OpenTV, Panasonic To Develop Interactive Digital TV Platform

US set-top box software vendor OpenTV has teamed up with Japanese electronics giant
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd (Panasonic) to expand its
interactive digital TV platform to comply with the MHP (multimedia
home platform) standard.

OpenTV, which names America Online, Liberty Digital, News Corporation, and Sun
Microsystems among its investors, has
developed software that supports interactive digital TV applications
and is licensed to television network operators and set-top box
manufacturers worldwide.

MHP is one Java technology-based standard developed by the
DVB (digital video broadcasting) industry forum that is emerging for
interactive television. The two companies will develop software that
complies with the standard, which adds interoperability between
different TV networks, services and set-top boxes.

They expect to have MHP-compliant hardware and software ready
for use by manufacturers and TV networks in 2001 or earlier.

"We see the emergence of standards as a requirement for
interactive television to reach its full potential, and are excited
about our partnership with Panasonic to build MHP-compliant
hardware and software," said Jan Steenkamp, president and chief
executive officer (CEO) of OpenTV.

OpenTV has the largest digital set-top box installed base in
Europe, and is growing strongly elsewhere, boosted by its
relationships with its media giant investors. Recently, OpenTV
opened a Sydney, Australia office and sold its system to two of
Australia's three pay TV operators, Foxtel and Austar.

Reported By Newsbytes.com, http://www.newsbytes.com