Web & TV Media SynchronizationA Proposal for Standardization

Sheau Ng, NBCUniversalWeb & TV IG, TPAC 2012

Oct 29, 2012

Web & TV Media Synchronization

• Current trend in TV content delivery technology– Utilization of “whatever” technology: broadcast, mobile, internet, etc.

• Hybridization of media– Different “component” media travels over different distribution

technology– Receivers with access to some or all media need to “re-assemble”

content for presentation– Presentations may occur on multiple screens

• Need for technological solution to allow synchronization to work across content providers and receivers– Provide choices for all the stakeholders– Encourage development of an interoperable ecosystem

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Some Interesting Use Cases

• Single-client: – Linear TV content, web-delivered content (including interactive)– Synchronized on client side– Presented on single client screen

• Multi-client: – Linear TV content, web-delivered content (some interactive, others

not)– Multiple devices receiving different (but coherent and tightly

synchronized) content• Multi-client, dynamically switching delivery technology

– Linear TV content, web-streaming content, local storage(?)– Dynamic switch mode (who initiates?)

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Under Development• In mid-2011, NBCUniversal conducted technology trials with

various technology partners, including the two major CE manufacturers.

• Uses Digital Fingerprint as ACR (Automatic Content Recognition)• There are two primary sets of candidates for industry standards:

– Receiver-content synchronization and retrieval standards– ACR content management and distribution standards

• Our intention is to help encourage the development of an synchronized hybrid TV content ecosystem based on ACR or similar technology

• Also of growing importance: ability to seamlessly shift a client between unicast and broadcast

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What is ACR?

• ACR is a technology that enables a connected device (TV or tablets) to make a query to a remote database to know the content that is being rendered on the device. The technology is typically based on digital watermark and/or fingerprint of the audio and/or video component of the content.

• ACR is most useful in markets where TV content is delivered to hybrid TV in “baseband” (e.g., HDMI).

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What to standardize?

• Data structure/format and control and command protocols

• Need to support– Identifiers: channel, content, media object, resource

addresses (URLs), destination screen (TV, screen2, etc.)– Timing/signaling: timeline, schedules, “Media Time”– Protocol: Client-server init, query, keep-alive,

interrupt, activate, suspend, resume, hide, deactivate– Use cases: Live/tape linear TV, DVR, OTT, second-

screen?

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