IPC and ITU launch media challenge

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have today (1 August) joined forces to launch an IPTV application challenge, with the winning application to be displayed at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

The challenge, titled: "Better quality of life with international standards: an accessible world for all,” is looking for applications that focus especially on accessibility aspects of media.

Aiming to raise awareness of the importance of multimedia and multimodal audio-visual accessibility for everyone, the challenge is especially aimed at those with varying levels and types of impairment.

The challenge will allow both experts and non-experts a chance to uncover their innovative ideas and to develop or refine their applications for actual deployment in systems built to ITU-T’s global IPTV standards.

With winning applications being showcased at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, the challenge will consist of two phases – a conceptual phase and an implementation phase.

Initially, applications will consist of concept papers for an ITU-T IPTV application, with a focus on accessibility paramount. Working prototypes, optionally, may also be submitted.

A panel from the IPC and ITU will select the best conceptual apps to become finalists for the implementation phase.

The implementation phase will then see applications developed using ITU-T IPTV standards with the help of technical supporters and other collaborators.

Selected by the jury, the winning applications will then be shown in front of an international audience at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

The final applications will have to run over the provided platforms based on either ITU-T H.761 (ginga-NCL) or ITU-T H.762 (LIME: interactive multimedia), and optionally ITU-T H.763.1 (Cascading style sheets for IPTV services) or ITU-T H.764 (IPTV services enhanced script language).

There are four award categories for the challenge. Individual and small-to-medium enterprises (profit or non-profit) will be competing for the Best App from an Individual/SME, with a cash prize of USD 5,000.

There is also a Best App category, without a cash prize, for the corporate or public sector. Other awards will be in the form of honourable mentions for a design from an individual/SME and the same for the corporate/public sector.

The challenge is open to participants from countries that are members of ITU. Participants may be individuals, legally established entities (profit, non-profit, academic) and public sector organisations.

Participants must register online before submitting their application. The online registration period will run from 1 August 2014 until 12:00 CET on the 30 November 2014.

More information on the competition, as well as downloadable resources can be found on the ITU website.