Tél. : +33 2 99 12 40 16 - Fax = international : +33 2 99 12 40 98

Email : Christian.Bertin@cnet.francetelecom.fr

GIE CNET et TDF : CCETT
4, rue du Clos-Courtel; BP 59; F-35512 Cesson-Sévigné = Cedex

Although the Web is continuing to develop into a mass medium, it is = not yet at the level of deployment reached by Television.

TV on its side is first used for broadcast services. It has evolved = from analog broadcast to digital broadcast creating a hierarchy of = broadcast services.

The Digital Audio-Visual Council (DAVIC) Forum is the main = international forum in this area. The Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) = project is also a very active forum with a major impact in the = devlopment of International Standards.

DAVIC has produced a set of specifications for these new broadcast = services.

The hierarchy of DAVIC-defined broadcast services is as follows = starting from the simple one to the most complex one :

• DB (Simple Digital Broadcast) without return channel without = additional data
• EDB (Enhanced Digital Broadcast) without return channel but with = additional broadcast data
• IDB (Interactive Digital Broadcast) with return channel, with = additional broadcast data and specific data on user request
• IMM or IMB (Interactive MultiMedia over Broadcast) with return = channel with Internet access

However, it is well-known that the digital broadcast services which = are deployed now are not based on DAVIC specifications but on = proprietary solutions (mediahighway for Canal+, OpentTV for TPS, = etc.)

On the other hand, the web services are mainly retrieval services. = The are using telecommunication networks such as the Public Switched = Telephone Network (PSTN) or Narrow-band Integrated Service Digital = Network (N-ISDN).

If we try to combine the TV and the Web at home, what we have at our = disposal is :

- access to a high bitrate broadcast network

- access to a bi-directional telecommunication network

- a TV set

- a Set Top Box (STB)

Such a configuration will not be well suited to access all Web = Services but only suited for a subdomain of Web services dedicated to = contents produced specifically for good presentation on TV Screens and = with a simplified user interface well suited for remote control and = operation in a comfortable position in the house lounge.

In addition to this it would be a pity not to make the best use of = the available high bitrate broadcast network (satellite, cable, = terrestrial) to improve the delivery of Web services.

The combination of the common telecommunication network used to = access Web services and the common broadcast network used to deliver TV = programmes makes possible the enhancement of the services offered by = Web servers with provision of higher quality real time contents and = faster downloadings.