Open IPTV Forum publishes new specifications

The Open IPTV Forum has published detailed system and protocol specifications known as “Release 1 IPTV Solution Specifications,” the group said Jan. 8.

With the publication, the Open IPTV Forum hopes to open up access to widespread use of the interactive and personalized services offered via IPTV. Together with profiles to be delivered in the spring, these new specifications will let the industry deploy IPTV networks and devices that work with one another, while offering a path for future evolution.

Release 1 is contained in seven volumes of specifications:

• Volume 1 – Overview
• Volume 2 - Media Formats
• Volume 3 - Content Meta Data
• Volume 4 – Protocols for Home Network, User-Network and Network-Network Interfaces
• Volume 5 – Declarative Application Environment
• Volume 6 – Procedural Application Environment
• Volume 7 – Authentication, Content Protection and Service Protection

The forum is a cross-industry initiative with the aim of making IPTV a mass market television distribution service. It will now begin work on Release 2, which the group plans to have completed by the end of the year. Service and platform requirements for Release 2, which will be used to guide development, are available at www.openiptvforum.org/downloads.htm.

For more information, visit www.openiptvforum.org.