Issued: 19 September 1997

DAVIC has established its reputation through the DAVIC 1.x series of specifications for high quality interactive audio-visual services delivered over a wide range of networks. DAVIC will continue to support and enhance the DAVIC 1.x specifications.

It is now considering the development of a complementary set of specifications for the delivery of scaleable services over various types of data networks. The Board of Directors hopes that the first specification in this new set will be published by the end of 1998.

DAVIC has already agreed the following specifications:

• DAVIC 1.0, which was published in January 1996, selected a set of tools to support basic applications such as TV distribution, near video on demand, video on demand and simple forms of tele-shopping.
• DAVIC 1.1, agreed in September 1996, added tools to support basic "Internet Compatibility", the addition of microwave broadcast networks (MMDS and LMDS), set-top units that are network-independent and set-top units that can behave as "virtual machines".
• DAVIC 1.2, agreed in December 1996, added tools to enable TV networks to provide Internet services at high speed to TV and PC users, as well as defining HDTV formats and systems for conditional access.
• DAVIC 1.3, agreed at this meeting, adds comprehensive Service and Network Management, multiple broadcast servers, mobile reception, scaleable audio, content and meta-data packaging, Java APIs for DVB service information and a new concept of "Contours" - the first instances are Enhanced Digital Broadcast and Interactive Digital Broadcast.

The new set of specifications will not supersede the DAVIC 1.x series as they will address new and different environments.

The DAVIC Taipei meeting was hosted by CCL (Computer and Communications Research Labs), which is a division of ITRI (Industrial Technology Research Institute). The Ministry of Economic Affairs also supported the meeting.

DAVIC’s next meeting will be held in Monterey, California on 15-19 December 1997.

For further information:

http://www.davic.org or Dr John Thompson, DAVIC Chief Operating Officer.

Tel: +44 1691 670038 or e-mail: jet@btinternet.com

Note: DAVIC membership is open to all interested parties. Full information about DAVIC, including the latest specifications, are available on the World Wide Web at "http://www.davic.org/". CD-ROMs can be obtained by contacting the Secretariat:

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