Central Service List Repository
In September 2021, the DVB Project engaged Sofia Digital to build a reference Central Service List Registry (CSR) for DVB-I. Phase 1 of the project was delivered in December 2021.
The creation of a reference CSR is intended to help accelerate the global adoption and applicability of DVB-I. You can find the code and implementation information for the reference CSR on DVB’s GitHub repository.
A list of lists
In DVB-based systems, content is commonly organized as services, i.e. different TV channels. The interfaces that viewers use to find these services, such as channel lists or EPGs, draw on metadata about the services. DVB-I metadata, which is delivered over an internet connection, covers all possible delivery methods for television content.
Any TV channel that is delivered via terrestrial, satellite, cable, or internet, can have its metadata combined under the DVB-I Service List concept.
With tens of thousands of different TV channels available globally, there is a need to organize and provide access to this vast amount of content in a meaningful way. The answer is a collection of service lists, called Central Service List Registry. This registry combines all the available service lists (lists of available TV channels and their delivery methods) under one repository, and enables fast and efficient access of these lists – using a wide variety of different search criteria like nationality, language, genre, suitability for children, technical prowess (4K resolution, high dynamic range, etc) and popularity.
The CSR enables browsing of different lists put together by TV companies and broadcast operators, as well as national regulators.
Reference CSR
Sofia Digital is initially developing a proof-of-concept implementation, aiming at the justification of the technical approach to be taken. One of the main purposes is to validate the CSR standard with the previously developed DVB-I reference application and other DVB-I client implementations that are already made available by various TV manufacturers and client application vendors.
The initial implementation can be re-used in a separate final implementation and be expanded to fulfil the vision of a global and widely deployed DVB-I Central Service List Registry.
The DVB-I “skeleton” CSR service interface and implementation will be made freely and openly available for anyone interested to provide their own DVB-I Service Lists and any DVB-I receiver or client vendors who would like to validate or test their Service List Registry and Service discovery implementation.