ALEXANDRIA, VA.—ATSC 3.0, (aka “NextGen TV”), is quickly making its debut in lots of U.S. markets, with some 60 deployments now made, and extra on the way in which. There’s no getting across the reality—the 3.0 march is on, and in the event you’re a tv broadcaster you’re going to have to be part of the ranks to stay aggressive. The first installment of this two-part sequence (within the June concern) mentioned typically phrases what was required to make the change from ATSC 1.0 to 3.0 broadcasting. This time, we’ll have a look at precise tools and providers obtainable to assist with the transition to NextGen TV.
WHERE ARE THE ‘BOXES’?
By its very nature, ATSC 3.0 is way more software program than {hardware}, with many of the merchandise about to be described current as software program already loaded onto a devoted server or software program supplied for set up on a person’s server platform, p.c., laptop computer, pill, and even smartphone. Some firms even provide their 3.0 merchandise in cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) packages.
GETTING THE SIGNAL READY
Transforming studio video and audio into an ATSC 3.0 sign entails a quantity of processes to in the end create the HEVC video and Dolby AC-4 alerts which can be OFDM-modulated for transmission.
This “conditioning” contains: enter stream and transport stream processing, any up-, down- or cross-conversion of video, A/V encoding, statistical multiplexing, widespread encryption encoding (CENC), route encapsulation, “conditioning” by way of the published scheduler and gateway, in addition to technology and addition of signaling, an Electronic Services Guide (ESG), captioning or subtitles, and different ancillary knowledge that make up the general 3.0 sign.
These processes are principally software-defined, with devoted servers doing the heavy lifting at both the studio or distant transmitter location. A quantity of firms have risen to the problem of creating merchandise on this space and will likely be comfortable to work with potential 3.0-adopters.
Harmonic’s end-to-end hybrid on-premises answer, options encoding with the XOS Advanced Media Processor and cloud origin server and supply by way of their VOS 360 cloud streaming SaaS.
Enensys’s MediaSolid ATSC signaling and supply server virtualized software program offers supply of stay content material from HEVC encoders, or of non-real-time content material, utilizing ROUTE or MMTP protocols. In addition, MediaSolid facilitates supply of ESGs, EAS data and interactive purposes. Enensys additionally provides a virtualized software program gateway, the SmartGate, that aggregates a number of IP streams, ensures ATSC layer protocol encapsulation and extra.
DigiCAP’s DigiCaster combines all required software program parts obligatory to bundle digital knowledge into an ATSC 3.0 stream that’s prepared to ship to a station’s OTA transmission platform.
Ateme’s Titan Live, Titan Mux and Titan File merchandise present, respectively, the video compression, stream processing and transcoding operations important in making a 3.0 sign.
Triveni Digital’s ATSC 3.0 Broadcast Gateway/Scheduler is designed to combine with the corporate’s GuideBuilder XM encoder to create a NextGen TV sign that’s prepared to be despatched to the transmitter’s exciter stage. The Broadcast Gateway/Scheduler creates signaling from customers’ parameters and may also serve to synchronize SFNs.
DS Broadcast’s Aster BGE9300 ATSC 3.0 encoder accommodates UHD1 (2160p) video, in addition to a number of FHD (1080p) or HD video alerts with TS, ROUTE or MMTP streams or DASH/MPU output. It helps Dolby AC-4, Dolby Digital, AAC audio, together with excessive dynamic vary and vast shade gamut video.
Synamedia offers software-centric processing options for encoding and packaging the ATSC 3.0 sign. The firm has partnered with NextGen TV gamers Triveni Digital and Thomson Broadcast to permit broadcasters to create a cloud-deployable ATSC 3.0 service. Synamedia has created a brochure (“ATSC 3.0 Next-Generation TV For Programmers And TV Networks” that gives some helpful data on making the transfer to 3.0. The free obtain is obtainable at synamedia.com.
Unisoft Corp. provides an entire ATSC 3.0 sign preparation package deal/supply system comprised of parts from Ateme, Enensys, and different manufacturers with a presence in NextGen TV. The firm is a licensed reseller of third-party software program, however has additionally developed a quantity of merchandise by itself, together with their UniSoft Multicast Server or “UMS,” which allows supply of the hybrid broadband ATSC 3.0 element to customers’ receivers.
NEXTGEN AUDIO
Although quite a bit of consideration is being paid to video in phrases of wooing customers with NextGen TV, enhanced audio functionality can also be half of the patron expertise too. Dolby Labs AC-4 know-how was tapped for audio supply within the United States and the corporate has launched a 5.1.4 encoder equipment for that commonplace.
The Telos Alliance is prepared to help broadcasters in making the 3.0 change with their Linear Acoustic LA-5300 broadcast audio processor, which is billed as a “full audio answer for ATSC 3.0. It processes and Dolby AC-4 encodes up to 4 audio packages, with the potential to add Nielsen and Verance watermarking.
GETTING IT ON THE AIR
Transmitter producers have been primed for the transfer to an ATSC 3.0 platform for a while now, with nearly all displaying merchandise tailor-made for NextGen Delivery.
GatesAir Maxiva XTE exciter broadcasters are already primed for 3.0 and simply convertible from 1.0 operation. The firm’s Intraplex networking know-how can also be obtainable to present safe dependable transport of any video content material over IP, together with the upper 3.0 knowledge charges.
Hitachi-Comark’s Parallax transmitter homeowners are equally set to transition to NextGen broadcasting, with no-derating of amplifiers obligatory when making the 3.0 change, and only a small exciter improve to add an ATSC 3.0 license. The firm’s Comark Digital Services division, CDS, is prepared to deal with the mandatory transmitter proofing when shifting to Next Gen operation. CDS companions with a quantity of firms (Ateme, Enensys, Triveni Digital, and DigiCAP) to present every thing obligatory for 3.0 conversions.
Rohde & Schwarz has been offering transmission packages for ATSC 3.0 purposes with outputs up to 100 kW for a while, and is about to launch NextGen TV-capable gear geared toward LPTV operators who need to get on the 3.0 bandwagon, and can quickly be including 3.0 capabilities to its TLx9 hole filler and low-power line.
MONITORING, TESTING AND COMPLIANCE
NextGen TV “practitioners” all stress the significance of monitoring their alerts by way of shopper 3.0 tv receivers, as residence reception is the final word take a look at as to whether or not or not every thing within the transmission chain is working because it ought to. Representative fashions can be found from a rising record of producers, together with LG Electronics, Samsung and Sony.
An off-air demodulator or “demod” has lengthy been half of a TV station’s stock, and several other firms are actually providing fashions for 3.0 reception.
Sencore is one of these, with their ARD 3000 sequence of receiver/decoders. The ARD 3100 accommodates ATSC 3.0 alerts with bit charges of up to 70 mbps, together with Dolby AC-4 audio, and output demodulated video in most 3G/HD/SD SDI codecs. Sencore additionally provides a handheld RF measurement gadget, the SLM 1350, with a built-in 3.0 demodulator.
DS Broadcast provides off-air 3.0 reception by way of their BGD4100 built-in receiver decoder (IRD). It handles each ATSC 3.0 and 1.0 alerts, and as well as to outputting SDI or HDMI video, the unit additionally analyzes and screens ROUTE/MMTP IP/STLTP/TS/T2MI knowledge, and options an integral TFT-LCD show.
DekTec offers a quantity of 3.0 merchandise, together with a software-defined multistandard receiver, the DTA-2131, which as well as to supporting ATSC 3.0 and 1.0, works with DAB, DVB-T2 and ISDB-T alerts. When used with DekTec’s StreamXpert software program, it offers in-depth show and evaluation of an ATSC 3.0 IP audio, video and metadata payload.
DVEO Computer Modules’ Verify ATSC 3.0 take a look at and measurement device offers full signaling desk knowledge, PLP bitrate and velocity evaluation, an RF constellation show, Dolby AC-4 decoding and extra.
Triveni Digital, as well as to their 3.0 sign processing gear, provides a full suite of monitoring, take a look at and measurement merchandise, together with StreamScope XM Verifier Windows-based software program that gives an in-depth analysis of ATSC 3.0 providers, and their StreamScope XM MT stream analyzer helps ROUTE, MMTP and STLTP protocols, in addition to RF alerts, with real-time sign evaluation.
In addition to offering evaluation of most all broadcast audio and video broadcast requirements in use, Hexylon’s self-contained Multistandard TV and Radio Analyzer additionally offers an 8-inch touchscreen show for viewing 3.0 transmissions and in-depth examination of their well being.
TestTree’s ReFeree 3 ATSC 3.0 discipline analyzer additionally works with 1.0 alerts and offers full RF and STL TP evaluation together with audio and video decoding to help in troubleshooting transmission points.
Qligent’s Vision ATSC concurrently screens each ATSC 3.0 and 1.0 end-to-end sign paths, accumulating knowledge in actual time to present an ongoing analysis of general system well being and to help in recognizing issues and shortly resolving them.
Another very transportable and helpful gadget for analyzing 3.0 alerts is Airwavz’s RedZone USB “dongle” receiver that gives detailed off-air knowledge about NextGen transmissions.
TIME TO CONSIDER AN SFN?
One of the massive benefits that comes with ATSC 3.0 is the relative ease in customizing protection—particularly in areas which can be mountainous or have issues with high-rise constructing shadowing—by the creation of a single frequency community or SFN. Hardware for this utility is available, with Dielectric providing an antenna specifically designed for SFNs, the brand new Powerlite TFU-WB-LP sequence.
ERI helps SFN buildouts with their SuperPanel and ETU sequence of UHF antennas which can be obtainable with elliptical polarization and could also be configured for directional or non-directional purposes. ERI’s AL single-channel UHF antennas are additionally ideally suited to SFN tasks as they’ve obtainable with horizontal, elliptical or round polarization and directional azimuth patterns.
DON’T GET LEFT BEHIND!
If you’ve been dragging your ft about shifting into broadcast tv’s subsequent period, don’t hesitate any longer. There’s no scarcity of know-how to help 3.0 operations, and extra gear is arriving on the scene in larger and larger numbers. Manufacturers are completely dedicated to shifting NextGen TV broadcasting ahead and are standing by to assist you to make the conversion.
