With ATSC 3.0 (aka NextGen TV) now on the air in some 75 U.S. markets, more and more emphasis is being placed on this second-generation digital over-the-air broadcasting standard, not only for its ability to provide viewers with enhanced services, but also in advanced emergency alerting and datacasting, which has the potential to generate actual revenue streams for stations soon.

Also on tap is the Broadcast Positioning System, which has the potential for ATSC 3.0 to supplement current GPS navigation technology.

It will be difficult not to notice NextGen TV’s presence at NAB Show, with numerous equipment suppliers displaying gear attuned to ATSC 3.0, and all the latest applications featured at the Advanced Television Systems Committee’s booth in the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center (W3056).

“We will feature consumer products, new software options for receivers, several examples of High Dynamic Range and a variety of new capabilities for ATSC 3.0, which can both deliver better television and also serve as a vital platform for datacasting and a precision timing system that can complement the existing system based on GPS,” ATSC President Madeline Noland said. “Expect to see the consumer options available and coming soon to retail, interactive functionality that allows local stations to take full advantage of both the over-the-top and over-the-air capability of ATSC 3.0 and a variety of methods for local insertion of metadata to greatly enhance the audio and video services for viewers.”

‘The Future of TV’
A big sticking point in allowing broadcasters to offer many of NextGen TV’s enhancements is the limited bandwidth afforded in today’s “channel-sharing” arrangements required to deliver legacy ATSC 1.0.

In January, the long-awaited report from the “The Future of TV” initiative launched by the Federal Communications Commission in 2023 and managed by the National Association of Broadcasters was released, and observers say it will be on the minds of many.

“I will speak personally about the report, and most importantly about what the joint activity has allowed to happen,” Mark Aitken, senior vice president of advanced technology at Sinclair, says. “While there were many voices at the table, broadcasters have become united around the fundamental role local television plays in the marketplace. The importance of that role brings a sense of unity to the larger mission of our industry, the license holders that hold a responsibility to uphold the public’s interests.”

Adds Pearl TV Managing Director Anne Schelle: “The release of the report [provides] a platform for the various stakeholders to come together, gain insights and learn about the ATSC 3.0 ecosystem and how a transition could be enabled. Broadcasters need to get prepared for what I believe will be an accelerated timetable for deploying ATSC 3.0 services. Attending the NAB Show is crucial, as it offers a unique opportunity to witness these innovations firsthand, network with industry leaders and gain insights into best practices.”

Enterprise Datacasting
One of the more promising applications for NextGen TV broadcasting is the ancillary transmission of data, or “datacasting.” Last year’s NAB Show saw the launch of Sinclair’s Broadspan datacasting platform, which enables data distribution in markets where Sinclair stations are offering 3.0.

In January, Sinclair announced a partnership with E.W. Scripps Co., Gray Media, Nexstar Media Group to launch Edgebeam Wireless to provide expansive, reliable and secure data delivery services, targeting industries that need to send data to multiple customers, often in real time.

“This trend will be showcased at the NAB Show, with presentations highlighting its benefits and showcasing real-world applications,” Winston Caldwell, the new engineering lead at the Pearl TV consortium, says. “Broadcasters should certainly delve into the possibilities of datacasting. They’re already making waves in this field.

“Additionally, we are seeing participation from players not traditionally involved in the broadcast space, engaging in proofs-of-concept and exploring potential collaborations,” Caldwell adds.

Aitken says Edgebeam “will be a well-funded effort that holds the potential to transform a large part of our industry’s future revenue opportunities. I expect conversations will percolate everywhere.”

At the BEIT
NAB Show’s BEIT (Broadcasting Engineering and IT) Conference, set for April 5-8 in the West Hall, allows attendees to drill down into these and other new use cases for NextGen TV.

In “Cloud-Based Advanced Emergency Information (AEI) System for ATSC 3.0 and IP Delivery,” Jason Kim, a senior systems engineer at ONE Media Technologies, says he “will highlight how broadcasters can utilize next-generation technologies, such as ATSC 3.0 and cloud-based systems, to enhance emergency alerting and deliver more reliable and timely communication with localized detail for affected communities.”

Another BEIT session highlights a NextGen TV “trifecta” of sorts—“ATSC 3.0 Spectrum Utilization, Cloud Deployment Considerations and A Unique Public Safety Use Case.”

“With the current lighthouse situation, we have very limited spectrum for 3.0 services,” says Session Moderator Joe Seccia, regional director of RF transmission at TelevisaUnivision, says. “Using novel implementations and technologies such as scheduled physical layer adaptation can help broadcasters get even more out of their multiplexes.

“Most cloud infrastructures are built around IP unicast, while 3.0 relies on multicast for efficient delivery,” Seccia adds. “Factors such as packet loss can lead to service interruptions and less than reliable delivery. We’ll hear about ways to make the cloud work in the 3.0 domain.

“[There’s] an innovative idea to support wildland fire operations with an airborne or mobile 3.0 transmitter—a reliable, resilient and secure datacom system that’s ready to support emergencies on demand (and) with the ability to send real-time positioning information of uncrewed aircraft to others in the field, allowing for safer and more efficient use of uncrewed aircraft,” Seccia adds.

Demo Combines DVB-T2, 5G and 3.0
ATSC 3.0 is also involved in a slightly different way as part of a planned “direct-broadcast-to-handheld devices” demonstration at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)’s Broadcast Technology Society booth.

Peter Siebert, who recently retired as the executive director of the DVB (Digital Video Broadcast) television organization, is hosting the demo, which not only involves NextGen TV, but also DVB-T2 and 5G Broadcast transmissions.

Siebert says the planned demo recognizes that there is no “one-size-fits-all” over-the-air television broadcast standard and NAB Show attendees need to be aware of modalities in addition to ATSC 3.0 for delivering video content to consumers.

“These are the three relevant second-generation DTT [digital terrestrial television] systems for transmission to handhelds,” Siebert says. “With this demo, I want to show that the IEEE’s BTS is open to all broadcast-related technologies and not only focused on the North American market. I also want to show that DTT to handhelds is possible in principle and that several solutions exist.”

GENEVA—Add DVB to the growing list of broadcast industry players responding to the coronavirus pandemic with alternatives to long held plans and traditions.

The industry consortium announced it will offer a series of free webinars based on program content scheduled to be presented at DVB World 2020, which was to be held March 8-11 in Valencia, Spain.

The webinars include:

•  “Multicast ABR Opens the Door to a New DVB Era,” Thursday, March 19; 
•  “Codecs, Standards and UHD Formats – Where is the Industry Headed?” Monday, March 23, produced in collaboration with the Ultra HD Forum; 
•  “Encoding and Packaging for DVB-I Services,” Friday, March 27; 
•  “Beam Hopping in DVB-S2X,” Monday, March 30; 
•  “DASH: From On-demand to Large Scale Live for Premium Services,” Tuesday, March 31, produced in collaboration with the DASH Industry Forum;
•  “DVB-I Service Lists & Program Information,” Wednesday, April 1; and
•  “Building a Reference Client for DVB-I,” Monday, April 6 

DVB will use the Zoom platform to present the webinars. Registration is open via the webinar links provided and on the DVB website.

The next DVB World conference is scheduled to take place in Berlin, March 22-24, 2021.

GENEVA—The DVB Steering Board has approved the DVB-I specification, which aims to ensure linear TV delivered via the internet is as user-friendly and robust as traditional TV, DVB announced today.

The specification, published as DVB BlueBook A177, is intended to make it possible to deliver linear TV services to any device, including TV sets, smartphones, tablets and media streaming devices, with the right internet connection and media player, the organization said.

"In developing an internet-centric solution for linear television services, we are providing the industry with a crucial missing piece that raises internet-based delivery to the same level in the DVB ecosystem as RF-based content delivery," said DVB Chair Peter MacAvock. "With these building blocks, addressing the discovery of DVB-I services and the delivery of program metadata, DVB offers broadcasters and operators an exciting new deployment option."

The new specification defines DVB-I Service Lists, a way for connected devices to find sets of linear TV services that can be delivered via broadband or broadcast. It also provides a means to pull down electronic program data for these services to enable viewers to access content via a consistent user interface, DVB said.

Publication of the specification means vendors and others can begin implementing DVB-I enabled clients, and broadcasters and content providers can move forward making services available via the specification, it said.

DVB also has issued an RFP to build a DVB-I reference application. The organization anticipates choosing a supplier and completing negotiations by the end of the year, which should make it possible for the initial implementation to be shown at DVB World 2020, March 9-11, in Valencia, Spain. The resulting client will be made available freely under an open source license, DVB said.

While DVB-I refers to service discovery and program information, it is part of a broader DVB ecosystem, including the recently published DVB-DASH streaming specification (DVB BlueBook A168), updated recently to include a low-latency mode, and a forthcoming specification for multicast adaptive bitrate streaming (DVB-mABR).

DVB has published a frequently asked questions page online about DVB-I as well as DVB-I information on its website.

GENEVA—As HDR content continues to grow, DVB has unveiled a revision to its video and audio coding specifications for broadcast and broadband applications that now include HDR Dynamic Mapping. With the addition of HDR DM, a receiver, such as a TV set, can adapt a HDR video signal to the characteristics of the display.

The specifics of this update are for ETSI TS 101 154, which set how video and audio coding are used for satellite, cable and terrestrial broadcast systems, as well as broadband delivery. HDR DM is meant to allow content creators and device manufacturers a way to adapt video content to closely replicate the intended appearance, as produced in a reference viewing environment.

Three solutions for HDR DM have been included in the updated version of TS 101 154:

• SMPTE ST 2094-10 - Dynamic Metadata for Color Volume Transform - Application #1
• ETSI TS 103 433-2 (SL-HDR2) - High-Performance Single-Layer HDR system for us in consumer electronics devices; Part Two: Enhancements for Perceptual Quantization (PQ) transfer function based HDR systems.
• SMPTE ST 2094-40 - Dynamic Metadata for Color Volume Transform - Application #4

DVB audiovisual coding specifications have two ways of providing HDR video content—Hybrid Log Gamma and 10-bit variant of PQ-10—but HDR DM only applies to PQ-10.

The revised specification, which was approved by the DVB Steering Board on July 3, has been published as DVB BlueBook A001 and will be forwarded to ETSI for publication as TS 101 154 v2.6.1. DVB’s specifications for Service Information and Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP also now support HDR DM.

Now, the DVB Technical Module working group on audio and video will proceed with verification and validation activities to help with implementation.

AMSTERDAM—DVB will highlight its DVB-I specification suite offering an open standard approach to OTT and broadband television at IBC 2019 in Amsterdam, Sept. 13-17.

“The DVB-I suite of specifications is quickly taking shape and will soon be ready for deployment,” said Peter MacAvock, chair of DVB.

The DVB-I suite of specifications is designed to improve the delivery of OTT content. Offering the same user-friendly and robust qualities as broadcast television delivery, DVB-I is designed to be a cost-effective, scalable solution that enhances the experience of viewers when it comes to hybrid and broadband television due to its support for advanced features, such as integrated channel lists, interactive content guides and simple, lean-back channel selection, said DVB

It will be demonstrated together with the Low Latency DASH (LL-DASH) and Multicast Adaptive Bit Rate (mABR) standards that will be forthcoming from DVB, the organization said. LL-DASH ensures the delay for live OTT channels is equivalent to broadcast, and mABR allows broadcasters and network operators to work together to optimize IP-based delivery to many receivers at the same time.

Experts on DVB-related topics will be available at the DVB stand. “In the context of a tradeshow where the emphasis is largely commercial, we’re aiming to provide an opportunity for non-sales-driven advice from a neutral standpoint,” said Eva Markvoort, head of the DVB Project Office.

More information is available on the DVB website. 

When the DVB-T2 standard was published in 2009, it was the first—and for awhile the only—second-generation Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) standard. Because of its superior spectral efficiency and its operational flexibility, DVB-T2 has successfully been deployed around the world and is the technology of choice in many countries. Now, with ATSC 3.0 deployments underway, there is another second-generation DTT specification.

This article will explore the relevant differences between ATSC 3.0 and DVB-T2, starting with a comprehensive comparison of the physical and transport layers of each standard. Next, the article will evaluate the audio and video coding technologies that the systems support, noting the advantages of each approach with regards to equipment costs and licensing fees. With the growing popularity of smart and connected TVs and widespread broadband access, the article will conclude with a look at how ATSC 3.0 and DVB-T2 approach interactive service delivery and why the latter standard remains the strongest candidate for implementation of DTT services.

COMPARING THE PHYSICAL LAYERS

Only marginal differences for the spectral efficiency of a single channel exist between the physical layers of ATSC 3.0 and DVB-T2. The physical layer of ATSC 3.0 was built upon the same basic architecture as DVB-T2, which features OFDM and LDPC Forward Error Correction Codes. While ATSC 3.0 does include additional new tools such as non-uniform constellations and advanced LDPC codes, it only offers a slight improvement in performance that doesn’t outweigh the increased complexity.

There are additional new tools in ATSC 3.0, like MIMO (Multiple-Input and Multiple-Output) and LDM (Layer Division Multiplexing). DVB analysed the benefits of MIMO some years ago and made a deliberate decision not to include it in DVB-T2, owing to a lack of commercial demand for it. DTT operators expressed concern about the more complex and expensive network infrastructure its introduction would require. Furthermore, the introduction of MIMO forces the end user to install a new receive antenna.

LDM can provide spectral efficiency improvements for a limited choice of injection levels. The right mix of different injection levels is not always a typical use case and limits the use of LDM, which also adds complexity and cost to the receivers.

From a modulation perspective, ATSC 3.0 can operate up to 1024 and 4096 QAM, compared with DVB-T2 where the highest option is 256 QAM. The higher modulation scheme of ATSC 3.0 allows for more bits per symbol but it also introduces a higher signal-to-noise ratio, requiring a denser and thus more costly network. Currently, there is no market demand for constellations beyond 256 QAM in Europe. Indeed, the Recommended Practice for ATSC 3.0 television sets, issued by the CTA, mandates only constellations up to 256 QAM, indicating a similar market need in North America.

EXAMINING THE TRANSPORT LAYER

The transport layer of ATSC 3.0 moves away from MPEG2 Transport Stream (TS), which is well established in the industry. Instead it relies on an IP system based on the DASH Route and MMT specifications (Fig. 1). DVB, on the other hand, maintains that MPEG2-TS continues to be the best technical solution for unidirectional distribution of broadcast content, including terrestrial, satellite and cable.

By using MPEG2-TS, broadcasters can create a TS signal once and use it for a variety of different delivery platforms. Moreover, MPEG2-TS was developed specifically for broadcast. ATSC 3.0 relies on IP protocols, which may be advantageous in interactive use cases. Recognizing this, DVB, too, has several specifications intended for IP-based transport.

A LOOK AT AV CODING TECHNOLOGIES

For advanced video coding, ATSC 3.0 solely relies on HEVC, while DVB-T2 offers the flexibility to use HEVC or MPEG-4/H.264, lowering equipment cost thanks to minimal patent licensing fees. Both ATSC 3.0 and DVB-T2 allow broadcasters to deliver all video resolutions, from SD to UHD (4K), along with providing advanced features like High Dynamic Range, High Frame Rate, Wide Color Gamut and Next Generation Audio to enhance the viewers’ experience.

For subtitles, both ATSC and DVB use XML based solutions. DVB also has a widely implemented solution for bitmap-based subtitle delivery, which remains the preferred approach globally today.

CONTENT PROTECTION DIFFERENCES

Content protection is a key requirement today, especially for premium content like live sports and movies. A major difference between ATSC 3.0 and DVB-T2 is the method of content protection used. ATSC 3.0 relies on the MPEG Common Encryption (MPEG-CENC) scheme. It’s a perfect solution for delivering video protected by DRM over a broadband network to connected devices. The drawback: it is not specified for a broadcast-only environment, meaning most pay-TV use cases are left in the dark.

Conditional access (CA) is the heart of DVB-T2 content security, with support for Simulcrypt. This approach allows broadcasters to use different CA solutions. In addition, DVB also supports Multicrypt where all CA related functionality is implemented in one CA Module, separating the TV functions from the CA functionality. To make this approach work, DVB has specified the Common Interface (CI) between the TV set and the CA Module. This Interface is mandated in the European Union.

Overall the DVB CA approach is very successful; about 50% of all DVB receivers worldwide are used for pay TV.

INTERACTIVE SERVICE CAPABILITIES

According to Strategy Analytics, there are 1 billion connected TVs in homes globally. Given the nature of smart devices in use, today’s television viewers expect an interactive experience, with access to broadband and video content. Both ATSC and DVB-T2 (via HbbTV) support interactive service delivery. The major difference is that HbbTV has been established across Europe and other parts of the world, whereas ATSC 3.0 is still rather new. While trials are underway, it does not yet have an ecosystem for interactive applications and services.

In today’s connected world, interoperability is important. HbbTV provides a test suite so that devices, and suppliers of hardware and software components, can confirm compliance with HbbTV specifications. Having a test suite is an absolute must for delivering compliant and interoperable solutions.

CONCLUSION

ATSC 3.0 and DVB-T2 are both state-of-the-art digital television systems with advanced features like interactivity. The main technical differences lie in the transport mechanisms (IP for ATSC 3.0 vs. MPEG2-TS for DVB-T2) and content protection schemes (MPEG-CENC for ATSC 3.0 and CA/Simulcrypt/Multicrypt for DVB-T2) used. Ultimately, DVB-T2 has successfully been deployed by multiple countries across Europe, serving a combined population of more than 3.5 billion, meaning it has an established and proven ecosystem. Moreover, DVB-T2 is closely aligned with the wider set of DVB standards, supporting satellite, cable, IP and terrestrial delivery, whereas ATSC 3.0 only covers terrestrial use cases, limiting its appeal for those looking to implement digital television services.

Peter Siebert is the head of technology at DVB.

For a comprehensive source of TV Technology’s ATSC 3.0 coverage, see ourATSC3 silo.

LAS VEGAS--As Yogi Berra might have observed about this year’s CES, “It was déjà vu all over again,” (at least with regard to the next-gen TV sets being displayed by both large and small manufacturers.)

Last year, with the ink still drying on the 3.0 standard and the FCC’s green-lighting of its use by the nation’s TV stations a couple of months earlier, ATSC, NAB and CTA industry officials gathered to celebrate its arrival with a champagne toast on the opening day of the CES. However, there was not a single 3.0-capable set to be found among the super-bright, super-big, super-colorful, super-intelligent, (and, in some cases, super-expensive) television receivers that literally reached the ceiling of the Los Vegas Convention Center which hosted the 2018 show.

Fast forward a year—has there been any change in the 3.0 situation?

In a word, no! If anything, there was less ATSC 3.0 presence this time, as one TV manufacturer did put up a sign in its 2018 CES display space that touted the benefits of the new DTV transmission standard. Not even the sign was there this time.

CRITICAL MASS

While most of the TV set exhibitors quizzed about the lack of ATSC 3.0 product (which has been available since 2017 in South Korea) were silent about its absence at CES, John Taylor, senior vice president of public affairs for LG USA did offer an explanation.

“You’re a year or so early,” he said. “We’re trying to time the introduction of the product with the critical mass of Next-Gen TV broadcasting, and the whole industry seems to be moving toward a 2020 product launch.” Taylor did seem fairly certain that the 3.0 sets would be populating manufacturers’ exhibit spaces at the 2020 CES to “prime the pumps” of buyers who would be at that show to decide what to stock their stores with for the 2020 holiday buying season.

And while others in the industry have hinted that there may be a problem with delivery of some of the components needed for 3.0 sets, Taylor was quick to state otherwise.

“There’s no technology issue at all,” he said. “It’s a business marketplace consideration about the right time to introduce the product in the U.S. market. We could ship the product today. As you know, we’re shipping ATSC 3.0 TVs in Korea, but it has to make sense for the U.S. market and that’s heading towards 2020.”

Taylor noted that LG and its Zenith R&D subsidiary are providing receiver products and technical support for some of the U.S. ATSC 3.0 field trials.

THE VIEW FROM OVERSEAS

Peter Siebert, head of technology for the DVB (Digital Video Broadcast organization, a Swiss-based consortium that sets digital broadcast transmission standards for Europe, and is roughly the equivalent of the Advanced Television Systems Committee), was at the show and had a slightly more pessimistic view when asked about the appearance of ATSC 3.0 TVs at the 2020 edition of the “world’s biggest consumer electronics show.”

“I don’t think so,” said Siebert. “And the reason why I don’t think so is that there has to be a strong commitment from the broadcasting community to say ‘we will introduce the service,’ and personally from a European perspective, I don’t hear this message from the North American broadcasters.

“It’s a typical ‘chicken and egg’ problem and there must be somebody breaking it,” he continued. “The broadcasters must say ‘we offer a service.’ It doesn’t help that the industry develops products first. For example, when I look at the televisions, there are many 4K televisions on the market. However, this doesn’t mean that we have 4K broadcasts. I think the broadcaster has to make a firm commitment to introduce the service and then the receiver industry will follow.”

Siebert noted that when the United Kingdom decided to migrate from the original DVB-T (terrestrial broadcast) standard, which was struck in 1997, to an updated version, DVB-T2, which was completed in 2008, there was no “chicken and egg” situation because there was a clear commitment from the BBC for a rollout of the improved HD service via DVB-T2.

“It can go very fast if well planned,” he said, noting that the transition was accomplished in Ukraine in a single year and in two years in Germany. Siebert did admit that the move to DVB-T2 didn’t go quite so fast in every European nation, explaining that “typically, the more a country is relying on terrestrial television, the longer it takes, because you have a much bigger legacy of receivers that you have to update before you can start a new service.”

However, lack of suitable receivers didn’t seem to be an issue in the DVB-T2 transition.

“In Germany, when we went from DVB-T to DVB-T2, we had all stakeholders sitting together at a round table and making a plan on how to introduce T2,” said Siebert. “It was very clear. The broadcasters said on this date we will switch our transmissions to the new DVB-T2 specification. And it was also very clear that the consumer industry [would be] ready way before this, providing the necessary equipment. So, at the time the switchover happened, quite a high percentage of receiving equipment was ready. I think it is necessary that all stakeholders sit together, to agree on a plan and then stick to the plan.”

THE VIEW FROM SINCLAIR

Since ATSC 3.0’s inception, one of its biggest backers has been the Sinclair Broadcast Group, and for the past several years the broadcast station group has been at CES to promote the standard, even operating a transmitter on Black Mountain south of Las Vegas to provide TV set exhibitors with 3.0 signals to demonstrate reception of OTA UHD video at the show. Sinclair has also hosted demonstrations of 3.0 technologies a few blocks away from the convention halls in a suite at the Wynn Hotel.

Mark Aitken, Sinclair’s vice president of advanced technology, was on hand this year to offer his take on the absent ATSC 3.0 hardware.

“I think it’s very simple,” said Aitken. “There two issues. The difficult one is content protection, and this issue has not been answered. You’ve got a lot of dancing around on the part of the networks with respect to what their requirements are for content protection, and not a single solution that has been put on the table has been supported by all of the content providers—and I might add content distributors or MVPDs. So, you have a bit of a stalemate. For me, it’s a fairly easy one to resolve. I look at it and say as a starting point ‘if Widevine [DRM] is good enough for Netflix, why isn’t it good enough for broadcast?’

“The networks will always try to extract the broadcaster from out of the middle of the relationship with the consumer,” continued Aitken, noting that reluctance of networks and program providers to allow their content to be transmitted by affiliates deploying ATSC-M/H [aka Mobile DTV] was one of the reasons for that mobile initiative’s ultimate demise.

“I think there’s been a soft promise made on the part of broadcasters that we’re willing to come to a solution. There’s been an unwillingness on the part of the large content players to sit down and really try to solve that problem, at least with Sinclair. They have their own views and their views are not shared equally with all broadcasters. And so, for the very same reasons that we ended up with Dolby AC-4 as an abstraction of the Atmos production environment in Hollywood, the issue of content protection is being driven by those same Hollywood entities, which for a broadcaster is driven through the network.”

Aitken summed up the situation by stating: “It is a political problem, absolutely.”

Aitken said that Sinclair will light up 26 markets by the end of 2019.

“There’s a requirement by the FCC that there be some replication across ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0,” he said. “There may have to be an opportunity to force that issue at a regulatory level, which nobody really wants. But at the end of the day sometimes you solve problems by spilling a little blood first.”

THE CHIP

Despite his disappointment with this stalemate in the rollout of 3.0, Aitken was in a celebratory mood as he announced the release of an integrated circuit specially designed and fabricated for Sinclair. The chip’s unveiling marked the end of a nearly two-year journey that began with a pledge to supply free ATSC 3.0 demodulator chipsets to any company manufacturing smartphones or other handheld viewing devices that would commit to including them in their products.

Explaining the genesis of the project, Aitken—who is a firm believer that broadcast television’s future lies in mobile devices—said that after surveying existing 3.0 chip products, he quickly came to the conclusion that none were really satisfactory for mobile device applications.

“We knew what sort of power the available chips consumed,” said Aitken. “It’s easy enough to guess the power requirement specs, because it’s almost like a curling iron if you’ve ever put your finger on one. If we were ever going to have a mobile-enabled device—something that was suitable for embedding in phones, something that could couple-up to a cellphone without draining the life out of the phone—we would have to create it.”

Frustrated that none of the large consumer electronics firms showed much interest in mobile TV products, he decided to go it alone.

“We went literally to the top of the ladder, and at the end of the day, they saw the world the way that they choose to see the world,” he said. “They saw no place for mobile ATSC; certainly not at this time.”

Aitken recalled an Indian company with a reputation for low-power consumption specialty integrated circuit design—Saankhya Labs—from his involvement with ATSC M/H—and contacted them.

“I decided to pick up the phone and have a conversation with Praag Naik, who is the president,” said Aitken. “We had a conversation, and it became evident that we shared a much higher-level understanding of what was possible, so Sinclair invested.”

The result was the creation of a very low-power consumption chip that can easily be incorporated within a mobile viewing device without substantially decreasing its battery life or increasing its physical profile.

NOT JUST FOR ATSC 3.0

Aitken said that as Saankhya had an established reputation in software-defined radio (SDR) technology, it was decided early on to create a chip that was signal agnostic, with software dictating which of a dozen or so digital TV signals it will decode, including ATSC 1.0 and the European DVB-T2 standard.

“We’re not building an ATSC 3 chip,” he said. “We’re building a chip that can go in set-top boxes, in televisions, in tablets, for any global broadcast standard, including digital radio. You level your risk by having a multistandard chip.”

Aitken says that at present about 1,000 of the chipsets have been created, and the foundry is ready to roll out millions more. Asked about takers for the free devices, he acknowledged that this has been a bit of a hard sell, but sees some light on the horizon.

“We’ve offered a major carrier five million chips. We’ve also offered the engineering of that chip into the device and we’ve offered the availability of the IP data stream, but that has not been enough to entice them to do that yet, but we are knee-deep into discussions with a USB manufacturer.”

Aitken views this as a first step to getting the chips into mobile devices, explaining that they would be part of a USB-C “dongle” equipped with an embedded antenna and designed to plug into mobile devices. And by the chip’s not being specific to ATSC 3.0, the dongle could be used virtually anywhere that digital over-the-air broadcasting is taking place.

“It would host DVB-T2, ISDB-T, ATSC 1, and other standards just by changing the software,” said Aitken. “It could be used in any part of the world.” 

For a comprehensive list of TV Technology’s ATSC 3.0 coverage, see our ATSC3 silo.

ACTON, MASS.—Video solutions provider SeaChange International and Russian-based video operator TotalVideo have entered into an agreement to develop a multi-operator, multi-tenant hybrid OTT/DVB/IPTV platform that will enable video and cable providers in Russia to offer multi-screen services to their subscribers.

TotalVideo has agreed to develop their new service using SeaChange’s PanoramiC platform, and plans to offer this new video platform to service providers across Russia and Eastern Europe. The service platform will provide advanced viewing capabilities for live, linear, and on-demand content across a variety of devices, both fixed and mobile.

“With SeaChange, TotalVideo has the scalable foundation to serve our customers as comprehensively and effectively as possible,” said Mikhail Silin, General Director, TotalVideo. “The combination of software solutions and professional services provided by SeaChange will allow us to deliver a platform that video providers and operators can easily adopt, allowing them to offer their viewers an enhanced user experience. With our new platform, they will benefit with increased viewership and customer loyalty.”

The PanoramiC platform is a cloud-based video management and delivery platform, combining the components of the SeaChange cFlow™ video management and monetization portfolio with complementary streaming solution elements from leading vendors ATEME, ATES Networks, Broadpeak, and castLabs. The scalable platform solution allows providers to quickly and cost-effectively deploy personalized video services across multiple screens and devices, while offering a consistent user experience across their multiple devices.

“As consumers demand access to video on every device, video providers around the world must enhance their existing infrastructures to offer high-quality, premium video across any platform, with optimized and personalized user experiences,” said Ed Terino, Chief Executive Officer, SeaChange. “We are proud to have been chosen by TotalVideo to help them develop a best-in-breed multi-screen platform for video operators and their consumers in Russia.”

GENEVA—Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB), an industry consortium behind technical standards that are primarily used in Europe, is moving forward on an initiative that will look into commercial requirements for standalone linear TV services that are delivered over the internet.

The focus of that work, under the DVB-I (internet) banner, aim to complement DVB-S/C/T standards and managed IPTV services that are tied to service over dedicated access networks. DVB-I will also look to borrow commonalities with existing DVB specifications.

Thomas Stockhammer of Qualcomm Technologies is chairing the DVB CM-I group, and Peter Lanigan of TP Vision is on board as vice chair.

Keying on the emergence of OTT-delivered TV services to internet-connected televisions and to mobile devices, the initial focus of CM-I will be to collect relevant commercial and technical requirements “in order to provide a user perception of a linear TV channel that can be discovered and consumed over the open Internet and by regular TV equipment and user interfaces.”

“With hybrid services, OTT and online distribution growing in importance, DVB is applying its expertise and know-how in this all-important domain,” Peter MacAvock, DVB’s chairman, said in a statement. “DVB-I will complement the current DVB standards that form the basis of the way consumers watch TV today.”

This story first appeared on TVT's sister publication Multichannel News.

GENEVA—The DVB Steering Board has approved revisions to three DVB specifications that complete the existing generation of specifications for Ultra High Definition Television, DVB UHD-1, DVB announced in a press release.

“UHD is a key part of many broadcasters’ portfolios,” said Peter MacAvock, DVB chairman, in the press release. “DVB has worked tirelessly to finalize a comprehensive set of specifications for UHD.”

Revisions and updates of DVB UHD-1 pertain to DVB-DASH, audiovisual coding and bitmapped subtitles. The steering committee approved:

· Revision of ETSI TS 103 285, the DVB MPEG-DASH Profile for Transport of DVB Services of IP Based Networks. It includes provision of live text messages and slideshows for use with Hybrid Digital Radio; support for linking interactive applications to broadcast services delivered via DVB-DASH; high dynamic range, HDR; high frame rate, HFR; and next-generation audio, NGA.

· Amendments to TS 101 154, the DVB audio and video coding specifications. They include an amended spec for H.264/AVC and HEVC video conformance points to be used with MPEG-DASH.

· Amendments to DVB Subtitling Systems, ETSI EN 300 743, which add explicit support for subtitling for UHD television as defined in ETSI TS 101 154 and ETSI EN 300 468. The changes include technical extensions for progressive-scan color object coding and the ability to offer a subtitle Color Look-Up Table, CLUT, for color systems beyond ITU-0R BR.601.

The revised specification should help broadcasters “confidently implement UHD,” said MacAvock.

More information is available on the DVB website.

GENEVA—At its most recent meeting, the DVB Steering Board approved the new specification for DVB TTML subtitling systems. The specification enables the delivery of next generation subtitles in transport streams for broadcast television services, based on W3C Timed Text Markup Language. The new specification is designed to complement the bitmap based subtitle solutions.

With the new TTML delivery specification, service providers will be able to transition over time to a common TTML subtitle format for both broadcast and internet delivered services.

“The approval of the transport stream carriage of the TTML specification adds a very important component to the DVB specifications, most notably providing support for UHD subtitles,” said Kevin Murray, DVB technical module chair. “This also provides a common subtitling mechanism between transport streams and DASH delivered content and, being a textual based format, opens up a range of possibilities for enhancing accessibility of services.”

The specification has been published as BlueBook A174 and has been forwarded to ETSI for standardization as a European Norm.

GENEVA—It’s an election year for more than just the presidency, as the Digital Video Broadcasting consortium announced that Peter MacAvock has been elected to the position of chairman. The vote took place at the 83rd meeting of the Steering Board and will see MacAvock take over the role from Phil Laven, who held the position since 2008.

Peter MacAvock

MacAvock currently serves as head of delivery, platforms and services with EBU Technology & Innovation, but he previously served as DVB’s executive director for 14 years.

The DVB is dealing with the development of UHDTV, particularly HDR, HFR and Next Generation Audio; future transmission systems; and Study Mission Groups on virtual reality.

“DVB needs to stand on the shoulders of its past successes to prepare for an exciting future: no small challenge in today’s ever changing environment,” said MacAvock in the organization’s official announcement.

DVB is an industry-led consortium of more than 200 global broadcasters, manufacturers, network operators, software developers, and regulators that seek to develop open interoperable technical standards for the global delivery of digital media and broadcast services.