Pioneer

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Service development

The challenge

When Pioneer became aware that Integrated Receiver/Decoder (IRD) products implementing the DVB-MHP middleware standard were starting to appear in a number of European countries, it decided to invest in the development of its own DVB-MHP based IRD platform.

With the name of Pioneer on the platform, the product had to be of the highest quality, with high integrity, fault free software suitable for mass production and sale throughout Europe.

The solution

IPL was selected by Pioneer to review the current DVB-MHP middleware suppliers and their products, enabling Pioneer to make a sound decision on which middleware vendor to use for their products.

Once an MHP middleware vendor had been selected, Pioneer asked IPL to work with a Pioneer team in the UK, on the development of the new platform. IPL rapidly deployed a team comprising a consultant and six software engineers, to develop a suite of interactive applications.

IPL's knowledge of the broadcast arena, as well as our previous experience on application development enabled us to specify and implement the applications rapidly, in turn enabling Pioneer to produce a MHP based platform in the minimum time. The applications that IPL developed included:

• service navigator
• basic operation (volume control, channel changing etc.)
• electronic programme guide
• now / next programme guide
• channel list and zapper
• set up and configuration
• prototype personal data recorder.

The programme guides and channel lists were based on DVB PSI / SI schedule information.

The software was developed by IPL in accordance with our ISO-9001 certificated Quality Management System. This ensured that the software was produced to the highest quality.

The highlights

By utilising IPL's broadcast technology knowledge and experience, coupled with our many years' experience of Java development and project management, Pioneer was able to very rapidly produce a DVB-MHP based platform with an impressive suite of interactive applications.

By having an independent representative on the DVB standards committee Pioneer was able to stay at the forefront of current issues in the world of digital broadcast, as well as influencing the future direction of the DVB specifications.