Q&A - Standards

Which standards are chosen for the NorDig specifications?
What is DVB?
What is MHP?
What is Common Interface?
Why are open standards necessary?
What is EU´s opinion of open standards?

Which standards are chosen for the NorDig specifications?

To achieve the strategic goals of the NorDig organisation some standards had to be chosen.

These comprise:

 What is DVB?

The European DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) www.dvb.org

Since the DVB project was established in 1993, it has produced a large family of specifications for almost every aspect of digital broadcasting. Numerous DVB-type services have been introduced since then in Europe and world-wide, and the number of services on the air is growing exponentially. Today DVB is the global solution for digital television and related multimedia services.

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 What is MHP?

Multimedia Home Platform (MHP) is a part of the DVB Project comprising the home terminal (set top box, TV, PC), its peripherals and the in-home digital network.

From a service and application point of view enhanced broadcasting, interactive services and internet access are covered. The intention is to develop standards and guidelines to create a basis for an non-fragmented horizontal market in Europe. MHP is a sophisticated Java-based API that is completely independent of the hardware platform it is running on. The idea is that it will enable content to be authored once and "run" anywhere, promoting competition and transparency in the marked.

A crucial role is played by the Application Programming Interface (API).

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 What is Common Interface?

Common Interface is a standardised interface between the set top box and a PCMCIA module. The PCMCIA module is generally used for the DVB descrambling and includes a smart card reader. (The PCMCIA module might also have other functions).

Common Interface makes multicrypt possible. Multicrypt is the method to open the same box for several proprietary conditional access (CA) systems by changing CA modules (CAMs).

To ensure security and to avoid piracy it is regarded necessary to allow the CA systems to be proprietary.

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Why are open standards necessary?

In the current pioneering phase, several vertical markets have been established, in which a single service provider or a single group of service providers controls the business (value) chain. These markets are characterised by the use of proprietary APIs. The inevitable problem has arisen that applications and set top boxes using different APIs are incompatible with each other. An end-user wanting to have access to all the Nordic services available today would have to buy several set top boxes. This forms a considerable road block in building full confidence of consumers in the future of digital TV services. Full confidence of consumers and the final breakthrough of DVB and NorDig will only be achieved in a common horizontal market with full competition enabled by clearly defined interfaces between the various layers of the business chain and with a standardised receiver/home terminal (set top box, integrated TV set, PC) based on a common API.

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 What is EU´s opinion of open standards?

The European Parliament made two amendments at the beginning of March to the first reading of two draft directives aimed at harmonising the telecommunications sector. The first amendment to the Framework, Access and Interconnection directive said that all digital interactive television services in the EU should use a standardised applications programming interface. "All digital interactive TV services open to the public in the community whether by cable, satellite or terrestrial means shall use an API which has been standardised by a recognised European standardisation body," read the amendment. The implication is that the EU should adopt the Multimedia Home Platform (MHP).

The other amendment insisted that all set-top boxes sold from January 2002 should have a mandatory common interface installed so that the decoder could access all transmission systems.

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