Australian DVB-T HDTV Implementation: Receiver Standards, COFDM, and Lessons for the U.S.
By Colin Wright · 1999
Mentioned:
Colin Wright
Summary
Australian broadcast engineer Colin Wright outlines Australia's DVB-T HDTV rollout, including a national receiver standard covering set-top boxes and integrated sets across price tiers. Wright argues COFDM's flexibility over 8-VSB offers advantages including hierarchical modes for mobile reception and cliff-edge mitigation.
Source documentcirca 1999preserved as-is
"In Australia we have produced a Receiver Standard document for manufacturers that specifies and gives guidelines on a range of receiver options covering both fully integrated and modular receivers (i.e.. set-top-boxes or PC cards) and in a price range from the cheap set for the kitchen through to the full high def set for the home cinema."
Just Some Thoughts From Your "Cousins" Downunder:
By Colin Wright
We've seen that it's easy for DVB-T to work in 8MHz, 7MHz *and* after NAB'99 and Baltimore, in 6MHz channels.
Australia will use HD formats for its implementation of DVB. And the DVB standards are there to allow not only 25/50 Hz formats but also all formats at 24, 30 and 60Hz (and those NTSC related 1/1.001 formats) (Just look at the table of examples in Annex-A of ETSI ETR-154 - This is MPEG stuff really.)
Australia has adopted 5.1 channel Dolby Digital AC-3 and the standard is now part of the DVB-T transport stream standard - See the new ETR-154 Annex-C and EN 300 468 Annexes
Australian DTV receivers will use stock standard COFDM receive demod chips now becoming available from numerous suppliers. All these chips support all the various modulation modes including 2K /8K and COFDM hierarchical modes
If stations want to use hierarchical -its there (Some have considered that mode for mobile - have a look at the new automobile designs coming out of Germany and Japan - It won't only be first class airline passengers that will have in-seat video in the next 10 years) Others are considering hierarchical to soften the "digital cliff" in very bad service areas or at the edge of service areas. Look how Joe-six-pack will sit and watch his favorite game or movie on analog NTSC even though his picture is very ghosty or disappearing into noise. Straight digital 8-VSB and COFDM has "cliff-edge" effect - there's not much between a perfect picture and none at all - but COFDM gives you a choice - its there if you want to use it.
Australian receivers will be able to take advantage of the DVB standards already in existence for Conditional Access (Pay) and other extensions through the DVB "Common Interface".
DVB specifications for interfaces to Cable and Satellite, MMDS and other systems are there.
In Australia we have produced a Receiver Standard document for manufacturers that specifies and gives guidelines on a range of receiver options covering both fully integrated and modular receivers (i.e.. set-top-boxes or PC cards) and in a price range from the cheap set for the kitchen through to the full high def set for the home cinema.
It seems that in an open "horizontal" market where companies want to just get out there and run a profitable business, using a system that holds you back doesn't make good business sense.
