Japanese trio to define set-top box for datacasting

Japanese trio to define set-top box for datacasting
TOKYO — Consumer electronics giants Matsushita, Sony and Toshiba will jointly propose technical specifications for data-broadcasting services using receivers equipped with hard-disk drives. The trio hopes their standards effort, initially aimed at unifying multiple digital TV-based services in Japan, could ultimately be extended for use in DTV receivers and even home servers in Europe and the United States.

Underpinning their plan, the consumer OEMs discussed ideas for an "e-platform" business model that would unite the Internet and datacasting to deliver new services to the receivers defined by the trio.

The three companies share the belief that the "combination of broadcasting and the Internet will bear various new services," said Yoichi Morishita, chairman of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. "But a unified standard is essential for them to take off smoothly."

Taizo Nishimuro, chairman of Toshiba Corp., and Tamotsu Iba, deputy chairman of Sony Corp., lent high-level support for the venture at a press conference here this week. "This alliance is the graduation thesis of our days as president," said Nishimuro, referring to the fact that he, Morishita and Sony boss Nobuyuki Idei, who could not attend the press conference, all moved from president to chairman of their companies at the end of last month.

The three companies expect to produce receivers that comply with the new standards in the fall of 2001.

Platform plans

Separately, the companies said they will convene a committee this month to start work on the e-platform, which will enable third parties to provide merged Internet and broadcast services. Hitachi Ltd. was named a member of the committee.

Japan is late in starting digital TV broadcasting compared to countries such as the United States and England. But "if Japan can launch these new, integrated services successfully, we can create a completely new market," said Toshiba's Nishimuro. "The first implementation is Japan, but we have a hope to expand the local model to the global market."

The new specifications could help unite a variety of broadcast services here. A broadcast satellite relaying digital TV over the 12-GHz band will begin transmissions in December, and digitalization of other TV broadcasting will follow.

Digital services relayed by a communications satellite will enter into a new phase next summer with the launch of a satellite at a longitude of 110° east, where a broadcast satellite will also be positioned. The broadcast satellite will mainly transmit high-definition programs, while the comms bird will add a variety of other content, including standard-definition programs.

Terrestrial digital TV broadcasting is to begin in 2003 in large cities. CATV services will also shift to digital eventually.

These planned digital services will feature data broadcasting and interactive servics as well as high-definition programs. Under the scheme sketched by Matsushita, Sony and Toshiba, consumers using a hard drive attached to a receiver can store programs, retrieve them at any time and possibly transfer them to other removable digital recorders.

For such applications, issues involving a digital-to-digital connection interface, copyright control for digital-to-digital recording and online billing still need to be discussed.

The three companies will tackle these technical requirements to define a data broadcast format, management system and receiver specification that could cover all the expected broadcast systems in Japan. The trio said they will rely insofar as possible on existing standards already defined by the Association of Radio Industries and Businesses (ARIB; Tokyo).

"We'll discuss areas that ARIB standards have not defined. In fact, very little has been defined," said Minoru Kai, technology executive of Toshiba Digital Media Network Co.

The troika hopes to define file management and user interface standards for how receivers will store and retrieve broadcast content. They will also specify copy protection, encryption and online billing specifications for reproducing content, consulting Hollywood on issues of copyright protection. The group will also define external interfaces, such as the 1394 high-speed serial link.

"Once we clear these technical issues concerning digital content storage, we will take the lead a few steps in the world," said Kai.

Standard proposal

When the group has completed the specs, it will propose them to ARIB, an affiliate of the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications (MPT). ARIB consists of broadcasters, manufacturers and communication carriers, who prepare standards on radio spectrum usage in Japan.

Toshiba, Sony and Matsushita said they will invite other manufacturers, broadcasters and advertisers to begin practical services in the fall of 2001, when the communications satellite service is to commence.

The proposed e-platform will deliver to the receivers functions such as data linked with regular TV broadcasting, access to mobile Internet appliances, secure online billing and time-shifted, or delayed, TV viewing using the system's hard drive.

Industry sources said the MPT provided strong support for the three companies to set aside their differing opinions on digital TV and form the alliance.