The HbbTV Association, a global initiative dedicated to providing an open standard for the delivery of broadcast and broadband services through connected TVs and set-top boxes, has announced the immediate availability of HbbTV 2.0.2. This update of the second version of the core HbbTV specification enables applications to benefit from new UHD video and audio technologies such as HDR, high frame rates and next-generation audio. More specifically, the new release brings the following enhancements to HbbTV content:
- High Dynamic Range (HDR): The specification supports both Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) and Perceptual Quantizer (PQ) coding.
- High Frame Rate (HFR): Increases the current 50/60 frames per second to 100/120 FPS.
- Next-Generation Audio (NGA): The specification supports both AC-4 and MPEG-H.
The HbbTV 2.0.2 specification has been in development since October 2017, and it builds on significant work done on DVB during 2017. Many HbbTV devices already support these technologies today, but there has been no standardised way to use these features. The new specification defines a common, standard mechanism for accessing them from applications. To promote interoperability of the newly-added features, the HbbTV Association will order tests, that are planned to be available in time for products going on sale in spring 2019.
