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1 Type of Question
Task-oriented Question that should result in a new
Recommendation or in a set of new Recommendations.
2 Motivation
The design of the future advanced set-top boxes for cable
television receivers for consumer use will require the smooth
integration of dozens of hardware and software components. These
components will communicate with each other through Application
Programming Interfaces (APIs). A detailed knowledge and the
ability to control each API is of great importance; indeed,
since some APIs can grow to take control of and "warp"
other APIs, and since even one such closed API in an otherwise
open set-top box makes the entire box a closed environment,
control of practically all of the key APIs is of paramount
importance.
A further purpose of defining these APIs is to enable cable
television operators to deploy advanced set-top boxes in the
future, while ensuring their ability to keep costs low, choose
among flexible architectures, maintain a multi-vendor, modular
environment, and obviate the need to compromise on features and
functionality.
It is of course also highly desirable that the specified APIs
should conform to "open", published standards rather
than to proprietary standards, and that they should incorporate
a well-defined mechanism for adding extensions. However, adding
extensions in an uncontrolled manner will lead to development
confusion and incompatibility, to illegal "warping" of
other APIs and to the risk of addition of proprietary
extensions.
It is thus important and urgent that APIs for use in the
secondary distribution of programme material to cable television
set-top boxes be studied and specified to conform to the
operating requirements delineated above.
3 Questions
- What are the relevant advanced cable television
applications and the functionality that each API should be
able to provide in order to meet the requirements? (APIs are
required for the support of applications but are also
required for downloading purposes, display purposes, and for
network control and for security.)
- What specification of the open API or APIs can be
recommended for use in each application, paying attention to
their desirable interoperability with other APIs recommended
for use in other cable television applications and their use
in set-top boxes for the receipt of television programme
material via interactive systems?
- What specifications can be recommended for the
mechanisms to be provided in each recommended API, to allow
its future extension to further functionalities?
4 Projected results and target dates
The results of this study should be used for the preparation
of new Recommendation(s). These will eventually fully specify
all the open APIs recommended for use in the secondary
distribution of television programme material via cable
television and they may in addition be used for the distribution
of television programme material via other mediums.
The first Recommendation is expected by the end of the year
2001.
5 Relationships
Liaison in the study of this Question should be established
with ITU-T Study Groups 8, 10 and 16 and with ITU-R Study Group
6.
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