One of the key factors in creating a true multi-device pay OTT TV service lies within the ability to secure and optimize the delivery of premium content, regardless of the technology at hand.

This approach has not been overlooked by the major DRM vendors with Widevine and Microsoft (PlayReady) declaring their solution to be platform independent. The ability of one DRM vendor to deliver to multiple devices undermines the necessity of a designated, multi DRM aggregator. However, it is hard to imagine that the ever-growing market of consumer electronics will end up un-fragmented. Therefore, until we will witness the existence of a true Omni-present DRM a service relying on the ability of one DRM to adapt will at the best case scenario, suffer some lagging upon any introduction of a new platform to the OTT market.

In the 1970s a new television information service was introduced in the UK – Teletext. It offered a range of text-based information that typically included national, international and sporting news, weather and TV schedules and made a significant impact on the TV industry at the time. About 40 years later, its High Definition successor has been found, in the form of HbbTV – Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV – that regulates the interaction and convergence between two mass mediums – internet and TV. HbbTV services and products are already available in Germany and are scheduled to launch in other countries in 2011. Therefore, and in light of the fact Tvinci is currently implementing its first HbbTV compliant service for a large European operator, we thought it could be a good idea to disperse the fog around this increasingly important standard.