| 29 April 2021
Online video technology provider Switch Media has revealed that it delivered Freeview Australia’s new integrated Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV) service, which launched on 12 April 2021.
Freeview Australia’s HbbTV service is supported by Switch Media’s MediaHQ online video platform, which provides support for the new HbbTV 2.0 standard. The new gateway is said to provide viewers with a “sophisticated and seamless” integration between broadcast and VOD services.
One of the key user experience features is the service’s always-on “miniguide” and EPG, which replace traditional Smart TV built-in EPG guides with Freeview’s enhanced version. Viewers are said to be not only able to navigate the broadcast schedule more easily but also browse and search for thousands of VOD titles including entire TV series, made available by Freeview’s member FTA broadcasters.