Expository framework of plausible opulence in DTT

Digital terrestrial TV (DTT) still matters after years of OTT evangelists predicting its irrelevance. For example, in France, digital terrestrial is as popular in Paris as in the remote countryside. Although various DTT standards focuses on the horizontal DTT market, which encompasses both broadcasters, DTT platform owners and the device (television set and set-top box, tablets, etc.), it would be vital if the vertical (pay TV) market participates in it. Zapping (i.e., channel switching, leaving the room, etc.) and, zipping (i.e., fast-forwarding) in the case of recorded shows, is a big problem for broadcasters and advertisers. As such the race for connectivity to 1.38 billion Indians have intensified in various broadcast platforms – linear as well as non-linear.

The interactive TV using Hbb TV standard and DVB-T2 or ATSC 3.0 may enable consumers to enjoy a variety of entertainment contents (main services), connected services like catch-up TV, EPG, video on demand (VoD), web TV, online games, soft services like SMS voting, on-screen chat, e-learning, etc., and t-commerce and application services like e-shopping, transaction and payment gateway, etc., through a single access point.

The DVB T2 offers channel capacity near to Shannon limits and the use of multiple physical layers (m-PLP), it allows service-specific robustness. ATSC 3.0 further enhances the channel capacity and more robustness using boot-strap technology. High tower and high power (HTHP) DTT signals give powerful platform to the broadcasters. It is useful for fixed, portable, and mobile application and delivers the best experience devices. Artificial intelligence (AI), cognitive computing, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) are exciting developments.

Digital radio and digital TV in terrestrial mode are innovating to meet the demand of listeners and viewers. There are stimulating features for the broadcasters, advertisers, equipment manufacturers, viewers, and listeners. Digital TV and radio could lead to positive upstream benefits in terms of increased time spent watching TV, interactive listening and greater demand for digital content. TV and radio in their new avatar will revolutionize with added features like e-learning, VoD, thematic contents, and targeted advertising, t-commerce, interactive programming, etc. Countries like Japan, South Korea, Italy, etc., have successfully harnessed these services using DTT networks.

Targeted advertising matches advertising content and viewer’s situation/interests with proficiency to create a stronger impact and provide a greater return on investment for the advertiser than broad delivery tactics. The DVB-TA (targeted advertising) specification are built on the back of the HbbTV standards, which provide the means to gather instant data about what someone is watching, and they also support the insertion of IP-delivered ads into a broadcast signal.

Some tablet options do not allow viewers to avoid advertisements, so the viewing behavior could be modeled by eliminating advertising viewing decision. The future research can extend micro targeting by taking into account competitive response and allowing optimal advertising.

The popularization and use of DTT with HbbTV has potential to empower small and large corporations, celebrities/entities, as well as ordinary people and they may build a platform to broadcast and reach information/contents to their own audience.

Broadcasters and other stakeholders have expectations from receiver manufacturers as well as from the government. Embedding of DVB-T2/ATSC 3.0 tuner with efficient antenna in mobile/tablets, sharing of SDK/AT commands of mobile tuner software for handshake of any broadcaster app for other applications are expectations from the receiver manufacturers. Regulation for mandatory provision of DTT-tuner and sharing of SDK/AT commands and subsidies on chipsets and tax holidays for some initial years may be expectations from the government. This may smoothly transform the broadcast for portable and mobile devices.

DTT HD services provide an opportunity to elevate the consistency, reliability, and quality of broadcast sound. E-governance, e-learning and e-commerce are three important offerings from DTT, which can revolutionize the communication world. The future of TV has never been brighter. It is probably the most exciting period we have been in, and change is only going to accelerate.