Bristol - May 20, 2009

Ocean Blue Software has announced a suite of digital TV software which supports MHEG-5 and enables the delivery phase 2 Freeview Australia set top boxes.

The company has launched Freeview Australia compliant versions of its tried and tested Voyager MHEG-5, Sunrise HD and Surfsoft PVR software. These packages respectively enable interactive red button services; SD and HD channel decoding and the recording of digital terrestrial TV programmes (DTT).

Freeview Australia launched on the 26th April with Phase 1 set top boxes on sale from 1st May. These have been widely criticised by the country's media for not supporting MHEG-5, greatly limiting the number of interactive features accessible to subscribers. The launch directly addresses these issues.

The Freeview Australia compliant software from Ocean Blue is based on the company's existing mature, robust and extensively deployed platforms. They can be provided as standalone plug-ins or for an integrated solution.

MHEG-5 is used to provide interactive services for digital television in the UK, Ireland, New Zealand and Hong Kong.

The software suite is available now from Ocean Blue.

Ken Helps, CEO of Ocean Blue said "The three technologies being launched cover everything needed for a TV service to be successful. The ability to access HD material is now essential for a user, as is the ability to control when you watch something, and the PVR market that has given service providers such as Sky+, in the UK, a huge boost. MHEG-5 is the next piece of the puzzle and enables clear EPGs and other interactive services that are quick and simple to use by the customer.