The DTG has published the latest version of the D-Book, the only universally deployed technical standard for TV and digital terrestrial television (DTT) in the UK.
The D-Book is updated annually with the collaboration of industry, underpinning Freeview, YouView, Freesat, EE TV, BT TV and TalkTalk TV.
D-Book 11 changes and updates include:
- RF test process update – As the 700MHz clearance project continues, the RF test process has been updated to test LTE co-existence performance in the 700MHz band instead of the 800MHz band. This will ensure that TVs are ready for the arrival of 5G mobile services in the coming years. Some test points that are no longer relevant due to the way modern receivers are built have also been removed.
- HEVC, HDR and HFR requirements – While there are no published plans for the introduction of broadcast services to exploit HEVC, HDR and HFR, many TVs support them. D-Book 11 provides requirements for implementation where receivers support the technologies for broadcast. This is backed up by test coverage in the DTG Testing test suite. The aim of this is to prepare a large portion of installed receivers for a potential future service introduction.
- Alignment with HbbTV 2.0.2 and DVB-DASH – Since the publication of D-Book 10, there have been several key updates published in the specifications backing D-Book (including HbbTV 2.0.2 and DVB DASH), and as a result, parts of the HbbTV requirements have been removed and are now aligned with published specifications.
- Removal of Standard Definition device profiles – Freeview withdrew its logo from Standard Definition (SD) TVs and set-top boxes in January 2017. Therefore the two SD TV device profiles for receivers and recorders have been removed, leaving only High Definition device profiles.
Richard Lindsay-Davies, CEO of the DTG said; “DTG has been specifying every television in the market for more than two decades, ensuring viewers enjoy a world-class experience. The pace of change and complexity for our industry increases every year, with PSB prominence and new technologies being discussed in Parliament. It is now more important than ever that industry collaborates to sustain the delivery of cutting technology with the levels of performance, quality, resilience and universality they expect from UK television. Bridging the old with the new and delivering a world-leading television experience for consumers wherever they are, on whatever device”
Guy North, Managing Director, Freeview said; “In an increasingly complex market, the Freeview trademarks continue to provide consumers with the reassurance that they are purchasing a high-quality product. The D-Book ensures that all devices conforming to the new specification, and that carry the Freeview brand, will deliver consumers the very best viewing experience.”
D-Book 11 offers some major updates over D-Book 10 and the DTG team thanks all who have contributed. The D-Book 11 is available to DTG Members for FREE and can be downloaded from https://dtg.org.uk/publication/d-book/. Non-DTG Members can purchase the D-Book for £50,000.
About The D-Book
The DTG has published the D-Book since 1996, updating the specification annually to keep apace of the development of UK DTT. The D-Book defines the DTT platforms in the UK and provides requirements for interoperability in clear, unambiguous language. Based on international standards it is produced by a collaborative approach of industry experts. Where appropriate it delivers harmonisation with other international bodies, enabling manufacturers and service providers to deliver products to market.
About The DTG
The DTG is the self-funding UK collaboration centre for innovation in digital media technology, reaching industry, government, academia and international partners, set up with the purpose of looking after the digital TV marketplace. It underpins the free-to-air platforms Freeview, Freesat and YouView, and supporting the development of Sky, Virgin Media, BT and TalkTalk.
It has been central to the distribution of TV in the UK for nearly two decades through the collaborative development of industry standards and best practice, and is currently embracing the convergence of content and networks across industries to focus on the efficient delivery of video to all screens – mobile, tablet and TV – in all formats: standard, high and ultra-high definitions.
The DTG supports the next generation of digital TV and related technologies through its work in the delivery of video to mobile devices, television on tablets, spectrum coexistence management, TV white space, home networking, connected TV, accessibility and the UK UHD Forum. For more details, please visit www.dtg.org.uk and www.dtgtesting.com.
About DTG Testing
DTG Testing is a subsidiary of the Digital TV Group (DTG); the industry association for digital television in the UK. DTG Testing provides the product testing services used by manufacturers to demonstrate conformance in the evolving digital market in television, mobile and radio.
DTG Testing’s DAB testing facility contains the largest commercially available GTEM cell (TESEQ GTEM 2000).
The Test Centre’s receiver ‘Zoo’ houses the UK’s largest collection of representative samples of Freeview receivers. The collection has been used to support the UK digital switchover by gathering data about the capability of receivers deployed in the UK and is currently used by developers of interactive application testers for pre-transmission testing.
For more information about DTG Testing or DAB, email [email protected], or visit www.dtgtesting.com
