D2.3 Interim Report on Pilot Services - the School of Engineering ...

3.1.2 RBBRBB planned to test both DVB-Subtitles and Clean Audio technology from January tillDecember 2009 with a user group of 50 hearing impaired and deaf users.DVB-SubtitlingEven though DVB-Subtitling is basically a mature technology which has been in regularoperation in the United Kingdom (BBC) and in Scandinavia for some time now, thistechnology is completely new to RBB. Up to date only ZDF has been broadcastingDVB-subtitles in Germany, only since October 2007 and only via DVB-S. In DTV4AllRBB wanted to test this technology both from the broadcaster perspective, i.e.,technological feasibility, maturity of existing solutions, costs, and from the end userperspective, i.e., optimum design under the given design options which are much morefavourable than in ordinary teletext subtitles.The plan was to broadcast DVB-subtitles (bitmap-based) via DVB-T from January tillOctober 2009 simulcast with existing teletext subtitles. The users were to be equippedwith a Set-Top-Box that they could keep once they had successfully completed the testrunning for 10 months. Testers would receive a simple questionnaire once a week eitherby mail, email or fax and would have to evaluate the subtitle design in each testingweek. One or two design variables of the subtitles like font size, type of font, andbackground like outline, shadow (stripe/banner) and box, all in different grades oftransparency, were to be changed each week. These tests were to be performed with aview to introducing DVB-subtitles via DVB-T (in the first instance) into regularoperation. The idea was to have a validated running technology at the end broadcastingDVB-subtitles that have the optimum design according to the evaluation of the targetgroup.Clean AudioThe plan was to use November and December 2009 for testing mature clean audiotechnology with the same user group that was testing the DVB-subtitles. Certain piecesof content (films) were to be prepared to offer an extra audio channel with “cleanaudio”. The users were to evaluate this with a specific questionnaire.3.1.3 Red Bee (UK)Red Bee offered to contribute to the Pilot by providing a summary of work done in theUnited Kingdom to raise awareness of access services such as Audio Description.Section 4 includes a summary of the work done by Red Bee and the BBC as part of anOFCOM-funded study on access service awareness.3.1.4 TVC (TV3)Televisió de Catalunya will broadcast, consolidate procedures and workflows, and testfunctionalities during a 12 month period, for two pilot accessibility services: Audio DescriptionSigning languageThe content for AD will be broadcast over DVB-T and will be accessible by all DVB-Treceivers except for a few integrated receivers that hide the services as in anotherlanguage than the “preferred language” in the receiver firmware. The signing languageis to be broadcast as a fixed window visible in analogue broadcasts as in DVB-T.Page 9