, Author at HD Forum Italia

The States-General continue

Mon, 03 Jun 2019 13:34:02 +0000

The HDFI General States opened in Salerno last September, in the shape of a technical consultation among delegates from all HDFI Associates, to meditate on the evolution of the use of television media over the next decade. The event had been preceded by a due market investigation prepared by IHS Markit and shared during the meeting.
The activity continues in 2019 with a second survey, conceived and managed directly by HDFI along with the wave of what emerged last year, through a web questionnaire of about thirty questions, to which a sample of three hundred guests responded, technology experts in the field of media, audiovisual, and information technology. A new session of the States-General will take place in Lucca on June 6th and will examine a preview of the investigation results. The meeting is reserved for a representative delegation from all HDFI Associates and for a number of selected potential future associates, with a significant presence in new emerging sectors, such as OTT, 5G, AI, Big Data, and Blockchain operators. These topics are increasingly important in the near future television supply ecosystem, as well as the ability to measure, profile and guide consumption trends, both at the content and device level.
Plenty of results will be studied, reworked, and organized by the same IHS over the next few months. IHS will release a document, as the basis of an HDFI booklet with the title “Age of Disruption”, scheduled for presentation at the next annual HDFI conference, in Rome, this autumn. The booklet will outline the macro-trends highlighted by the survey and the main consequent actions for a multi-year HDFI agenda.

The post The States-General continue appeared first on HD Forum Italia.

Milan will be the venue for the next Annual Conference of HD Forum Italia

Thu, 04 Oct 2018 11:34:34 +0000

The important event of the Annual Conference of HD Forum Italia was held on 25th and 26th October 2018 in the splendid scenery of the Grand Hotel Villa Torretta.
A very awaited appointment, also to take stock of the most current issues and look at the future and the new fronts of blockchain, artificial intelligence, 5G, and Ultra High Definition.
The two “keystones” that guided the development of this event were the “Ultra HD: Beyond the television screen” and the “Guide Thought: Trends towards the Real World”.

The main themes, addressed by the distinguished invited speakers were:
The ecosystem of Italian television and the reconfiguration of 2022
The vision of the Italian Authority
The future of OTT distribution
Trends of the public

The association had the immense pleasure to present the HbbTV Competent Center during the event.

Of particular value, the presentation was presented by IHS Markit, a company specialized in the analysis of the media sector and technologies, which on commission of HDFI had the honor to present the important results of the sector of great interest to the industry, the manufacturers, broadcasters, technology development companies, and stakeholders.

The post Milan will be the venue for the next Annual Conference of HD Forum Italia appeared first on HD Forum Italia.

HD Forum Italia brings the General States on September 27th and 28th 2018 in Salerno

Wed, 08 Aug 2018 11:38:35 +0000

The meeting was designed to project the Association over the next 10 years through an industry study, developed in collaboration with the international research company IHS Markit and the active debate among the Associates.
The intention is to reveal the elements that will guide the evolution of the audiovisual communication sector in the next decade and will allow the Forum to be prepared to renew its commitment to new technological challenges. The trends of the digital age of the media will be studied in relation to the current technological scenario and with respect to the evolutionary projections that the industry, broadcasters, distribution operators and the supply chain will all want to compare.
The event will see the contribution and participation of important sector players:
the prestigious University of Salerno – Department of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, which will host the first day of the event at the “Campus Fisciano” and will support the research of HDFI also contributing with the studies that the same university has already undertaken with respect to the evolutionary technologies of audiovisual.
Will also partecipate:

Representatives from the 25 member companies will be attending, who will focus their interventions on the trends to be undertaken for the transformation of HDFI. The outcome of the General States will be elaborated and presented at the Annual Conference of HDFI which will be held in Milan on 25 and 26 October 2018.

The post HD Forum Italia brings the General States on September 27th and 28th 2018 in Salerno appeared first on HD Forum Italia.

Press Release UHD BOOK 1.0 – Unified Volume

Tue, 19 Dec 2017 16:47:08 +0000

The “holistic” vision of cross-platform TV. The new NGX paradigm: very high definition for images, audio and interactivity.

Download the press release

Rome, 19 December 2017 – A new leading-edge contribution on the “Vision of the TV of the Future” is announced today by HD FORUM ITALIA (HDFI), with the release of Ultra HD BOOK 1.0 – Unified Volume, prepared in collaboration with Confindustria Radio TV (CRTV). This technical compendium is the latest in a series containing specifications for manufacturers of television receivers, to meet the requirements of the multi-platform TV system in Italy.
As a result of the activities of the Joint Technical Group (a technical body set up within HDFI), the Book is a breakthrough contribution to the development of Ultra HDTV, in the frontline promoting the uptake of international standards that include new image (HDR, WCG, HFR) and sound (NGA) technologies.
The Ultra HD Book 1.0 – Unified Volume represents a new generation of specifications that considers a “holistic” television through the cross-platform concept – satellite, terrestrial and broadband – to guarantee to the users a unique, integrated, innovative and engaging experience, thanks to the extremely high definition of images, the immersive sound of latest generation and the performance provided by the interactivity with HbbTV 2.
The collection of technical specifications will guarantee consumers with a choice of innovative and durable technology, also in view of the technological changes concerning the first generation of terrestrial digital television, which will take place in 2022, so as to provide manufacturers with useful indications to introduce compatible TV receivers in the Italian market.
“Our ambition has always been to meet the future of technology and to safeguard the market and consumers from the risk of an evolution not governed by leading-edge standards widely shared by industry“, says Benito Manlio Mari, President of HDFI. “The Unified Volume is the result of a year of intense work which was contributed by eighty and more experts from all over the world. It has already attracted great interest from main international organizations such as DVB, EBU and HbbTV, and from the major Italian and European stakeholders“
Particularly innovative is the definition of the NGX paradigm – Next Generation Experience, meaning that Ultra High Definition, along with HDR, WCG, HFR, NGA and HbbTV 2 technologies, is a formidable mix of advanced solutions, applicable to video-shooting systems, to related audiovisual production equipment, to content already available in dedicated libraries, to TV receivers and to new generation screens. Solutions, which altogether show and stimulate a renewed user experience for the use of, and interaction with, contents and services.
“HbbTV association congratulates HDFI on the publication of UHD Book 1.0 – Unified Volume. The Association is excited to see the first specification that brings together broadcast UHD channels with HbbTV services. The Association is pleased that the UHD Books 1.0 includes all of HbbTV 2, which will strengthen its global rollout”, said Klaus Illgner, Chair of the HbbTV Association.
Ultra HD Book 1.0 – Unified Volume

Contacts:
Web: www.hdforumitalia.org – Email: info@hdforumitalia.org
Person responsible for press relations on behalf of HDFI:
Eugenio Bonanata +39 349 29 48 54 – eubonanata@gmail.com
About HD Forum Italia Association (www.hdforumitalia.org):
Founded for the purpose of promoting, supporting, presenting and disseminating the use of audiovisual and multimedia content, as well as high-definition products and technologies, the Association HD Forum Italia has followed the evolutionary path of High Definition, by producing important technical literature that gave rise to what we called HD Book collection: a series of guides, protocols and documents with specific recommendations that over the years have become a precious compass for broadcasters and manufacturers.

The post Press Release UHD BOOK 1.0 – Unified Volume appeared first on HD Forum Italia.

HD Forum Italia: satisfaction for the success of 6° HbbTV Symposium

Fri, 20 Oct 2017 15:23:44 +0000

HD Forum Italia expresses great satisfaction for the success of 6th HbbTV Symposium, held in Rome on October 17 and 18, at the Auditorium Antonianum, jointly promoted and organized by HbbTV and HDFI associations. Strengthening the link between the two entities, the event has allowed to orientate the technological path towards TV innovation, along a European dimension.
We registered more than 260 attendees, 40 speakers, widely representing the value chain of the audio-visual segment and 18 sponsors that animated a valuable exhibition area. Furthermore, thanks to the involvement of several representatives of the news sector, a vast remote audience of readers and viewers has been given visibility of the work done so far by the Italian technology media industry.
In the exhibition space, the new HbbTV2 platform has been shown at work in numerous demonstrations that have allowed ‘to touch’ the latest generation of interactive services through SmartTV and advance set top boxes. “The TVs that we will find in the Italian stores shelves in the coming months”, says Benito Manlio Mari, president of HD Forum Italia, “are the result of a new paradigm driven by technological convergence. The keywords are: Ultra HD, interactive, and hybrid. Also, multiplatform, since content feeding is jointly assured, in a way that is seamless for the user, by all signal distribution networks: digital terrestrial, satellite and IP.” Thanks to the work of HDFI, which is going to give soon its latest fruit with the Ultra HD Book 1.0, the TV becomes a holistic terminal by all effects.

The post HD Forum Italia: satisfaction for the success of 6° HbbTV Symposium appeared first on HD Forum Italia.

HD Forum Italia Governance Team reconfirmed. Benito Manlio Mari president

Tue, 10 Oct 2017 09:10:47 +0000

HD Forum Italia (HDFI) is proud to announce that the outgoing president, Benito Manlio Mari, has been unanimously reconfirmed at the top of the Association for the next three years. The Board of Governors also reconfirmed Sebastiano Trigila as vicepresident vicar. To complete the governance, four vice presidents have been reconfirmed as well: Luigi Rocchi; Marco Pellegrinato; Renato Farina; Marcello Berengo Gardin. Gino Alberico will continue to lead the HDFI working group.
“It is with great satisfaction,” said Mari, “that I welcome the trust I have been given by the Board of Directors. Together with our Board and Governance colleagues, we are aiming, as the primary objective of the next three years – to consolidate the role of HDFI as a reference player in front of regulators and legislators, for defining the technical specifications of television receivers intended for the Italian market.”
This is a necessary intermediation role not only in light of the technological evolution but, above all, in view of a new switch-off that our country is facing, with the goal of completion by 2022. “HDFI – stated Mr Mari – intends to offer its contribution to institutions for defining the 700Mhz bandwidth refarming roadmap. The Forum intends to provide its expertise to the technical panel expected to kick-off at the Ministry of Economic Development, by the end of the year, and to flank the sectoral industry associations in the works of the panel.”
The announcement comes just some days before the sixth Annual Conference of the HbbTV Association, organized in collaboration with HDFI, to be held on October 17 and 18 in Rome. The appointment, with the presence of experts and managers of the sector, from all over the world, marks the official launch in Italy of the interactive television platform based on the new HbbTV 2 standard.

The post HD Forum Italia Governance Team reconfirmed. Benito Manlio Mari president appeared first on HD Forum Italia.

HbbTV Interoperability Workshop

Mon, 03 Jul 2017 09:38:25 +0000

HD Forum Italia, in anticipation of the transition to the new interactive TV system, promoted the first Italian interoperability workshop for HbbTV 2: Hybrid broadband TV receivers, the second generation interactive middleware system that will replace the current one ( MHP) on TVs and STBs sold on the Italian market.
The event, which took place on June 29 and 30, offered manufacturers, developers, and broadcaster the opportunity to test, test, evaluate and test the features offered by HbbTV 2 on new receivers and for development Of applications and interactive services, both for future certification and the proper operation of such devices.
The effort in terms of preparation was significant and required a substantial commitment of resources and skills. The workshop was held in Milan, in the Mediaset testing laboratory configured for this purpose. The event marked a wide manifestation of interest.
Many operators took part in the HbbTV Workshop interoperability. Among the manufacturers: LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, TP-Vision, and Vestel. Broacasters like Rai, Mediaset, Sky and TV. Application providers such as Archimedia, Pixels, and Fincons.
In September, the results of the tests will be published in neutral form. Thereafter, they will also be presented in October in Rome at the next HbbTV Symposium organized by HbbTV in partnership with HD Forum Italia.

The post HbbTV Interoperability Workshop appeared first on HD Forum Italia.

HbbTV, the European standard for interactive TV in Italy

Sat, 17 Jun 2017 08:05:11 +0000

In this interview, Marco Pellegrinato, vice president of HD Forum Italia, explains how adopting the HbbTV 2.0.1 standard for interactive TV services – that will gradually replace MHP – will affect the domestic television market. “HDFI expects HbbTV 2.0.1 to be a huge success, bringing positive knock-on effects in terms of sales and new services for users.”
Marco Pellegrinato, HD Forum Italia has just released HD Book 4.0. What is it about?
“Technically speaking, it’s about adopting the new HbbTV 2.0.1 standard for interactive TV services offered by broadcasters on connected TVs and set-top boxes. We are talking about hugely popular applications in the field of OTT services: all the way from so-called Catch-up TV, such as Rai Replay, La 7 On Demand, Mediaset OnDemand, through to Pay per View, such as Infinity, Premium Play, etc. All these services so far have been created using another interactive standard, called MHP, which was adopted in Italy in 2004 in the early years of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT).”
In which sector will the impact of HD Book 4.0 be most evident?
“It will have a major impact primarily on the manufacturing industry. The reason is simple: given that HbbTV 2.0.1 is a Europe-wide common standard (which also reaches beyond EU borders), from now on TV manufacturers will no longer have to create specific products for Italy. Indeed, in Italy, unlike the rest of Europe, the MHP standard has remained in force until today. So, looking ahead, we expect the volume of products on the Italian market that are compatible with HbbTV 2.0.1 to carry on increasing.”
What will change for users?
“After an initial start-up phase, as of next year, users will be able to purchase more modern receivers while still continuing to take advantage of current services converted by broadcasters into the new HbbTV 2.0.1 technology. Its intrinsic similarity to HTML5 Web technology means that the number of services provided to users will tend to increase. This is also because, with HTML5, new operators and application providers will be able to offer their services more easily on Smart TV and set-top-boxes.”
What kind of consequences will there be for broadcasters?
“Broadcasters will of course be able to conform to the new technology when and how they wish, converting their interactive applications from MHP to HbbTV 2.0.1. However, it’s reasonable to assume that for a number of years the two standards will coexist in simulcasts, with the aim of continuing to serve all those still using devices based on MHP technology.”
What are you hoping for?
“We hope HbbTV 2.0.1 will be a huge success, bringing positive knock-on effects in terms of sales and new services for users. And in order to support the implementation of these services, at HDFI last year we helped set up a specific body called the “HbbTV Competence Center”, made up of specialist systems integration companies.”
When will the new specifications for Ultra HD be coming out?
“We will do that as soon as possible, with the forthcoming publication of the collection, that will seal this epochal paradigm shift: the transition to Ultra HD, which television is undergoing around the world, including the ratification of the latest complementary technologies to UHD, i.e. HDR, HFR, WCG and Enhanced Audio. Until now we have focused on protecting consumers by starting off from the most consolidated standards in the market such as Full HD progressive – i.e., true HDTV – rather than a standard whose products were not yet fully ready and interoperable. The next volume will in fact be called Ultra HD Book 1.0, and will be the first release integrated with a new technological approach: a “platform-agnostic” vision. The released will be announced at the next HDFI Conference in October.”

The post HbbTV, the European standard for interactive TV in Italy appeared first on HD Forum Italia.

First edition of the Italian Ultra HD Book coming soon

Fri, 16 Jun 2017 10:02:43 +0000

At the European Digital Forum 2017, in Lucca, Vice President Marco Pellegrinato presented the activities of the ‘Joint Technical Group’ – a working body established within HDFI – with a view to the publication of the Ultra HD Book 1.0, the latest in a series of documents that contain technical specifications Intended for the manufacturers of television reception apparatus for the Italian market.
The Ultra HD Book 1.0, resulting from a joint effort with international regulatory bodies and sector representatives, is the first instance of a series dedicated to the Ultra HD universe, in light of the progress achieved in standardizing the new technologies in image (HDR, WCG, HFR) and sound (NGA). It is also the first volume that expresses the paradigm of a multi-platform TV that treats in a unified approach the characteristics of the satellite, digital terrestrial and IP television universe.

The post First edition of the Italian Ultra HD Book coming soon appeared first on HD Forum Italia.

HD Forum Italia initiatives in 2017 start at European Digital Forum in Lucca

Thu, 15 Jun 2017 08:02:58 +0000

A demo aerea and a panel for an open discussion on the evolutionary scenarios of the audiovisual landscape

The Italian initiatives of the HD Forum Italia (HDFI) are under way, after the participation in the MIPTV in Cannes in April. They start from the European Forum Digital 2017 in Lucca on Thursday and Friday (15 and 16 June), where HDFI organizes various activities starting with a panel scheduled in the afternoon of the first day of the event and the exhibition of the HDFI Technology Center, A demonstration area aimed at the presentation of latest generation audiovisual devices. Two key moments to make the point on the Ultra High Definition path, from production to distribution and reception of audiovisual content. Focus on HDR; WCG; HFR and NGA, in the wake of industry projections of the potential of these technologies. An open debate, inspired by the passion of HDFI community members and the efforts that large groups are already doing to implement new production infrastructures and new platforms for terrestrial, satellite and broadband distribution. There will also talks on ‘Next Generation Audio’, the new sound size incorporating a variety of techniques designed to offer a more and more advanced experience.

The post HD Forum Italia initiatives in 2017 start at European Digital Forum in Lucca appeared first on HD Forum Italia.