7.7 Conclusion

Java in general, and JavaTV in particular, is a common requirement shared by many iTV standards. The key feature of the language that renders it most appropriate for iTV application is its support for mobile code. The standardization of the class file format and the JVM specification enables code authored in one platform to execute on any platform which conforms to the Java specification.

JavaTV is a set of API specifications that extend the PersonalJava and JMF with iTV specific functionality. This extension includes the capability to access EPG information, transport information, extract program components , access files transferred in the broadcast transport, and perform some degree of tuning indirectly through service selection. Running JavaTV applications requires a JavaTV compliant middleware implementation, which is also compliant with the PersonalJava and JMF specification. Developing an authoring environment and middleware implementation that ensure interoperability and predictable execution of JavaTV applications across platforms, however, is a complex task that requires attention to countless detailed technical integration issues. Information about successful interoperability tests and deployment can be found at www.mhp.org [MHP].