HITS, a business unit of the Comcast Media Center that provides content management and distribution services to MSOs, has developed an EBIF (Enhanced Binary Interchange Format)-enabled interactive application optimized for 3-D TV services.
The new 3-D interactive application is designed to operate on 3-D TVs and targets video programming that is not in 3-D source code, such as guides or tickers. HITS addresses this concern with technology that allows 3-D and 2-D content to be viewed simultaneously. The technology can be employed by MSOs to ensure that visual elements such as text or buttons can be delivered in high-quality feeds to their 3-D TV subscriber base. This can translate to a wider adoption of popular 3-D technology throughout the industry.
The application demonstrates how all content elements can coexist in a 3-D environment, according to Gary Traver, senior vice president and COO of the CMC. He aid they have successfully integrated text, images and video feeds into a seamless viewer experience. The aim is that the technology will stimulate adoption of 3-D programming and promote the continued growth of interactive TV in the future.
HITS develops and advances interactive TV through the HITS Advanced Interactive Services (AxIS) centralized suite of solutions for the development, launch and support of EBIF. Currently, the HITS AxIS interactive platform is deployed in beta to five MSOs and supports 30 EBIF applications from 23 different vendors, including caller ID and T-commerce. HITS AxIS is the first platform to create and support an EBIF application specifically designed for 3-D TV sets.
