewer engagement, improve campaign measurement and create new revenue opportunities. Discussions also highlighted the importance of identity management, cross-device targeting and shoppable advertising formats that bridge the gap between television and digital commerce.
Technical interoperability remained another major focus. Sessions on DRM conformance, CTA WAVE testing, test assets and the future of HbbTV test and conformance applications demonstrated the industry’s ongoing commitment to ensuring consistent behaviour across devices. Participants discussed integration between HbbTV and CTA WAVE test suites, and the need for improved testing tools as services move towards all-IP delivery.
The unconference also looked inward. A dedicated session on improving future symposiums and unconferences gathered feedback on event structure, pacing and participant engagement. Delegates expressed strong support for retaining the unconference format while exploring ways to make sessions even more interactive and accessible to newcomers.
Perhaps the most important outcome of the day was not any single conclusion, but the collaborative nature of the discussions themselves. Across almost every session, participants identified opportunities for further work, new study missions, stronger liaison between standards bodies and greater collaboration across the industry.
The unconference demonstrated one of the unique strengths of the HbbTV community: the ability to bring together experts from across the television ecosystem to openly discuss challenges, share experiences and shape future developments. As HbbTV continues to evolve alongside DVB-I, streaming and connected TV, these conversations will play an increasingly important role in defining the next generation of television services.
Series Conclusion
The HbbTV Symposium 2025 demonstrated both the maturity of the HbbTV ecosystem and the pace at which it continues to evolve. Across the keynotes, technical presentations and roundtables, speakers highlighted how HbbTV is enabling innovation in areas including addressable advertising, audience measurement, accessibility, content discovery, hybrid broadcast-broadband services and the transition towards IP-delivered television.
At the same time, discussions on interoperability, authenticity, sustainability and new monetisation models showed that the industry is already looking beyond today’s challenges to prepare for the next phase of connected TV.
This series of articles has captured only a selection of the insights shared during two days of presentations and discussion in Istanbul. As broadcasters, platform operators, manufacturers and technology providers continue to collaborate, HbbTV remains at the centre of efforts to create an open, interoperable and innovative television ecosystem.
We now look forward to continuing those conversations at the 14th HbbTV Symposium and Awards in Barcelona on 18-19 November 2026, where the industry will once again come together to share experiences, showcase innovation and help shape the future of television.
Alongside the keynotes, technical presentations and roundtables, for the first time the HbbTV Symposium 2025 featured a series of quickfire presentations highlighting emerging ideas, innovative projects and future challenges for the HbbTV ecosystem. Covering topics ranging from media authenticity and accessibility to streaming platforms, interoperability testing and application discovery, the sessions demonstrated the breadth of innovation taking place across the industry.
Assuring provenance and authenticity: challenges and solutions for HbbTV
Naomi Schoppa, Research Associate, Fraunhofer FOKUS
Naomi Schoppa, Research Associate, Fraunhofer FOKUS
Naomi Schoppa addressed one of the most pressing challenges facing the media industry: how to maintain trust in digital content in an era of AI-generated media, deepfakes and disinformation. As content becomes easier to manipulate, audiences increasingly question whether the images and videos they see can be trusted.
Schoppa outlined the growing threat posed by misinformation, disinformation and fake news, alongside technical attacks such as signal hijacking and compromised media platforms. In response, she highlighted the importance of provenance and authenticity data, metadata that can record where content originated and how it has been modified throughout its lifecycle.
A range of technical approaches already exist, including digital watermarking, fingerprinting and embedded provenance information. The challenge now is how these technologies can be integrated into broadcast and streaming ecosystems. Schoppa posed an important question for the HbbTV community: should future standards define how authenticity and provenance information is transported, verified and presented to viewers? As media consumption increasingly spans broadcast, OTT and social platforms, ensuring trust in content may become a critical requirement for future television services.
Watch the presentation and explore further
You can watch the full quickfire talk from the HbbTV Symposium 2025 here: Watch the Video
Sign language on DTT with WebAssembly decoding in HbbTV
Rafael Bermúdez, R&D Team Product Owner, 3Cat – CCMA
Rafael Bermúdez, R&D Team Product Owner, 3Cat – CCMA
Rafael Bermúdez presented an innovative approach to improving accessibility by delivering sign language services through HbbTV. His goal was simple but ambitious: to make sign language as easy to access and personalise as subtitles are today.
Traditional sign language services often rely on dedicated broadcast channels, limiting flexibility and scalability. Bermúdez described a hybrid approach in which the main television programme is delivered via DTT, while the sign language video stream is delivered over broadband and synchronised using HbbTV technologies.
To overcome technical limitations, the solution uses WebAssembly (WASM) to decode a secondary video stream directly within the HbbTV application. Combined with low-latency DASH delivery and HbbTV Media Synchronisation, this allows sign language content to remain synchronised with the broadcast programme while offering viewers control over size, position and presentation.
The solution is built entirely on open standards and has been demonstrated across a wide range of HbbTV devices. Bermúdez called for wider industry collaboration to standardise sign language delivery as a first-class media component, alongside subtitles and audio description, making accessibility services easier to deploy and use across the industry.
Watch the presentation and explore further
You can watch the full quickfire talk from the HbbTV Symposium 2025 here: Watch the Video
Amelie Jakob provided an overview of ZDF’s newly launched streaming platform, representing a significant evolution in the German broadcaster’s digital strategy.
For the first time, ZDF adopted a “big-screen first” approach, placing connected TVs and HbbTV devices at the centre of the user experience. The aim was to move beyond the traditional concept of a broadcaster catch-up service and create a true streaming platform capable of competing with commercial streaming providers.
A key part of the transformation was a complete redesign built around metadata. New recommendation algorithms, automated content organisation and enhanced personalisation capabilities are all driven by a richer metadata structure. The platform also introduces larger visuals, autoplay trailers and improved content discovery features designed specifically for television viewing.
Jakob also highlighted innovations such as sustainability settings, which allow viewers to reduce the environmental impact of streaming, and enhanced support for live events and channels. Perhaps most importantly, the platform is delivered through a single code base that supports more than 30 platforms and over 10 operating systems, helping ZDF navigate the increasingly fragmented smart TV landscape.
Watch the presentation and explore further
You can watch the full quickfire talk from the HbbTV Symposium 2025 here: Watch the Video
Louay Bassbouss provided an update on the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) Web Application Video Ecosystem (WAVE) Streaming Media Test Suite, an important industry initiative aimed at improving interoperability across connected TV devices.
The CTA WAVE project focuses specifically on media playback, testing implementations of technologies such as Media Source Extensions (MSE), Encrypted Media Extensions (EME), adaptive streaming and DRM systems. Unlike traditional manual testing, the framework automates much of the validation process, using video capture and analysis to measure playback performance, startup times and compliance.
Over the past year, the project has introduced a major new release featuring expanded test coverage, improved documentation and additional support for audio-only services. Significant work has also been undertaken to improve testing of HEVC, HDR and commercial DRM implementations.
Bassbouss highlighted the close collaboration between CTA WAVE and HbbTV, with elements of the test suite already contributing to HbbTV interoperability efforts. As streaming services become increasingly sophisticated, robust testing frameworks will play a vital role in ensuring consistent experiences across the growing range of connected TV devices.
Watch the presentation and explore further
You can watch the full quickfire talk from the HbbTV Symposium 2025 here: Watch the Video
William Cooper, Chief Executive, Service List Registry
William Cooper, Chief Executive, Service List Registry
William Cooper concluded the session by examining how Application Discovery over Broadband (ADB) is providing new insights into the global adoption of HbbTV.
ADB allows HbbTV devices to discover and launch applications over the internet without relying on broadcast application signalling. Operated through the Service List Registry, the system acts as a global discovery mechanism, resolving service identifiers into application locations using standard DNS infrastructure.
The scale of deployment is already significant. Cooper revealed that the registry processes around half a million requests every hour, equating to approximately 10 million requests per day. This provides valuable insight into where HbbTV-compatible devices are being used around the world and which services viewers are accessing.
The data highlights strong adoption not only in established HbbTV markets such as Germany, Italy and the UK, but also in countries where HbbTV services are less visible. Cooper argued that service providers could gain additional value by registering services, enabling application discovery, collecting anonymous usage insights and extending support for enhanced services such as addressable advertising.
As television services increasingly move online, ADB demonstrates how HbbTV can support discoverability and interoperability beyond traditional broadcast environments.
Watch the presentation and explore further
You can watch the full quickfire talk from the HbbTV Symposium 2025 here: Watch the Video
Several of the ideas introduced during the Symposium’s quickfire presentations became the focus of deeper discussion during the unconference on the second day. Topics including media authenticity, enhanced sign language services, AI-powered television experiences, sustainable streaming and Application Discovery over Broadband were explored in greater detail as delegates worked together to identify future requirements, potential standards activities and opportunities for industry collaboration. In the final article in our HbbTV Symposium 2025 series, we report on the unconference discussions and the key themes that emerged from this
This article is part of a series based on presentations from the HbbTV Symposium and Awards 2025, bringing together insights from across the industry on the future of broadcast services and connected television. Covering topics from broadband-only delivery and addressable advertising to interoperability and evolving standards, the series captures key discussions and expert perspectives shaping the next phase of HbbTV and the wider TV ecosystem.
Jeff Hunter, Chief Architect at YouView TV
At the HbbTV Symposium 2025, Jeff Hunter, Chief Architect at YouView TV, explored how the HbbTV Operator Application (OpApp) can support the transition to an all-IP television environment while preserving the value of linear channels.
His presentation was grounded in real-world experience, drawing on the development of the Freely platform in the UK. Built using HbbTV OpApp technology, Freely delivers a managed user experience for accessing broadcast and IP-delivered television, combining traditional linear viewing with modern streaming capabilities.
At the heart of this approach is a simple but important question. As the industry moves towards IP delivery, what role will linear channels continue to play?
While streaming has transformed how audiences consume content, the data suggests that linear viewing remains highly relevant, particularly for certain demographics. Older audiences, as well as users with accessibility needs, continue to rely heavily on linear television. For these viewers, the shift to app-based consumption can introduce usability challenges, particularly when channels are fragmented across multiple services.
Hunter argued that maintaining an aggregated channel experience is essential to ensure that all audiences are carried forward in the transition to IP. A unified channel list and guide, familiar to viewers, provides continuity and ease of use, even as the underlying delivery mechanisms evolve.
This is where the HbbTV OpApp plays a critical role. It allows operators to build a managed interface on top of the television’s native capabilities, enabling consistent access to channels and services. Traditionally, TVs use broadcast signalling to create channel lists and manage playback. The OpApp extends this model by allowing operators to integrate IP-delivered channels alongside broadcast services within the same interface.
In practice, this means that linear channels can be delivered over IP while still appearing as part of a familiar channel guide. Whether the underlying content is delivered via terrestrial broadcast, satellite or broadband, the viewer experience remains consistent.
One of the key technical enablers for this is the HbbTV “second video window”. This feature allows IP-delivered content to be played within a managed environment, separate from the main broadcast video. By delegating playback to this component, operators can maintain control over the viewing experience while adapting to the rapid pace of change in IP video technologies.
This flexibility is particularly important in a landscape where standards, business models and technologies continue to evolve. Hunter highlighted that IP delivery is subject to constant innovation, from streaming protocols to advertising models and content protection. The OpApp architecture allows these changes to be managed without disrupting the overall user experience.
The Freely platform provides a practical example of how this can be achieved. Using HbbTV OpApp, it delivers a unified interface across multiple devices and manufacturers, supporting both live and on-demand content. The platform has been rapidly iterated since launch, with multiple updates improving performance and adding new features, demonstrating the agility of the approach.
Importantly, this is not just a UK-specific solution. The underlying HbbTV technologies are widely available and increasingly deployed across connected TV devices, providing a foundation that can be adapted for different markets and use cases.
Hunter also highlighted that different markets are at different stages in the transition to IP. Some are close to fully IP-based delivery, while others are still heavily reliant on broadcast infrastructure. The OpApp approach supports this diversity, allowing operators to evolve their services gradually, rather than requiring a complete shift in one step.
The key challenge is managing change. As IP delivery becomes more central, the complexity of maintaining consistent channel access and playback increases. The OpApp, combined with features such as the second video window, provides a structured way to manage this complexity.
The conclusion was clear. Linear channels are not disappearing overnight. Instead, they are evolving, and HbbTV provides the tools to support that evolution.
By enabling linear services to be delivered over IP within a familiar and controlled environment, the HbbTV OpApp helps ensure that the transition to an all-IP future is inclusive, flexible and sustainable for both viewers and service providers.
Watch the presentation and explore further
You can watch the full presentation from the HbbTV Symposium 2025 here: Watch the Video
What role will HbbTV play as television moves towards IP-only delivery? Industry experts from DTG, Everyone TV, the EBU, RTL Deutschland and Mediaset discuss interoperability, device evolution, DVB-I and the challenges of ensuring a seamless transition to an increasingly IP-driven TV ecosystem.
This article is part of a series based on presentations from the HbbTV Symposium and Awards 2025, bringing together insights from across the industry on the future of broadcast services and connected television. Covering topics from broadband-only delivery and addressable advertising to interoperability and evolving standards, the series captures key discussions and expert perspectives shaping the next phase of HbbTV and the wider TV ecosystem.
Jon Piesing, Vice-Chair, HbbTV Association & Chair, HbbTV Specification Group
At the HbbTV Symposium 2025, Jon Piesing, Vice-Chair of the HbbTV Association and Chair of the HbbTV Specification Group, provided a detailed update on the evolution of the HbbTV specifications and the work underway to ensure they remain aligned with real-world deployment and future industry needs.
His presentation offered insight not only into upcoming features, but also into how the specification itself is developed and maintained. The HbbTV process is built around several coordinated groups, including requirements, specification, testing and interoperability. Together, these ensure that new features are defined, implemented and validated in a way that supports both developers and device manufacturers.
A central theme of the session was the importance of aligning the specification with market reality. Rather than introducing entirely new concepts, recent work has focused on formalising capabilities that are already widely deployed, making them more consistent, testable and reliable across devices.
This is particularly evident in the upcoming HbbTV 2.0.5 specification. Two of the most significant additions are WebAssembly and digital rights management (DRM). Both technologies are already present in many television environments, but standardising their use within HbbTV provides greater confidence for developers and content providers.
The introduction of a formal DRM specification is especially important. Historically, uncertainty around DRM integration led to fragmentation and inconsistent implementations. The new specification addresses this by defining how HbbTV applications can work with DRM systems such as PlayReady and Widevine, supported by reference applications and testing across a wide range of devices.
Alongside these additions, HbbTV 2.0.5 includes a number of refinements designed to modernise the platform. Improvements to video codec handling make it easier to support newer formats such as AV1 and VVC, while optional support for technologies like HTTP/3 reflects the ongoing evolution of streaming delivery. At the same time, legacy features that are no longer widely used are being deprecated or made optional, helping to simplify implementation and reduce complexity.
This process of refinement reflects a broader philosophy. As Piesing noted, the current focus is on fine-tuning and consolidating the platform, ensuring that it keeps pace with how televisions and services are actually being used today.
Looking further ahead, work is already underway on the next iteration of the specification. HbbTV 2.0.6 is currently in the requirements phase, with input being gathered from across the membership. Areas under consideration include improved deep linking into broadcaster applications, enhancements to the usability of the red button experience and better support for accessibility features such as content filtering and discovery.
One particularly interesting area of exploration is the ability to run multiple HbbTV applications simultaneously, potentially from different providers. This reflects the increasing complexity of service delivery and the need to support more flexible and dynamic user experiences.
Testing and interoperability remain a critical part of this work. The HbbTV test suite continues to expand, now comprising more than 3,400 tests, with ongoing improvements to coverage and quality. Recent updates include the addition of DRM-related tests and enhancements to addressable advertising and operator application scenarios.
Supporting tools are also evolving. Reference applications, validation tools and interoperability initiatives help ensure that specifications translate into consistent behaviour across devices. This is essential in a fragmented connected TV environment, where differences in implementation can quickly impact service quality.
Overall, the update highlighted a mature and evolving standard that is adapting to industry needs while maintaining stability for existing deployments. By focusing on real-world usage, simplifying where possible and extending capabilities where necessary, the HbbTV specifications continue to provide a robust foundation for interactive television services.
As the market moves further towards IP delivery and increasingly sophisticated user experiences, this ongoing work ensures that HbbTV remains both relevant and reliable for the next generation of connected TV services.
Watch the presentation and explore further
You can watch the full presentation from the HbbTV Symposium 2025 here: Watch the Video
Explore the latest global TV and video market trends, as Dataxis analyst Ophélie Boucaud breaks down the rise of connected TV, shifting revenues and increasing fragmentation shaping the future of viewing and monetisation.
This article is the second 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.
For broadcasters, the HbbTV standard represents more than just a technology upgrade, it’s a strategic opportunity to extend and enhance their services in a connected world. Unlike proprietary TV operating systems or app store ecosystems, HbbTV gives broadcasters an open, direct, and unmediated connection with their audiences.
A single application for every TV
One of the most powerful advantages of HbbTV is its universality. A single HbbTV application developed by a broadcaster can run on all HbbTV-compliant TVs, regardless of manufacturer or operating system. This dramatically reduces development and maintenance costs compared to supporting multiple native app platforms.
In practice, a broadcaster would otherwise need to build and maintain 10–12 different applications to cover 90–95% of connected TVs on the market. With HbbTV, one implementation can reach nearly the entire audience.
Direct access without platform gatekeepers
Launching an HbbTV app does not require negotiation or commercial agreements with TV manufacturers or app store operators. The app is discovered via signalling in the broadcast stream and starts automatically when a viewer selects the associated channel. This makes HbbTV a truly open environment, enabling any authorised broadcaster to deploy interactive services without platform restrictions.
Some advanced features, such as DRM integration or Operator Applications (OpApps), may still require collaboration with device manufacturers, but the core HbbTV experience remains independent and standardised.
Control of data and user experience
HbbTV gives broadcasters complete control over their viewer data and on-screen experience. When an HbbTV app runs, it effectively creates a dedicated environment on the television, a “private silo” where only the broadcaster’s own code and analytics operate. No external platform or third-party service can interfere with the app or extract data from it.
This ensures compliance with privacy regulations while empowering broadcasters to analyse engagement, measure reach, and deliver tailored recommendations, all on their own terms.
Seamless viewer engagement
Because HbbTV apps can launch automatically when a viewer tunes to a channel, there’s no menu navigation barrier. Viewers can move effortlessly from a live broadcast to catch-up, start-over, or interactive features without switching apps or searching through a manufacturer’s interface. This continuity strengthens brand loyalty and keeps audiences within the broadcaster’s ecosystem.
Serving both consumers and businesses
HbbTV supports a wide range of both B2C and B2B services. For consumers, it powers features like replay TV, voting, and personalised content recommendations. For business operations, it enables audience measurement, addressable advertising, and consent management. All these services share the same technical foundation, the HbbTV specification.
Adapting to market trends
The television market is evolving rapidly. Viewers are demanding more on-demand content, while advertisers seek more precise targeting. HbbTV provides the flexibility to address both: it supports dynamic ad insertion, hybrid linear/OTT services, and integration with evolving DVB standards such as DVB-I.
As the industry shifts toward IP delivery, HbbTV acts as a bridge, connecting the stability of broadcast with the agility of online streaming.
Accessibility and inclusivity
Modern HbbTV apps can also contribute to accessible and inclusive television experiences. Developers can use standard APIs to integrate subtitles, audio description, or high-contrast guides, ensuring services reach all viewers — an increasingly important area for public service broadcasters.
The strategic edge
By combining openness, universality, and interoperability, HbbTV offers a competitive edge over closed ecosystems. It lets broadcasters innovate freely, engage audiences more deeply, and retain control over their products and data.
For developers, understanding these advantages is essential: it means designing applications that take full advantage of auto-start behaviour, responsive design, and integration with broadcast events — the features that make HbbTV a uniquely broadcaster-friendly platform.
In the next ‘Understanding HbbTV’ article, we’ll look ahead to what’s coming in HbbTV 2.0.5, including integrated DRM, DVB-I alignment, and new opportunities for secure, high-value content delivery.
This article is the eighth 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.
The HbbTV standard has become the foundation of many of Europe’s most innovative television experiences. From interactive services and audience measurement to addressable advertising and accessibility, broadcasters and platform operators are using HbbTV to enhance viewer engagement and create new business opportunities.
Here are some standout examples of HbbTV in action around the world.
Restart and On-Demand TV: Spain’s LovesTV
A joint initiative by Atresmedia, Mediaset España, and RTVE, LovesTV is one of Europe’s most successful HbbTV-based services. The free-to-air platform offers an enhanced interactive experience that combines live and on-demand viewing.
Restart a live programme from the beginning
Watch programmes from the past seven days
Browse recommendations and upcoming shows
Explore an improved interactive programme guide
LovesTV demonstrates how HbbTV can unify the broadcast and broadband experience while maintaining the simplicity of traditional TV.
Thomas Gruber: Co-CEO bei ProSiebenSat.1 PULS 4 // Chairman of AGTT
Austria’s Teletest 2.0 shows how HbbTV data can power next-generation audience measurement. Launched in 2024 by Arbeitsgemeinschaft Teletest (AGTT) and Screenforce Österreich, the system integrates return-path data from over one million HbbTV-enabled devices.
By combining real-time viewing insights with traditional panel data, Teletest 2.0 provides:
More accurate audience tracking
Elimination of zero rated shows
Faster reporting cycles
Enhanced data for advertisers and agencies
This approach strengthens broadcasters’ understanding of their audiences and showcases the analytical potential of HbbTV.
Unified Streaming and Live TV: The UK’s Freely (OpApp)
In the UK, Freely – launched in 2024 by Everyone TV (a joint venture between BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5) – uses the HbbTV Operator Application (OpApp) specification to deliver a seamless, IP-based viewing experience.
Freely allows viewers to switch effortlessly between live and on-demand channels via a unified electronic programme guide (EPG), all streamed over broadband. There’s no need for an aerial — the TV connects via Wi-Fi, showing how HbbTV can power the transition to IP-only television.
This implementation offers a glimpse into the future of free-to-air TV in a connected world.
HbbTV enables broadcasters to combine the reach of broadcast with the precision of digital. Across Europe, addressable advertising powered by HbbTV is delivering personalised ad experiences at scale.
Dynamic ad substitution (DAS) replacing broadcast ads with broadband-targeted ads
L-shaped banners and on-screen calls-to-action
Interactive commerce and appointment booking features
In addition to the core HbbTV specification, the DVB Addressable Advertising (DVB-TA) specification defines a common framework for delivering and substituting broadcast and broadband advertisements in a synchronized and standards-based way. It ensures that ad replacement on connected TVs is frame-accurate, seamless, and interoperable across different devices and broadcasters.
In Italy, Mediaset implemented HbbTV-TA in partnership with a major TV manufacturer to guarantee frame-accurate ad replacement and smooth transitions between broadcast and broadband content.
Barker Channels and Enhanced Discovery: ARTE Channel 77
ARTE TV
France’s ARTE pioneered the concept of a “barker channel”, an HbbTV service available on DTT channel 77. Viewers can tune directly to this channel or follow a prompt from the main ARTE broadcast to enter a rich HbbTV environment featuring thousands of hours of on-demand content.
The service was authorised by the French media regulator (CSA) and illustrates how HbbTV can extend editorial reach within the regulated broadcast framework.
HbbTV also plays a key role in making television more inclusive.
In the UK, Freeview Play’s Accessible TV Guide (available on channel 555) provides:
Filters for subtitles, audio description, and sign language
High-contrast, zoomed interfaces for legibility
Optional text-to-speech navigation for blind or partially sighted viewers
Similarly, in Germany, ARD delivers accessibility enhancements via HbbTV, including subtitling, sign-language streams, and synchronised audio description through companion apps. These use cases highlight HbbTV’s flexibility to support diverse accessibility needs and regulatory requirements.
Conclusion
From Spain’s hybrid catch-up services to the UK’s IP-only platforms and Austria’s data-driven measurement, these examples underline the versatility and maturity of HbbTV across Europe. They show how open standards can power both creativity and efficiency, helping broadcasters, manufacturers, and developers deliver the next generation of connected TV experiences.
These international case studies show how broadcasters and platforms are using HbbTV to innovate across content delivery, advertising, and accessibility. But as hybrid TV grows, so does the importance of ensuring that these new services operate within a clear and trusted framework, balancing openness with accountability. In the next article, we explore how policy, regulation, and industry collaboration support a fair and transparent hybrid television ecosystem, helping innovation thrive while maintaining viewer trust and media integrity.
In the next ‘Understanding HbbTV’ article, we explore how regulation, governance, and industry collaboration help support a fair and transparent hybrid TV ecosystem.
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