Interactive Services over Digital Broadcast and Cable Networks New technologies for the mass market October 1998, London Exploitable results from the world's largest interconnected trials of advanced communications - ACTS. Presenting technical strategies and exploitable technologies from Europe's leading players, in upgrading broadcast networks to carry fully interactive services to television sets and PCs. Results from the ACTS Programme of collaborative trials in terrestrial broadcast, satellite, satellite master antenna television, cable and microwave distribution networks. What are the technical strategies recommended by these leading players? What innovative mass market services are viable over upgraded digital broadcast networks? What speeds of Internet access? What new technologies are available, to add return channels to these networks? What lessons have been learned in trials with real users? Will the same networks deliver services to television sets and PCs? When is MPEG-4 coming and what are its benefits? Availability of chipsets and software for MPEG-2 and MPEG-4? How viable are open standards such as interactive DVB and DAVIC? How do they relate to the Internet? What is the role of ATM in residential and small business services? "Every household in Europe should be able to have fast access to the World Wide Web" - David Wood, Head of New Technology, European Broadcasting Union. Mission of this conference to present exploitable results from ACTS to provide a clear picture of emerging standards to help businesses to form technical strategies Results of collaborative trials The viability of the new technologies to deliver fully interactive services has been tested in extensive trials. Europe's leading companies and research establishments, represented in this conference, are collaborating in the ACTS Programme.
Page 2 Bound sets of conference papers Complete bound sets of speakers' papers are available from: IBC UK Conferences Ltd. Gilmoora House, 57-61 Mortimer Street, London W1N 8JX, UK. Telephone +44 (0) 171 453 5495 Fax +44 (0) 171 636 1976 Email cust.serv@ibcuk.co.uk Reference: "Interactive Services over Digital Broadcast and Cable Networks 26-27 Oct. 1998, Conference Manager Ms. Alison Lorimer." DAY ONE Chair: David Wood Head of New Technology European Broadcasting Union, Switzerland Keynote session Keynote speech: Trends in Networked Interactive Multimedia Speaker: John Fox Manager, Multimedia Services Business Unit BT Laboratories, UK The Work of ACTS in Interactive Multimedia the ACTS Programme multimedia handling tools return path technologies end-to-end multimedia services integration Speaker: Leon Van Noorden Co-ordinator of ACTS Multimedia Domain ACTS Central Office, European Commission DG XIII, Belgium Which Networks for Multimedia Services? evolution of networked multimedia services comparison of the network technologies what interactive services are feasible and when? Speaker: Professor Paul Van Binst University of Brussels, Belgium Strategies for Interactive Multimedia strategies for adding interactivity the Strategic Guidelines on multimedia networking from ACTS Speaker: Michele Morganti, Director of Advanced Research Italtel, Italy
Page 3 From research to commercial reality Emerging Standards for Interactivity over Broadcast Networks the main standards initiatives interactive DVB and DAVIC relationship to Internet standards Speaker: Renata Guarneri Project Manager, EURORIM Italtel, Italy The ATLANTIC project: preserving video and audio quality in an MPEG-coded environment techniques and components for television programme production and distribution based on MPEG coding of audio and video preservation of quality during decoding and recoding Speaker: Neil Gilchrist, Project Manager, Studio Group BBC Research and Development, UK Trials of interactive services Advanced Interactive Multimedia Services over Various Networks the AMUSE trials involving residential users in Germany, Italy etc. interactive services including fast Internet access from PCs or set-topss, Web TV and Switched Video Broadcasting Services viability of ADSL, HFC and Passive Optical Networks, using ATM end-to-end evolution of supporting software platforms Speaker: Georg Voss AMUSE project Deutsche Telekom Berkom GmbH Lessons from a Transnational Broadband Multimedia Trial the LEVERAGE field trials of a multimedia broadband network infrastructure broadband multimedia trial between France, Spain and UK high quality digital audio and video, multimedia courseware and dictionaries, videoconferencing and recording capabilities. system performance and commercial potential Speaker: Patrice Le Moing Business Manager CAP Gemini Telecom France Advanced Teleconferencing and Teleworking
Page 4 the ISABEL application, providing multi-media remote collaboration services in the areas of tele-education, telework, telemeetings and teleconference results of extensive trials in the RACE/ACTS Summer Schools, educational conferences distributed throughout Europe viability over a variety of types of network new terminal equipment, competitive advantages of ISABEL, and exploitation potential Speaker: Professor Juan Quemada City University, Madrid, Spain DAY TWO Chair: Michele Morganti Director of Advanced Research Italtel, Italy Strategies for interaction over broadcast networks Chairman's opening remarks The Options for Broadcast Interaction strategic options open to broadcasters to provide interactive services the INTERACT trial - adding return paths in DVB the most likely futures Speaker: David Wood Head of New Technology European Broadcasting Union, Switzerland Strategies for Interactive Multimedia in the Cable Sector current multimedia trends in cable across Europe interactive cable surveys carried out by the CATVDC project strategic issues that need to be addressed from a technical, commercial and operational standpoint Speaker: Richard Woollam Managing Partner The European Communications Network, UK Interactive trials on cable End User Requirements for Residential and Business Services over Cable Networks outcome of the IMMP trials in Finland, UK and cross-border videoconferencing and tele-education services evaluation of end-user requirements Speaker: Marie Kelman
Page 5 IMMP project Cable and Wireless Communications, UK Using Existing Cable Infrastructure for Broadband Bi-directional Communication architectures and evolution scenarios of HFC Access Systems typical services and applications ATHOC and AROMA field trials with real users Speaker: Dietrich Boettle Manager Hybrid Access Systems Alcatel Corporate Research Centre, Germany Super-videotelephony and Fast Internet on Cable TV Networks history and results of Super-videotelephony trials why Super-videotelephony and fast-internet are needed why conversational real-time symmetrical services are future safe for cable networks Speaker: John McEwan Project Manager, IBCoBN Northwold Systems & Services Limited, UK Satellite and wireless access Interactive Satellite Services Using a VSAT Return Path interactivity via satellite using the Ku-Ka band approach - the ISIS trials trial of Internet services, co-operative working, tele-education, newspaper distribution and telemedicine market potential and additional steps to be undertaken evolutionary scenario of this technology Speaker: Carlo des Dorides Head of Pilot Projects business unit Alenia Aerospazio, Italy A Satellite Master Antenna System with Return Channel the DIGISAT/S3M bi-directional SMATV system return channel via satellite using existing satellites operating in Ku band service trials: TV a la carte, near video-on-demand, pay-per-view, targeted advertising analysis of technical aspects, user satisfaction and market perspectives Speaker: Juan Ramón López Caravantes Project Engineer HISPASAT, Spain Advances in Interactive Broadband Wireless Technology interactive multimedia (video, Internet, data, telephony) to STBs and PCs CABSINET, a novel wireless infrastructure to overcome the major limitations of conventional LMDS / MVDS
Page 6 wireless distribution within the home / office non line-of-sight reception Speaker: Bob Flint Business Manager CRL, UK Broadband Wireless Access trials and activities at 42GHz within the CRABS program multichannel digital TV and interactive broadband services service and user requirements exploitable tecnologies, compatible with MPEG-2 and DVB Speaker: David Palmer Group Product Manager Philips Broadband Networks, UK MPEG-4 and mobile multimedia systems Software and Hardware for MPEG-4 from the EMPHASIS project high performance optimised MPEG-4 video and audio decoder software an integrated MPEG-4 receiver system architecture of a co-processor for the rendering and presentation of MPEG-4 objects in real video scenes real time MPEG-4 decoding, object based interactivity, 3D graphics and multi-user functionality. Speakers: Serge Gourrier Contract manager Laboratoires d'electronique Philips, France and Christoph Heer Project Scientist Siemens AG, Germany Integrating DAB and GSM for a Mobile Multimedia Communication System the MEMO trial of interactive multimedia services to fully mobile users associating GSM with DAB (up to 1.7 Mbit/s) interactive broadcast type services and individual, personal services technical and service trials Speaker: Wolfgang Klingenberg MEMO project Robert Bosch GmbH, Germany