PHILIPS SUPPLY DVB-MHP TECHNOLOGY TO B&O

PHILIPS Digital Networks and Bang & Olufsen (B&O), one of Denmark’s leading multimedia consumer electronics manufacturers, have announced the agreement for Philips to supply DVB Multimedia Home Platform (MHP) technology to B&O.
The Danish company will employ Philips’ DVB-MHP technology in two new lines of integrated digital TV (iDTV) sets. The launch is expected in 2002.
B&O, famous for their technological excellence and innovative product design, are the first company to licence Philips’ DVB-MHP technology and deploy that technology in a satellite iDTV. DVB-MHP will be available as a digital satellite module for two product concepts. B&O iDTV sets will be offered with a number of standard residential applications. These include an electronic service guide (ESG), comprehensive menu functionality, and an application manager for downloadable applications.
Announced at last year’s IBC, Philips licenses MHP middleware and application technologies to create added value for partners and customers among service and network providers, content owners, application developers and consumer electronics manufacturers. In so doing, Philips are the first company to deploy MHP technologies to third parties and is generally acknowledged as the market leader in the MHP by the digital TV industry.
DVB-MHP is an open interactive broadcasting standard on top of Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB), that will be the bridge between broadcast and Internet. It offers a common application programming interface (API), which is open to anyone to apply. It allows digital television service providers to develop compelling interactive content and services that will run on DVB-MHP receivers. (CD)