The Service List Registry supports the international deployment of the DVB-I standard for the discovery of audiovisual media services.
The registry provides an online directory of available media providers, service operators, services, and service instances. This enables compatible devices, displays, and applications to discover and access relevant services.
DVB-I is an open standard for service discovery for audiovisual media services. It specifies an online request and response method by which television and radio services and other media can be discovered by devices, displays, and applications, and be described and announced by media providers.
The system is based on service lists, which comprise ordered lists of available services with identifying logos and optional logical channel numbers. These services can include traditional scheduled channels and interactive applications. The services can be delivered by broadcast signals over satellite, terrestrial, or cable networks, or over mobile or fixed online networks. Multiple instances of a service can be defined in order of priority.
The service list enables a client to access services according to its capabilities and the networks available. This allows the integration of services delivered over different distribution networks into a single coherent offering. It also enables devices, displays, and applications without a traditional broadcast input to discover and access a unified set of services that are available over an internet connection.
The service discovery mechanism provides a method for national television regulators or their representatives, operators, and trademark licensors to offer a list of trusted, legitimate, authorized, and regulated services.
DVB-I simply specifies the description of services. It does not define or impose how they are presented on different devices, displays, or applications. This allows for innovation and differentiation in user interfaces, while maintaining priority, prominence, and provenance in the presentation of services to the user.