Optimized datacasting service for printing broadcast data in Japan

In the past, when TV viewers saw important information (such as a map) on TV and wanted to keep that information, they had to write it down. To simplify this, we developed a printing method that uses a data-casting service. This method was accepted by the Association of Radio Industries and Business in early 2004 and was published as STD-B24 Version 4.0. In this method, important information is sent via a data-casting service as a printable (XHTML-print) data file with BML. The service was developed on the basis of STD-B24 Version 4.0 specifications. Because the digital TV does not have a printer driver, printable data has to be sent in a deviceindependent format such as an XHTML-print file. After a TV receives broadcast data, the XHTML-print file is transferred from the TV to a printer, and the user can print high-quality images and data. We have now designed and developed optimized method of BML programming in order to make the best of STD-B24 Version 4.0, and have evaluated the performance and effectiveness of this method.