Multimedia App based emergency alerts on Brazilian Digital TV3.0

Abstract

TV 3.0 is currently in the final stages of specification. The Brazilian Digital TV System Forum (SBTVD) started this project in 2020 through a call for technology proposals, which received 36 responses from 21 organizations around the world. Since then, the SBTVD has been coordinating the development of this project, with the participation of researchers from industry and academia. Emergency alerts on TV 3.0 were based on the ATSC 3.0 alert transmission system, Advanced Emergency informAtion (AEA), which was improved and adapted to the needs of TV 3.0.

This paper focuses on the innovations that have been proposed for the emergency alert system and presents possible scenarios and solutions that can be explored in these systems. An HTML+javascript application was developed to use the emergency alert resources, as well as a ginga webservice server to simulate a TV environment. In addition, a graphic guideline was developed containing a basic layout of how alert data can be presented on TV.

Among the innovations proposed are the obligation for the TV to monitor alerts even when it is in the context of applications other than broadcast TV, as well as the obligation to display multimedia alerts containing images, videos, audio and text, if these are present. Another innovation is the possibility of displaying accessible alerts in sign language and audio description.

If the alert cannot be monitored via OTT, as in the case of a tuned channel that is not enabled to transmit alerts, the alerts can be monitored via a remote UTL, over the Internet (OTT).

Broadcaster Applications and Companion Applications can monitor emergency alerts by registering as listeners of alert events through calls to the API of the ginga webservice server, allowing greater flexibility and mobility in the display of alerts.

It is hoped that with this new system it will be possible to mitigate disasters of any kind more efficiently and that the population will be better informed, giving them enough time to protect themselves and move to safe places.