TV on your Mobile with JSR 272

Hi all,

In the last weeks, I have been taking a look at JSR 272 - Mobile Broadcast Service API, which will be responsible for one more great functionality on your mobile: TV. The reason that have looked at it, even knowing that this API is not either available on any device or any SDK, is because during the next couple of months, I will be participating of a project that will implement a proof of concept application. This application, in turn, will be in charge of testing a real implementation of JSR 272. It will really be a great project.

JSR 272 will provide regular broadcast services that are carried in DVB-H, the viewer will expect the same sort and range of services as available via DVB-T (e.g. broadcast on-line services). The other services that the developers will also find in JSR 272 are:

• Access to electronic service guide
• Service and program selection
• Presentation and recording
• Access to broadcast files and objects
• Security and DRM
• Purchasing
  

Digital broadcast content includes additional data services offered by the broadcast content providers (e.g. in form of interactive middleware based applications). Additional services can consist of either local interactivity on the terminal or interactivity by using the interactive channel.

Some use cases that you can identify for this API are:

• Interactive TV
• Download of audiovisual content / applications / services / software to devices
• Broadcast of audiovisual streams along with auxiliary information streams to be rendered synchronously and (optionally) containing interaction entry points
• Unattended information download with off-line consumption and interaction entry points.
• Simple Recording
• Time-shifting
• Timer (or planned) Recording
• Service Purchase

JSR 272 specification is in the final approval ballot, in other words, the expert group, which is headed by Nokia and Motorola, is still working to conclude it. I believe in the next months we will already have the final release done.

For further information about JSR 272, access JCP or this powerpoint presentation that was presented on Java One 2006.

See you in the nest post...