NovelSat Ltd., a provider of modulation technology for satellite communications, has announced that live testing of its NS3 modulation technology has demonstrated that HD channels can be broadcast using minimal bandwidth space, making it ideal for the smaller vehicles be used for digital satellite news gathering (DSNG).
The Israeli company said that its lab tests could result in significant ROI for the industry, including cost savings due to 47 percent less bandwidth consumption; HD-quality transmission over standard-definition infrastructure; simultaneous streaming of video and data enabled by dynamic bandwidth allocation to prioritize the video; and he use of 35 percent smaller antennas (DSNG and flyaway kits).
Data rates of 14.72 Mb/s and 29.44 Mb/s were achieved over single- and dual-channel modes, respectively, demonstrating that, for the first time, high-quality HTDV and 3DTV video channels can be delivered over standard 4.5 MHz and 9 MHz transponder slots.
The tests were conducted together with TV2GO, which transmitted from Toronto using eight watts of power and a 4.5-meter dish over an SES AMC-9 transponder. A PSSI Global DSNG truck received the signals in Las Vegas using a standard 2.4-meter dish.
The NS3 protocol was able to achieve a rate of 14.72 Mb/s compared to the DVB-S2 rate of 10.05Mb/s and the DVB-S rate of 5.37 Mb/s over the same 4.5 MHz allocated bandwidth with the same link margin and CNR conditions. A transmission of 29.44 Mb/s was also demonstrated using NovelSat’s unique dual-channel mode over a 9 MHz carrier.
NovelSat’s ability to internally multiplex two data/video streams over a single carrier enables the efficient transmission of 3DTV video or other special services using a DSNG track for the first time.
“It’s obvious that NovelSat’s 3rd-generation modulation technology optimizes high-bandwidth satellite networks,” said Adrian Hepes, technical director of TV2GO. “In this trial, we’ve shown that it is just as beneficial to low-bandwidth networks, like DSNG, operating at higher constellations for maximum efficiency.”
“News gathering services appreciate the importance of being able to use two cameras to capture an event,” added Brian Nelles, senior vice president of PSSI Global Services
