July 28, 2023

HbbTV expands Developer Portal

Geneva, July 28, 2023 – The HbbTV Association has updated its Developer Portal with two new sections: The blog and FAQ provide additional insights to developers of HbbTV applications.

The first blog post focuses on practical experiences when using the MPEG-DASH streaming protocol and the ISO base media file format (ISOBMFF) with HbbTV terminals. The second post contains a practical guide on handling the broadcast a/v object.

The first FAQ items provide details on avoiding typical pitfalls when developing HbbTV applications, national certification schemes, PlayReady client security levels and dash.js as well as the Fast Media Switch API and the switchMediaPresentation method.

Both sections will be regularly updated with new entries.

Developers are welcome to contribute items or subjects to the Developer Portal, share their experiences and discuss technical matters, both on GitHub and in the forum. The links and contact details can be found here.

The Developer Portal, which the HbbTV Association launched in March 2022, targets software developers looking for an introductory guide on how to programme and run HbbTV applications. The free service complements the comprehensive resources and specification details on the HbbTV website, making it easier for broadcasters, platform operators and app development partners to create compelling HbbTV applications, ensuring a great TV viewing experience.

Besides basic guidelines, the portal also contains technical information for advanced users. Tutorials explain functions such as setting up an on-screen message, handling the audio/video broadcast signal, interacting with the remote control or running an HbbTV application on a hybrid terminal.

The Developer Portal also includes documentation of the API reference, a resource section with details on the HbbTV DASH/DRM reference application, the HbbTV Test Suite, the hbbtv-dvbstream project and other tools, and a section with the latest news on the HbbTV specifications.

The HbbTV Developer Portal was initiated by the HbbTV Association’s Marketing and Education Working Group (MEWG) and developed by App Stream, a software development company based in Zagreb, Croatia, in collaboration with experts from the HbbTV Association.