At the start of September 2004, free-to-air broadcasters in Australia indicated that, as a minimum, set-top boxes for the Australian market should be manufactured to the MHP 1.0.2 standard.
ABC Television is broadcasting three MHP applications – Mini launcher, EPG and Election 2004 – nationwide
It is hoped that MHP boxes will be available in the retail market by the end of 2005. Up to now tests have been done using mainly European IRDs.
ABC also developed two iTV applications to accompany national election coverage in 2004 -- one offering news updates in the final week of the campaign, and the second allowing viewers to keep up with the news and the count after the polls closed. While the number of viewers was small, this was an important political and technical trial and the service is still on air as a demonstration application.
Updated: 31/08/2005
