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DigiTAGWeb LetterApril 2008 DigiTAG seeks to inform members and non-members about important developments in the digital terrestrial television market. Each month, DigiTAG distributes its web letter with news updates and further exploration of one topic.To subscribe to the DigiTAG Web Letter, send an email to the DigiTAG Project Office.
This month's web letter has been contributed by Marnix Vlot (Philips) who explains the recent updates to the E-Book to cater for HDTV services. Web links have been added to acronyms that may be unfamiliar to some readers. E-Book gets the HD pictureThe ‘E-Book’ is the colloquial name given to the IEC standard 62216 for Digital Terrestrial receivers for the DVB-T system. This standard defines the basic requirements for every DTT receiver in Europe today. Work on the E-Book began in 1999 when the consumer electronics group EACEM (now EICTA) developed the document starting from the DTT specification used in the United Kingdom, the D-Book, and early DTT developments in Sweden. In 2000, EACEM, together with DigiTAG, published a joint document which was submitted to the IEC standardisation procedure. The E-Book has served as a basis for receivers in many countries, such as Spain and France, to launch their terrestrial systems and subsequently as inspiration for derivative specifications such as the Italian D-Book developed by the DGTVi. Updates to the E-BookApart from a minor update cycle undertaken in 2004 as the roll-out of DTT services accelerated throughout Europe, it has not been necessary to make significant changes to the E-Book. However, updates became necessary when the French made the decision to launch high-definition (HD) services on the DTT platform. Because the French national broadcasting legislation is based on the E-Book, the French consumer electronics group Simavelec together with the French HD Forum urged EICTA to update the E-Book. To undertake this work, EICTA resynchronized with developments on the United Kingdom's HD D-Book and built upon the specification requirements which they had developed when working on the EICTA HD-ready and HDTV logos. An addendum to IEC 62216 was published on the EICTA website and the full E-Book update was submitted recently to the IEC for formal approval. Europe's DTT unity and diversityHistory has proven that developing specifications suitable for use throughout Europe is not easy. Many requirements and implementation constraints are only discovered through practical local specification discussions and real-world deployment experience in the diverse network situations across the continent. A number of extensions to the E-Book to cover individual market needs have been made, as illustrated by the use of MHEG in the United Kingdom and MHP in Italy, for interactive services. However, the role of the E-Book is to serve as a common base for all, and to maintain that role despite operating in such a diverse environment. EICTA has been consulting with all broadcast groups in Europe with the aim of aligning all HD specifications and broadcast signals to the E-Book. While some topics remain overtly difficult to align, such as that of APIs, discussion on less contentious topics are continuing. This is the case with the Nordic specification group, NorDig, on channel numbering, with the Italian HD Forum and with the European Broadcast Union (EBU) which has raised many deployment issues with terrestrial receivers. The HD extensionsThe HD extensions added by EICTA to the current E-Book are as follows: Video decoder - ISO/IEC 14496-10, high profile level 4.0: 720p
50Hz and 1080i 25Hz Audio decoder– at least one of Dolby Enhanced AC-3 or MPEG-4
multichannel HE-AAC Video and audio output formatting for HD Programme specific information and service information (PSI/SI) signalling for HD
HD DVB-subtitling has been recommended The HD extensions to the E-Book have identified only one new profile: that for HD receivers. While some countries may launch DTT services in standard-definition MPEG-4 AVC, it was felt that developing a specific profile for such receivers would not be sufficiently durable. Next stepsEICTA will remain active in attempting to align DTT specification issues throughout Europe. It is keen to cooperate with DTT operators or groups that wish to launch a DTT network or extend their existing DTT networks to include HD services. In addition, EICTA is currently forming working groups on such topics as DVB-T2, and on radio-frequencies specifications, in the latter case to address the increased pressure placed on DTT reception by potential co-channel interference from non-DTT applications. For further information, please contact EICTA by email at: m.vlot@philips.com
and tony.graziano@eicta.org Source: Marnix Vlot, Philips About DigiTAGDigiTAG aims to encourage and facilitate the implementation and introduction of digital terrestrial television services using the Digital Video Broadcasting Project's Standard (DVB-T). It has some 60 members from broadcasting, network operators, regulatory, and manufacturing organisations throughout Europe and beyond.Visit the DigiTAG websitePlease contact the DigiTAG office if you have any news that you would like to include in the next DigiTAG Web Letter.To unsubscribe from the DigiTAG Web Letter, please click here and put 'UNSUBSCRIBE' in the subject title of your email. |
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DTT NEWS ROUND-UPFor access to the full articles archive, please go to DigiTAG News United Kingdom - Digital UK publishes results of ASO in WhitehavenAccording to the Digital UK report, the switchover process was a success with residents well informed and prepared. Most residents found switchover to be straight-forward and are pleased with the new service offering. However, the report notes that a few issues emerged that will need to be addressed in the next switch-off regions. These issues include better communications between tenants and landlords, improved explanation of the benefits of the Help Scheme, and a shorter transition period in the two-staged switchover process. Source: Digtal UK websiteItaly - Euro 2008 available on HD/DTTPublic service broadcaster RAI has announced plans to transmit the Euro 2008 Football Championship in high-definition on the DTT platform in the regions of Valle d'Aoste and Sardinia as well as the cities of Rome, Milan and Turin. These will be the first HD/DTT transmissions in Italy, following test transmissions by Mediaset in Sardinia last year. Source: advanced-television.comFrance - CSA publishes synthesis of ASO consultationFollowing its consultation on analogue switch-off, the CSA has published a synthesis of the 80 responses received. Based on these responses, the CSA recommends that analogue switch-off begin in 2009. According to the CSA, analogue switch-off should take place region-by-region with the first two regions switching off in 2009. Analogue switch-off is set to be completed by 20 November 2011. Source: CSA websiteSwitzerland - DVB-H launch set for 13 MaySwisscom has announced that it will launch its DVB-H services on 13 May. Viewers will be able to access 20 television programme services for 16 CHF per month or 2 CHF per day. Services will be available to 44% of the population located in the cities of Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne and Zurich. Source: Swisscom press releaseBelgium - Interest in VRT transmission networkPlans for VRT, the public service broadcaster for the Flemish-speaking community, to sell its transmission network have started to take shape. Media reports have stated that five companies have expressed interest in buying the network and are believed to be Belgacom, Telenet, TDF, Mobistar and Macquarie. However, this information has not been confirmed by VRT. Source: Broadband TV NewsPortugal - Two bids received for commercial DTT servicesThe communications regulator Anacom has announced that it has received two bids for the available DTT licenses. Portugal Telecom (PTC) has bid for the DTT license to operate the free-to-air DTT multiplex as well as for license for the operation of commercial DTT services on multiplexes B-F. The Swedish company AirPlus TV has bid for the license for the operation of commercial DTT services. However, the acceptance of its bid is conditional on its submission of additional pledge documents by 30 April. Source: Anacom websiteUnited Kingdom - Eight bidders for L-Band frequenciesOfcom has published the list of qualified bidders for spectrum in the L-Band (1452-1492 MHz). Ofcom is making available 15 channels sized at 1.7MHz and 1 channel sized at 12.5MHz. Bidders include London law office Adolphus, broadcast network operator
Arqiva, Kuwaiti business E-Portal, Telecom service provider MLL Telecom,
MediaFLO parent company Qualcomm, Spectrum provider Joint Radio Company,Scandinavian-Benelux
MVNO Vectone Network, and Source: Rapid TV NewsPoland - TVP undertakes further DTT trialsThe public service broadcaster TVP has begun a DTT trial in the Lubuskie region, near the border with Germany. The trial offers access to 7 television programme services from TVP (TVP1, TVP2, TVP Info/Gorzów, TVP Polonia, TVP Kultura, TVP Sport and TVP Historia) using the MPEG-4 AVC compression format and Dolby Digital Sound. Similar trials using MPEG-4 AVC are underway in Srem (Poznan), Warsaw and Kraków while an MPEG-2 trial is underway in the south eastern part of the country. Source: Broadband TV News |
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