WASHINGTON, D.C., January 30, 2001 – The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) Specialist Group on Transport (T3/S8) has issued a request for proposal (RFP) for specifications of metadata to support advanced electronic program guide (EPG) functionality.
This effort builds upon the ATSC Program and System Information Protocol Standard “PSIP” (A/65-A), which specifies metadata to be carried in an ATSC broadcast stream to support tuning and EPG functions. The RFP seeks proposals for specifications that can support advanced EPG functionality such as display of channel and event logos, browsing and searching for TV programs by various attributes, multimedia descriptions of TV programs, and links to other sources of information such as web sites. The RFP is available at www.atsc.org.
“This effort is another example of the extensibility of ATSC standards and of our ongoing efforts to incorporate new functionality in our specifications,” said Mark S. Richer, ATSC executive director.
As always, whether a proposed methodology is incorporated into an ATSC Standard is determined in accordance with the due process procedures of the ATSC. In reaching its conclusions, the ATSC may combine various aspects of multiple proposals into a final specification.
The Advanced Television Systems Committee is an international, non-profit organization developing voluntary standards for the entire range of advanced television systems. The ATSC has 200 member organizations representing the broadcast, broadcast equipment, motion picture, consumer electronics, computer, cable, satellite, and semiconductor industries.
Contact: Christy Kehlbeck, ATSC (202) 828-3130
