PANELLISTS
42
May-June 2017
DTH still dominates
ARRIS ’ new satellite receivers support HEVC /. 265 and DVB-S2X
ARRIS has two new satellite receiver solutions for satellite distribution networks . Both the DSR-
7412 integrated receiver / transcoder and DSR-4470 integrated receiver / decoder feature HEVC / H . 265 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ) decoding and DVB-S2X demodulation capabilities . The DSR-7412 delivers up to 12 channels of both MPEG- 2 / 4 HD and SD transcoding to support legacy set-top box capability , while the DSR-4470 provides a dedicated decoding platform for full compatibility with nextgeneration distribution networks .
Hiltron powers on with Super-HMAM motorised satellite antenna mount
Based on the HMAM three-axis motorised antenna mount , Hiltron ’ s new Super-HMAM is designed and built to accept “ substantially larger ” reflector dishes . The Super-HMAM includes high-grade drives for azimuth and elevation , plus a high-accuracy polarisation drive . It is fully compatible with Hiltron ’ s standard HACU antenna positioning system . A combined head and drive are incorporated , forming a three-axis motorised system with 180 ° of azimuth adjustment , 90 ° of elevation adjustment range and fully adjustable polarisation . Positioning accuracy is +/ - 0.0 ° and position-display resolution is 0.01 °.
Next Month @ Distribution
Set-top Boxes for New TV Platforms
PANELLISTS
Dr Ali R Ebadi
Advisor Board of Directors Measat Satellite Systems
Martin Coleman
Executive Director Satellite Interference Reduction Group
Amitabh Kumar
Director , Corporate Zee Network
Asia remains a huge driver of satellite connectivity because of the many advantages the latter offers . However , to be able to reach out to current and future viewers , satellite operators continue to require a robust infrastructure , as Josephine Tan discovers .
The goal of every broadcaster is to maximise the audience for its content by reaching as many viewers as possible in the most costeffective manner . With the kind of scale that is available in the highly populated Asia-Pacific region , direct-to-home ( DTH ) delivery continues to play an essential role in the broadcast ecosystem .
DTH is the dominant platform for Asia due to the advantages it offers pay-TV operators in the region , Yau Chyong Lim , COO of Measat Satellite Systems , tells APB .
These , he elaborates , include : n Reliable video delivery over a large geographical area at a fixed distribution cost . n The ability to reach mass audiences in Asian countries where terrain can be geographically challenging — for example , archipelagos such as the Philippines and Indonesia , or large land areas such as India and China . n The widespread availability of satellite infrastructure , as compared to terrestrial fibre , which can take years to roll out .
Yau foresees 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ) being the “ main technology trend ” in this year that will impact the satellite and broadcast industries . He explains : “ Satellite has traditionally been strong in multi-point video distribution , and this strength will assist the industry to distribute 4K / UHD content effectively , despite increases in bandwidth requirements . The progress made in the 4K / UHD space includes high dynamic range ( HDR ) standards being cemented , and vendors increasing production of 4K / UHD-related
To empower media operators to better serve their customers , SES has introduced its subsidiary company MX1 , which offers digital video and media end-to-end solutions to enable operators to capture a spectrum of viewers with different entertainment and lifestyle needs .
Measat Satellite Systems recently demonstrated the transmission of 4K / UHD HDR content via its MEASAT-3 hotbird satellite , using the DVB-S2X broadcast standard at 18Mbps . Regardless of the video resolution , Measat believes that DTH remains the dominant delivery platform in Asia-Pacific .
equipment , leading to more 4K / UHD content in the near future .”
In March this year , Measat successfully showcased the transmission of 4K / UHD HDR content via its MEASAT-3 hotbird satellite using DVB-S2X broadcast standard at 18Mbps . Alongside five other partners — Ateme , BBright , Binasat , Celebrities Management and Cisco — Measat demonstrated the playout of 4K / UHD HDR content over a 4K / UHD playout server . The content was also encoded and compressed using the high-efficiency video coding ( HEVC )/ H . 265 compression standard , and decoded by a 4K / UHD HEVC / H . 265 decoder that supports the hybrid-log gamma ( HLG ) standard .
Yau elaborates : “ While 4K / UHD HDR provides higher quality video than HD , it also elevates the broadcaster ’ s content above the rest of the pack to give consumers the best possible viewing experience they can have at home . Thus , with infrastructure and pipelines already in place , satellite is a convenient and cost-effective video delivery mechanism that maximises its reach to pay-TV operators .”
Another company which has conducted 4K / UHD test trials over satellite capacity is SES . To accelerate 4K / UHD home delivery , SES recently collaborated with US-based telco Verizon to drive the development of 4K / UHD solutions for Verizon Fios subscribers throughout the US .
As part of the alliance , Verizon received and tested content from SES ’ pre-packaged 4K / UHD platform , which combines a line-up of 4K / UHD channels and reception equipment in a service delivered over satellite capacity .
Commenting on the trials , Deepak Mathur , senior VP , commercial , Asia- Pacific and the Middle East , SES , says : “ Our trials have shown that SES ’ approach has been very effective in accelerating the take-up of 4K / UHD in the US . The market ’ s reaction to our line-up of programming has been favourable , and in particular , our introduction of the first commercial 4K / UHD programming in HDR — Travelxp 4K — has created a lot of excitement among our trial participants .”
Besides Travelxp 4K , programming on the SES 4K / UHD line-up include Fashion One 4K , 4KUniverse , NASA TV UHD , Insight TV , UHD1 , C4K360 , Funbox 4K , Nature Relaxation 4K , as well as SES ’ 4K / UHD demonstration channel . These channels are hosted on a trio of SES satellites — SES-1 , SES-3 and AMC-18 — which cover the cable headends in the US .
Although the US is seeing “ fastgrowing ” 4K / UHD TV adoption compared to Asia-Pacific , Mathur believes that 4K / UHD will be adopted widely in Asia in due time , given the strength of growing economics , as well as the young and technology-savvy population in the region . “ Currently , a lot still has to happen in Asia-Pacific before 4K / UHD can roll out as a massmarket service . Most developing Asian countries are still growing their HD bouquet , and the digital switchover ( DSO ) in some countries is still incomplete . While we have not carried out 4K / UHD trials in Asia to date , we are not ruling out its possibility in the future ,” he adds .
Despite the ongoing developments in the delivery of 4K / UHD content over satellite , HD remains the standard offering , even in developed markets such as Japan , Malaysia , Australia and South Korea . In developing markets such as Thailand , the Philippines and Indonesia , HD channels are also increasingly occupying a larger proportion of the channel line-up .
In China , China Central Television ( CCTV ) has signed an agreement with Intelsat for the distribution of five HD channels via IntelsatOne terrestrial fibre and teleport services . As a result of the agreement , CCTV will expand its use of the HD format for its new and
PHOTO : MEASAT SATELLITE SYSTEMS