MHEGController

MHEGController is a complete solution for launching and managing multiple MHEG applications on single or multiple channels. Typical uses include display of onscreen prompts (call-to-action onscreen icons) and managing the launch of the required application where multiple applications are available on a service or channel (such as an EPG, interactive advertising and digital teletext).

MHEGController is a small and efficient MHEG application that is signalled as the autoboot or start-up MHEG application on a service. It is configured with a control file broadcast in the same DSMCC Object Carousel. The control file may be changed at any time without changing the MHEG application in any way. It can also listen for “stream events” to tightly synchronise actions such as display of a call-to-action with the broadcast video stream.

Key Features:

  • Prompting, monitoring user input and launching applications and/or tuning to other channels
  • Automatically launching applications and/or tuning to other channels
  • Quitting applications to the previous application and channel or to the original channel
  • Booting out of applications
  • Enabling different behaviour in prompt, launch, tune and bootout within a channel
  • Synchronising prompt launch, tune and bootout behaviour with the broadcast stream using stream events.
  • Passing parameters to third party applications

MHEGController acts as the autoboot application in a multi-MHEG-application environment and manages the launching and quitting of all MHEG applications and tuning to channels when required.

MHEGController takes a system-wide view of MHEG applications, ensuring all applications are aware of what they are required to launch and which remote control keys are reserved for use in launching other applications. The availability of transient applications, for example an interactive advertisement that is associated with a linear video advertisement, can be signalled. Such applications may then be launched within a specific time window, to an accuracy of a few seconds if required.

MHEGController also handles the quitting of applications to the required channel (or application) and the booting out where appropriate.

MHEGController is available for all current UK and international profiles of MHEG-5 based on version 1.06 or later. It is supplied as an MHEG application file set together with tools to build the configuration file.

Please contact S&T or your local distributor for more detailed information.