TV-Anytime, past, present and future
In 1996, a forum realised that storage capacities on hard disks would significantly increase, and eventually be capable of storing audio-visual files. Currently, an estimated 12 hours of audio-visual material can be stored on the average hard disk. However, because that figure doubles every 18 months, it is estimated that by the year 2010, hard disks will be able to store as much as 400 hours of video files. This forecast therefore enabled the MyTV project to see the light of day, and the end result has borne witness to the creation of a new set of TV-Anytime standards. The standards which are due for publication later this year, cover the broadcasting of service content, which include Metadata to set top boxes. The standards are considered of greater importance than video recorders, because as Gerhard Mekenkamp of Philips says, they will "Provide new opportunities for future enhanced television on a large scale." Of particular importance for video recorders is storage capability; and the working prototype demonstrates that its hard disk will be the new TV-Anytime video recorder of the future. The prototype video recorder will also be able to accept D-VHS tapes, which are expected to soon be capable of holding 50 hours of recordings. That, plus the use of re-writable DVD discs ensures that TV-Anytime will soon become a ubiquitous consumer commodity. Aside from the standards and the storage capacities, the TV-Anytime platform will enable video files that have conditional access to be stored on the hard disk only. Interactive systems will also enable the viewer to be able to select specific parts of trailers, and receive and view video files in any chosen order. In addition the viewer will be able to tailor make files and trailers to be selected from just a few of the many hundreds of TV broadcasting stations. The forum intends to further develop the specifications enabling audio-visual services and other mass-market services based on high volume digital storage to become a ubiquitous reality. Also, the International Broadcasting Convention audiences have reacted with great enthusiasm to the TV-Anytime, Internet and local storage facilities. As a result of the developments so far, the MyTV project has now handed over to the two-year SHARE-IT! Project, which will continue from where the MyTV/TV-Anytime project finished off.
