S&T s Gordon Maynard to speak at major HbbTV conference

Gordon Maynard of Strategy & Technology, the UK-based interactive television specialists, has been invited to speak at the HbbTV Symposium Asia 2014. The conference, under the chairmanship of Phil Sandberg, brings together leading authorities from around the world to share their knowledge on the future of interactivity.

Broadcasters everywhere are still developing their multi-screen strategies, and one of the biggest issues facing them is how to integrate interactivity across platforms. As an example, we have recently implemented OnScreen Publisher to support the launch of HbbTV with Sentech in South Africa and it will be used for a wide range of applications, Maynard explained. HbbTV is a strong contender in many markets, but it needs specialist support to achieve the optimum output.

The temptation is to think that, because an HbbTV screen looks like the web, it is as simple as the web to develop, he added. What I will be explaining to the symposium is that it is more subtle, not least because consumers are used to a certain quality of experience from television, and interactivity has to build on that not detract from it.

To win consumer enthusiasm you need a range of apps for each device which will complement linear television and engage viewers in new ways, Maynard said. They have to be simple to develop, lightweight to minimise the bandwidth load, and of course include elements to raise revenues, directly and indirectly.

S&T is a market leader in interactive applications, with projects successfully implemented worldwide over the last dozen or so years. It is currently deploying online streaming applications in the UK and is looking forward to the development of Freeview Connect, an initiative led by major UK broadcasters to provide a free to air connected television experience. It also offers specialised content protection, to secure premium materials over online TV services.

The HbbTV Symposium Asia is to be held on 18 June at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, alongside BroadcastAsia.

About S&T

S&T is an independent software technology company focused on delivering solutions for the development and deployment of interactive TV services based on open international standards. In particular, S&T has been a leader in the specification and use of the MHEG-5 interactive TV standard for over 15 years. S&T provide a broad range of interactive TV solutions, including hybrid broadband/TV and connected TV applications.

S&T operates internationally with offices in London (UK), Boulder (Colorado, USA) and Hong Kong. For more information, please visit http://www.s-and-t.com.

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