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Please contact:
Jeff Claudino
Director of Sales, Insider Research Services
619-229-9940
or via email at:
claudino@lightreading.com |
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| EBIF: Cable's Practical Approach to Interactive TV |
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The cable industry is rallying around an enhanced TV (ETV) technology known as Enhanced Binary Interface Format (EBIF) to jumpstart its long-sought ambition to bring interactivity to the TV set. EBIF activity has exploded in recent months, as cable operators, network programmers, suppliers, and other parties look to use EBIF's simple interactive capabilities as a step toward more robust ITV with tru2way.
EBIF represents the most promising opportunity for ITV on cable to date. Yet developers are forced to grapple with EBIF's technical challenges and the limited capability of the legacy set-tops that it is designed to run on. EBIF will serve as a warmup for tru2way, where richer apps can flourish in a Java-based OpenCable Application Platform (OCAP) environment.
Since EBIF holds the promise of being an open, standardized platform for wide-scale ITV deployment, it faces the same question that has dogged ITV development for years: When? Everyone involved in the ITV business wants to know when the platform will be ready and how large it will be. Typically, it has been foolhardy to rely on ITV projections, because they have failed to materialize and expectations have routinely been dashed. Numbers are tossed around for EBIF, but they should be taken with a measure of caution. Deployment of any new cable technology takes time; though once it is perfected, rollout is fairly rapid.
EBIF provides a great proving ground for what can be done with tru2way. With that Java-based, OCAP platform, developers will find the tools, graphics, and support to truly make interactive TV sing. tru2way will provide better support for EBIF's initial advertising and commerce opportunities, as well as better capabilities for cross-platform innovations. EBIF is like the technology that enables the industry to build its first car; OCAP is the technology that allows it to build a Ferrari.
The companies that are jumping into the EBIF game will learn valuable lessons for the tru2way environment. Some may end up being disappointed that EBIF is not the be-all and end-all of interactive technologies. But along the way, they may discover that simple interactivity can provide the means to attract usage, stay competitive, and open the door to vital new business opportunities. Those that figure out the way to make the most out of their EBIF experience will increase their prospects for the long run.
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| Sample research data from the report is shown in the excerpts below: |
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 Table of Contents (cii0609_toc.pdf) |
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| Other industry developments that may help improve EBIF's standing include an effort to improve the technical specs, a new CableLabs test suite and lab, and a project to provide a better identity for cable's interactive TV capability. |
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| According to industry sources, several major players are developing a possible new version of CableLabs' EBIF specs, IO5. The new version would address topics such as using EBIF for unbound applications and implementing apps for different user agents or distribution environments. It is possible that the effort could address running apps during DVR playback and on HDTV screens, but it is not clear. |
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| While EBIF has become a large focus for MSOs, programmers, and suppliers, it still represents only a first step for cable ITV. As the following excerpt shows, the capabilities offered by tru2way go well beyond what EBIF can provide. |
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| [click on the image above for the full excerpt] |
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 Companies profiled in this report include: ActiveVideo Networks Inc.; Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU); Biap Inc.; Comcast Media Center; enableTV Inc.; Ensequence Inc.; Harmonic Inc. (Nasdaq: HLIT); iCueTV Inc.; Integra5 Communications Inc.; itaas Inc.; Navic Networks Inc.; NDS Group plc, a subsidiary of News Corp. (NYSE: NWS); Softel-USA Inc.; Strategy & Technology Ltd.; TVWorks, a subsidiary of Comcast Corp. (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK); UniSoft Corp.; Vidiom Systems Inc., a subsidiary of the ADB Group; Visible World Inc.; and Zodiac Interactive Corp. |
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| Total pages: 24 |
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| To view reports you will need Adobe's Acrobat Reader. If you do not have it, it can be obtained for free at the Adobe web site. |
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