The overall objective of HADA-TDT (Low Cost Test Tool for Interactive TV Applications) is to create a networked test environment shared by communities of iTV developers that allows then to easily try their applications in a real DTT system, supporting different consumer STB. In this way, HADA-TDT opens-up opportunities for small companies or free-lance professionals to participate in the DTT revolution, focusing on functional aspects of services and applications and avoiding expensive and long training on DTT systems technology.

Project Description

The project will promote the commercialisation of an economic solution enabling entities interested in creating digital services (information, transactions, surveys, Internet access, etc) for DTT, the rapid, easy and high quality application development, avoiding the costly investment on equipment and training required nowadays.

The main HADA-TDT scientific and technological objective is the development of a remote testing environment for MHP applications. Such environment, specifically designed to be used by developers and providers of MHP interactive applications will enable and facilitate the deployment and dissemination of the MHP standard, becoming a low cost tool for applications development and validation.

Objectives

The strategic objectives pursued by HADA-TDT are the following:

Design and exploitation of an innovative solution for assisted development and testing of DTT interactive services that:
- enable the use of conventional software development tools, and therefore the participation of software developers without specific knowledge in digital television.
- make it possible for the developer to exploit all the possibilities offered by the DTT interactive services, based on the MHP (Multimedia Home Platform) standard.
- ensure the correct operation of the application in a real DTT network, using receivers currently available in the market.
Promote the use of the DTT and in particular of the electronic services, facilitating job opportunities linked to the technology and social revolution brought by the deployment of the DTT in Spain at all levels: national, regional and local. Those areas with low technolgical development will be specially favoured.
Facilitate the development and access to the Information Society services to every citizen; specially to those with difficulties in the use of such services through other means less friendly than the television.
Open the possibility to establish technical and comercial partnerships with DTT operators (at national, regional of local level) and DTT equipment manufacturers.
Innovation in equipment control software and audiovisual communications in real time in distributed network environments.
Dissemination of technical results in national and international fora: DTT Technical Forum, VI Framework Programme Conferences, Telecom I+D, TECNIMAP, etc

Project Structure

Project Results

The main features of the developed environment are:

Remote development and testing environment supporting multiple developer, with access through an Intranet/Internet connection and a web browser.
Generation of a special-purpose DTT signal, with audio and video content and the applications provided by the interactive application developer.
MHP application testing, together with the audiovisual content, on multiple commercial DTT receivers, receiving on the developer console the same image as it would be obtained on the television screen, and permitting remote control of the receivers with immediate response.
Testing advanced MHP applications making use of the return channel.
Complete application examples and guided procedures, facilitating the use of the more complex features of the MHP standard
Report on the execution of the applications on the remote receivers, enabling debugging tasks.
Distribution of the generated DTT signal to the developer site, encapsulated in the IP connection, for its storage and/or local decoding. Decoding (by means of PC software receivers) enables local control of the interactive application, by the developer or a pilot user community.

Funded by the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce under the AVANZ@ Programme for the Promotion of Technical Research (PROFIT) - Ingenio2010