HbbTV 2.0 goes a step forward by formally been adopted by ETSI as an international standard for hybrid broadcast broadband TV.

The latest HbbTV 2.0 release adds support for new capabilities including companion device support, HTML5 user experience and support for advanced video delivery features such as Ultra HD and High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) to enhance the consumer experience. The HbbTV standard allows creation of TV services that combine broadcast and over-the-top content.

To date, over 20 countries have launched HbbTV services. These services enable consumers to access a broader range of content which enhances the broadcast programme including advanced interactive services such as news, catch-up TV, video-on-demand, electronic programme guide, and interactive advertising. This is a breakthrough technology as broadcasters find new paths to monetize and get a better ROI.

Users can access these services through connected TVs, set-top boxes, and through the connection with a companion screen, on smart phones, computers and tablets. Products and services using the HbbTV standard can operate over different DVB broadcasting technologies, such as satellite, cable, or terrestrial networks.

The newly released version of HbbTV 2.0 specification includes enhanced features such as HTML5, HEVC for broadband-delivered video and Timed Text Markup Language for broadband-delivered subtitles. It also adds support for communication and synchronisation between a TV and a related application on a smart phone or tablet making it easier to create innovative second screen applications.

Sales and Marketing teams can now add new subscription services like PANDORA, SPOTIFY, NETFLIX, ROKU or even YOUTUBE RED together with INTERACTIVE VIDEO ADVERTISING to their TV viewers.

HbbTV offers TV-viewers a great new experience with enhanced engagement tools and a total user immersion and brand loyalty.

ETSI produces globally-applicable standards for Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), including fixed, mobile, radio, aeronautical, broadcast and internet technologies and is officially recognized by the European Union as a European Standards Organization.

In addition, Opera TV announced that Humax‘s new set-top boxes, unveiled last week, will be the first live deployment of its HbbTV 2.0 SDK. Humax’s new set-top boxes are the first Freeview-Play-enabled devices. The Freeview Play service on Humax set-top boxes uses the latest HbbTV specification, giving U.K. viewers easy access to both linear and on-demand content, including catch-up TV services such as BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, Channel 4’s All 4, and Channel 5’s Demand 5.