Tag: Sustainability

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Collaboration, innovation and debate: inside the HbbTV Symposium 2025 unconference

Posted on by Matthew Huntington

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.

HbbTV innovation showcase: quickfire presentations from the HbbTV Symposium 2025

Posted on by Matthew Huntington

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

The presentation slides are also available to download: Download the presentation

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

The presentation slides are also available to download: Download the presentation

The new ZDF streaming portal

Amelie Jakob, Product Owner HbbTV, ZDF

Amelie Jakob, Product Owner HbbTV, ZDF

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

The presentation slides are also available to download: Download the presentation

Advancing HbbTV interoperability: latest developments in the CTA WAVE Streaming Media Test Suite

Louay Bassbouss, Senior Project Manager R&D, Fraunhofer FOKUS

Louay Bassbouss, Senior Project Manager R&D, Fraunhofer FOKUS

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

The presentation slides are also available to download: Download the presentation

Tracking global adoption of HbbTV with ADB

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

The presentation slides are also available to download: Download the presentation

Next in the series

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 

From unconference to implementation: How HbbTV Symposium 2025 ideas are becoming reality

Posted on by Matthew Huntington

The HbbTV Symposium has long been the place where the industry’s latest developments are presented and debated. Increasingly, however, it is the unconference on the second day that provides the spark for future innovation.

Unlike traditional conference presentations, the unconference brings together broadcasters, manufacturers, technology providers, standards experts and developers to explore emerging ideas through collaborative discussion. The objective is not simply to present completed work, but to identify challenges, share experiences and build consensus on where the industry should head next.

Around six months after the 2025 HbbTV Symposium in Istanbul, the HbbTV Association hosted a follow-up webinar bringing together the hosts of unconference sessions to answer one important question:

What happened next?

Representing broadcasters, technology providers, standards organisations and research institutions from across the HbbTV ecosystem, the speakers demonstrated how ideas first explored in Istanbul have since developed into open-source projects, commercial deployments, new study missions and ongoing specification work. The webinar highlighted that the unconference is far more than a discussion forum, it is increasingly becoming a catalyst for technical collaboration across the HbbTV community.

AI for Smarter TVs moves from concept to implementation

Presented by Rafael Bermúdez (3Cat) and Bram Tullemans (European Broadcasting Union)

Artificial Intelligence was one of the most popular topics at last year’s Symposium, and Rafael Bermúdez from 3Cat and Bram Tullemans from the EBU returned to explain how rapidly the work has progressed.

Since Istanbul, the team has demonstrated its DVB-I AI Agent at both DVB World and the EBU Horizons conference and has open-sourced its DVB-I Model Context Protocol (MCP) implementation, allowing developers across the community to contribute to the project.

The work has also evolved technically. The latest implementation makes use of WebAssembly to improve performance while reducing the operational cost of running AI services. Rather than relying solely on conversational interfaces, the demonstrations combine natural language interaction with familiar television user interface components, allowing viewers to ask questions while still benefiting from traditional programme information widgets.

Although formal standardisation work within HbbTV has not yet begun, the presenters emphasised that practical implementations are now emerging and that community participation will be essential before specification work can commence.

Application Discovery reveals a hidden opportunity

Presented by William Cooper (Service List Registry)

William Cooper provided one of the webinar’s most surprising updates by revisiting HbbTV’s Broadband Application Discovery mechanism.

Since taking responsibility for operating the HbbTV Service List Registry, his team has analysed the service logs generated by connected televisions around the world. The results reveal that approximately 10 million application discovery requests are received every day, with many originating from TV sets searching for HbbTV applications that do not exist.

Perhaps even more interesting is where these requests originate. Significant volumes are coming from countries not traditionally considered HbbTV markets, including millions of weekly requests from Indonesia.

The data suggests that large numbers of HbbTV-capable televisions are actively looking for interactive services, representing a potentially significant opportunity for broadcasters and application providers.

William encouraged broadcasters, manufacturers and HbbTV members to engage with the Service List Registry to better understand these emerging markets and explore how broadband application discovery could be used more effectively.

Expanding DRM conformance testing

Presented by Krzysztof Lis (Resillion)

Ensuring consistent implementation of Digital Rights Management remains critical to interoperability across HbbTV devices.

Krzysztof Lis from Resillion reported significant progress in expanding DRM conformance testing since the Symposium. The organisation has delivered seventeen Widevine test scenarios to the HbbTV Test Suite and has around thirty further scenarios prepared for review and implementation. Additional PlayReady test material is also progressing.

The scope of testing has also expanded to include advertising insertion within protected content, reflecting the increasing deployment of addressable advertising services.

Krzysztof highlighted that DRM conformance is becoming increasingly important as certification programmes evolve. Countries including Poland and Spain are expected to incorporate DRM compliance into national receiver certification programmes, making comprehensive testing more important than ever.

Building best practice for gamified television

Presented by Aylen Alonso (TVekstra)

Interactive advertising and gamification continue to gain momentum, and Aylen Alonso from TVekstra explained how commercial deployments are now demonstrating the value of these experiences.

Although the proposed industry playbook discussed during the unconference has not yet been produced, considerable commercial experience has since been gained.

Recent deployments have incorporated real-time data, API integrations, commerce functionality and increasingly personalised user experiences. The ambition is now to capture these lessons in a shared set of best practice guidelines covering interaction patterns, user experience design and performance benchmarks.

Such a playbook could help broadcasters and technology providers deliver consistent, engaging interactive experiences while accelerating adoption across different markets.

HbbTV for an All-IP future gathers momentum

Presented by Bram Tullemans (European Broadcasting Union)

One of the Symposium’s most strategically important discussions centred on how HbbTV should evolve for an All-IP future.

Bram Tullemans reported that the HbbTV All-IP Study Mission has now held around ten meetings and produced an initial draft document exploring how HbbTV could operate in environments without traditional broadcast transport streams.

The group is examining use cases, stakeholder requirements and possible architectural approaches before any specification work begins.

Importantly, Bram encouraged wider participation, reminding HbbTV members that the study mission remains open and that the direction of future work will benefit from broad industry involvement before recommendations are presented to the Steering Group.

Native DASH players versus JavaScript continues to evolve

Presented by Jon Piesing (HbbTV Association)

Although Jon Piesing was unable to participate fully due to technical difficulties during the webinar, an update was provided on progress since the Symposium.

The CTA WAVE Media Source Extensions (MSE) test suite has now been incorporated into the HbbTV Test Suite, strengthening interoperability testing.

Meanwhile, discussions continue around performance expectations and caching behaviour for JavaScript-based DASH players. A formal issue has now been raised within the HbbTV specification process, while joint discussions with DVB are being planned to ensure alignment between both organisations.

The debate between native DASH implementations and JavaScript-based players remains an important technical topic as streaming services continue to evolve.

Provenance and authenticity gain industry attention

Presented by Naomi Schoppa (Fraunhofer FOKUS)

As AI-generated media becomes increasingly sophisticated, verifying the authenticity and origin of television content is becoming an important challenge.

Naomi Schoppa highlighted the rapid progress being made around C2PA and other provenance technologies, pointing developers towards several new open-source toolkits that make experimentation significantly easier.

Fraunhofer FOKUS has also begun a major research project exploring how provenance and authenticity information could be integrated into HbbTV services and where it could provide the greatest value for broadcasters and viewers.

At the same time, DVB has restarted its Media Authenticity Study Mission, creating another opportunity for organisations interested in this emerging field to become involved.

Sign language services move towards deployment

Presented by Rafael Bermúdez (3Cat)

Returning for a second presentation, Rafael Bermúdez provided an update on 3Cat’s personalised sign language service.

Following successful demonstrations of WebAssembly-based sign language rendering, attention has now shifted towards standardisation.

Current HbbTV signalling mechanisms can indicate the presence of accessibility services but cannot describe personalised presentation requirements such as positioning, size or viewer preferences.

Discussions are therefore underway within the HbbTV Requirements Group, while parallel work is taking place within MPEG-DASH and DVB-I accessibility activities.

Most encouragingly, Rafael announced that production trials of the personalised sign language service are expected to begin shortly, marking the transition from research project to operational deployment.

Sustainable Streaming delivers a practical tool

Presented by Amelie Jakob (ZDF)

Perhaps the most tangible outcome presented during the webinar came from Amelie Jakob of ZDF.

Working with Fraunhofer FOKUS, ZDF has launched Green TV Buddy, a new feature within its streaming platform designed to help viewers reduce television energy consumption.

Using a comprehensive television database, the application identifies the user’s TV model and estimates its energy usage. It then provides tailored guidance, via a QR code, explaining how to activate the television’s energy-saving mode.

Alongside this deployment, wider sustainability work continues through ongoing research projects at Fraunhofer FOKUS, the Deutsche TV-Plattform (DTVP) Sustainability Task Force and DVB’s renewed Energy Efficiency activities.

Green TV Buddy demonstrates how HbbTV applications can actively encourage more sustainable viewing habits through simple but effective user interactions.

Preparing conformance testing for All-IP devices

Presented by Alex Russell (Everyone TV) and Ranjeet Kaur (DTG)

Alex Russell and Ranjeet Kaur discussed how conformance testing will need to evolve as tunerless All-IP television devices become more common.

The HbbTV Test and Conformance Study Mission continues to gather requirements while preparing a community survey covering future test applications, DRM reference applications and integration processes.

At the same time, the All-IP Study Mission is exploring how applications should be launched and discovered in environments without broadcast transport streams.

Together, these activities will ultimately shape the development of future HbbTV conformance testing for All-IP devices.

Improving coordination across testing ecosystems

Presented by Louay Bassbouss (Fraunhofer FOKUS) and Juha Joki (Sofia Digital)

Testing across HbbTV, CTA WAVE and DVB continues to expand rapidly, bringing both new capabilities and new coordination challenges.

Louay Bassbouss described improvements to version management within the CTA WAVE test suite, making it easier for HbbTV to reference specific releases consistently.

Juha Joki highlighted recent additions to the HbbTV Reference Application, including new DASH content supporting key rotation, HDR, AC-4, VVC and DVB-TA testing.

Looking ahead, Fraunhofer FOKUS is investigating how Generative AI could dramatically reduce the effort required to analyse the vast quantities of test data generated during Plugfests and interoperability events, a promising example of AI improving engineering productivity rather than simply enhancing user experiences.

TV shopping demonstrates measurable commercial results

Presented by Moritz Wuttke (Konodrac)

Moritz Wuttke concluded the webinar with one of the most commercially focused sessions.

Since the Symposium, Konodrac has conducted multiple real-world TV shopping trials, generating valuable insight into viewer behaviour.

One particularly striking finding showed that simply increasing the size of an on-screen QR code increased consumer engagement by around 160%.

Further analysis demonstrated that campaign performance also varies significantly according to the day of the week and time of day, reinforcing the importance of optimisation based on audience behaviour.

The company has also integrated with Shopify to simplify purchasing, while continuing to investigate synchronisation between television devices and mobile commerce platforms using household identification mechanisms.

The long-term objective is to make television shopping as seamless and intuitive as today’s leading e-commerce experiences.

Collaboration continues in Barcelona

As the webinar drew to a close, one message became increasingly clear.

The unconference is proving to be far more than an informal discussion forum. It has become an effective mechanism for initiating collaboration, shaping study missions, influencing specifications and accelerating practical innovation across the HbbTV ecosystem.

Many of the projects discussed during the webinar remain works in progress, but each demonstrates how conversations between broadcasters, manufacturers, standards bodies and technology providers can rapidly evolve into tangible outcomes.

That collaborative spirit will continue at the 14th HbbTV Symposium and Awards, taking place in Barcelona on 18-19 November 2026, where many of these initiatives are expected to return with new milestones, demonstrations and opportunities for the wider community to contribute.

If the progress reported during this webinar is any indication, the discussions that begin in Barcelona may well shape the next generation of HbbTV services.

Details on webinar and speakers here.  

Recording here. 

Strategies to reduce the carbon footprint across the value chain

Posted on by Matthew Huntington

As the media industry continues its shift from traditional broadcast to digital streaming, a pressing issue is gaining prominence: the environmental cost of streaming video. In response, the HbbTV Association recently hosted a well-attended webinar titled “Sustainability in Streaming – How to Reduce the Carbon Footprint,” featuring industry leaders and experts from Greening of Streaming, the EBU, Deutsche Telekom, Fraunhofer FOKUS, and the LoCaT Project. With over 125 registrants, the event underscored the sector’s growing awareness of the environmental implications of video delivery and the collective responsibility to act.

Measuring the Problem: Where Does the Energy Go?

Ben Schwarz, President of Greening of Streaming, opened the session by underscoring the sheer complexity of the streaming delivery chain, often involving up to 60 devices between content encoding and end-user consumption. Greening of Streaming, a member-driven non-profit organisation, has developed the REM (Remote Energy Measurement) platform, enabling real-time energy monitoring across various stages of the delivery chain, from encoding to telcos and CDNs, all the way to consumer devices.

Their measurements are already uncovering surprising insights. For example, encoding with H.265 rather than H.264 significantly increases power consumption, and devices using video conferencing applications like Zoom can draw 10 watts more power when video is enabled. Even seemingly minor elements, such as the colour and brightness of a video, can contribute to measurable differences in device energy use, especially when scaled to millions of devices. As Schwarz highlighted, “Streaming at scale makes every milliwatt count.”

The Broadcaster’s Dilemma: Losing Control in a Fragmented Ecosystem

Hemini Mehta, Senior Sustainability Lead at the EBU, offered a broadcaster’s view, reflecting both the opportunities and uncertainties in transitioning to greener streaming. The European picture is nuanced: while traditional TV still dominates video consumption in countries like Italy, France, and Germany, viewership among younger audiences is declining, particularly in the UK. This generational shift toward streaming services brings with it significant sustainability challenges.

Mehta noted a major gap in broadcasters’ ability to assess and report emissions: the lack of reliable energy data from end-user devices. Despite knowing that consumer devices typically consume more energy than the entire delivery chain, broadcasters have little insight into the power draw of different TV models or streaming scenarios. Compounding this issue is the challenge of defining “scope 3” emissions: should the energy used by a viewer’s television fall under the broadcaster’s carbon accounting?

She also raised a tension between energy efficiency and creative intent. Efforts to darken screen images, reducing energy use without affecting viewer perception, are promising, with BBC research suggesting potential savings of up to 20%. Yet any modifications to picture quality can risk infringing on artistic direction, particularly in premium content genres. Broadcasters, as custodians of brand and quality, need visibility and control over any alterations made during playback, something not always guaranteed in the current ecosystem.

The Case for Broadcast: Energy Efficiency at Scale

Vincent Grivet, HbbTV Chairman as well as Founder and Coordinator  of the LoCaT Project, presented striking data quantifying the environmental cost of TV delivery. According to LoCaT’s 2020 study, European viewers watched nearly 300 billion hours of TV annually, with DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television) accounting for half of that. However, DTT used only 10% of the energy required across all platforms, compared to 50% from OTT streaming services, which delivered only one-third of total viewing.

This discrepancy highlights the immense efficiency of broadcast over IP-based delivery. Replacing DTT with OTT for live television would require an estimated net 19000 gigawatt hours more electricity, roughly the output of 1.5 nuclear power plants, and potentially add €7.7 billion in telecom network costs annually. The carbon impact would also rise significantly.

Grivet proposed that rather than abandoning broadcast, the industry should enhance it using HbbTV and DVB standards. HbbTV enables broadcasters to offer interactive services, addressable advertising, and application-style UIs through specifications like HbbTV Targeted/Addressable Advertising (HbbTV-TA) and HbbTV Operator Application (HbbTV OpApp). DVB-I and multicast adaptive bitrate streaming (DVB-MABR) were also cited as tools to bring broadcast-grade efficiency to connected devices. A hybrid “push and cache” model for VOD, combining broadcast delivery with local caching, could further reduce energy consumption by an estimated 920 kilotons of CO₂.

Devices in the Spotlight: Where the Power Really Goes

Robert Seeliger, Senior Project Manager Future Applications and Media Sustainability Lead at Fraunhofer FOKUS  emphasized the importance of understanding and optimizing energy use at the device level, especially given that consumer devices account for more than 80% of total energy use across the streaming chain. The German research institute’s  Green Streaming project is developing an automated measurement framework that evaluates energy use across various content attributes (e.g. brightness, bitrate), device properties (screen technology, energy modes), and network conditions.

A key takeaway: reducing bandwidth or resolution has limited energy benefits on modern TVs and smartphones, as decoding is highly efficient. The screen itself is the main energy draw, especially for OLED and LCD devices. Enabling built-in energy-saving modes yields the most significant reductions, often more than 20%.

Fraunhofer FOKUS has even developed a client-side solution, GreenView, which uses an intelligent overlay to subtly darken video without degrading the perceived quality. Early trials show 15–20% energy savings without compromising user experience. However, the lack of standardised APIs for devices to communicate their energy modes or settings hampers broader implementation.

To address this, Seeliger called for an industry-wide push, potentially within HbbTV, to define and standardise energy-related APIs that could give applications insight into device settings and enable optimisations that respect both viewer quality and environmental targets.

Distribution Networks: Rethinking Idle Capacity and Efficiency

The final presentation by Peter Pogrzeba, Senior Project Manager, Deutsche Telekom Laboratories, focused on the distribution side of streaming, particularly the energy consumption of network infrastructure. He introduced two models for evaluating network efficiency: the energy intensity model and the generic power model. The former links energy use to data transfer rates, while the latter considers power consumption over time, offering a more realistic picture.

One surprising insight: telecom networks consume 70–80% of their total energy even at low load levels. This makes network utilisation a critical factor, idle capacity equals wasted energy. Strategies like component hibernation and scheduled shutoffs during off-peak hours are thus essential for energy-efficient operations.

Pogrzeba ’s analysis showed that fibre is the greenest access technology for streaming, with the lowest operational energy consumption per gigabyte. However, satellite remains the most energy-efficient method for broadcasting, due to its wide reach and shared delivery. He concluded by reinforcing that device CPEs (customer premises equipment) continue to dominate energy usage across both fixed and mobile networks.

A Call for Collaboration and Innovation

The presentations made it abundantly clear that improving the sustainability of streaming is not a task for any single actor. Instead, it requires tight collaboration between broadcasters, manufacturers, telecom operators, standardisation bodies, and software developers. Several recurring themes emerged:

  • Transparency is key: Without reliable data and measurement frameworks, sustainability efforts are blindfolded. Metrics must be shared openly across the value chain.
  • Focus on the 80%: Since end-user devices consume the lion’s share of energy, optimising them presents the largest opportunity for impact.
  • Leverage broadcast: Transitioning live TV to OTT is not only costly but carbon intensive. Hybrid solutions that preserve the strengths of broadcast while meeting modern UX expectations offer a sustainable path forward.
  • Standardise energy controls: APIs and device metadata must be developed and adopted to enable service providers to make energy-aware decisions without compromising user experience.
  • Creative responsibility: Stakeholders across content production and distribution must engage with the creative community to balance sustainability with artistic vision.

The Road Ahead

The HbbTV community is uniquely positioned to drive progress across many of these fronts. Its standards enable hybrid approaches that combine the best of broadcast and broadband, while its technical ecosystem supports innovation in metadata, device control, and user experience. As was highlighted throughout the webinar, small changes (e.g. better encoding practices, energy-saving modes, caching strategies) can yield enormous energy and carbon savings when applied at scale.

Looking ahead, there is a strong appetite for continuing this dialogue. The upcoming HbbTV Symposium in Istanbul (November 12–13) will provide another opportunity to explore these issues in greater depth and with a broader set of stakeholders.

Until then, one thing is clear: sustainability in streaming is no longer optional, it’s an imperative. And by working together, the media industry can meet its responsibility to both entertain and protect the planet.

Matthew Huntington
Manager of the HbbTV Developer Programme

Webinar announcement: Sustainability in streaming

Posted on by Matthew Huntington

How to reduce the carbon footprint

The rising demand for video streaming is driving significant energy consumption and carbon emissions. As the industry seeks sustainable solutions, standards and technologies play a crucial role in reducing environmental impact without compromising quality and user experience.

Our next webinar on Wednesday, 14 May, 10:00-11:00 CEST will explore how industry standards such as HbbTV, DVB-I, and DASH contribute to sustainability in streaming. Experts will present the latest research findings, discuss best practices, and share real-world experiences in reducing the carbon footprint of video delivery. We will also highlight the importance of consumer awareness and education in fostering sustainable viewing habits and look ahead to future developments in eco-friendly streaming.

Agenda

  • The Role of Standards and Specifications – How HbbTV, DVB-I, and DASH contribute to energy-efficient streaming
  • New Research and Studies – Insights into the environmental impact of streaming and potential solutions
  • Experiences and Best Use Cases – Practical approaches from industry leaders in reducing carbon emissions
  • Consumer Awareness and Education – Encouraging sustainable viewing behaviours
  • Future Developments – Emerging trends and innovations for a greener streaming industry

Speakers

  • Robert Seeliger – Senior Project Manager Future Applications and Media & DAI Lead, Fraunhofer FOKUS
  • Peter Pogrzeba – Senior Project Manager, Deutsche Telekom Laboratories
  • Hemini Mehta – Senior Sustainability Lead, EBU
  • Vincent Grivet – HbbTV Chair & LoCaT Project
  •  Ben Schwarz – President, Greening of Streaming
  • Jörn Krieger – Moderator

Who should attend?

This webinar is designed for broadcasters, streaming service providers, technology vendors, policymakers, and sustainability advocates looking to understand and implement environmentally friendly streaming practices.

Register now to gain first-hand insights into sustainable streaming solutions for a greener digital ecosystem.