ETRI Tech Adopted
as TV-Anytime Forum Standard
Expected to preoccupy the global digital TV market

Electronics and Telecommunication Research Institute (ETRI) said that content packaging technology that allows personalized content services has been adopted as a TV-Anytime Forum standard.
ETRI said on May 30 that the content packaging technology is expected to contribute to preoccupying the global digital TV market by 2010 when interactive digital TV broadcasting is put into service in earnest. The market is projected to grow at $200 billion by the year.
The technology will allow TV audiences to watch different views of sports games such as soccer through channels other than public broadcasting networks. They will be allowed to watch educational programs tailored to their study levels. Personalized broadcasting services will also be offered through such diverse terminals as cell phones and PDAs, apart from TV.
The content packaging technology, developed by ETRI, is a representative technology of TV Anytime Forum Phase II, designed to offer such services as home networking and other ones combining broadcasting and telecommunication, corresponding to audiences' different characteristics and environment.
ETRI presented 17 tutorials on 10 related technologies and applied for 17 patents in Korea and abroad.
TV-Anytime Phase II, established in 2002, is an advanced edition of Phase I, involving a one-way broadcasting service, and Phase II is significant since it allows personalized services in diverse broadcasting and consumer environments.
The standard technology of TV-Anytime Phase II, drafted last January, was officially announced. The European Telecommunications Standards Institute will likely choose the content packaging technology as its broadcasting and on-line service standards.
Ahn Chi-deuk, chief of digital broadcasting research at ETRI said ETRI's acquiring a key technology in customized broadcasting services that will be offered around the world will not only raise Korea's status, but also secure technological hegemony and industrial competitive edge in the global market.
Merrill Lynch said in its report released last February that with the global digital TV market expected to rise to 125 million units by 2010, the introduction of customized broadcasting services is likely to expand commercialization of the ETRI technology.
The global TV-Anytime Forum, established 1999, is an association of organizations which seeks to develop specifications to enable audio-visual and other services based on mass-market high volume digital storage in consumer platforms. The forum has started work to develop specifications designed to allow Consumer Electronics Manufacturers, Content Creators, Telcos, Broadcasters and Service Providers to exploit local storage. About 40 firms, including BBC, NHK, NDS, Europe's largest multinational broadcasting equipment maker, France Telecom, NTT and Microsoft, have participated in the forum. Such Korean institutions as ETRI, Korea Electronics Technology Institute(KETI), Samsung Electronics and Daewoo Electronics are also members of the forum. nw

ETRI's content packaging technology that allows personalized content services has been adopted as a TV-Anytime Forum standard.