Ready To Go "Voom"Ing
Rainbow 1, owned and operated by a unit of Cablevision Systems Corp. known as Rainbow DBS, is now operating at 61.5 degreesW. This satellite is a Lockheed Martin A2100AX equipped with 24 MHz Ku-band transponders and 22 individually programmable spotbeams, among other things, which can allow for geographic-specific programming as well all continental U.S. coverage, according to Steve Pontillo, senior vice president and general manager at Rainbow Network Communications, another unit of Cablevision.
"This will give Rainbow DBS the ability to bring unique programming to a diverse group of subscribers," says Pontillo. "Since most of the advanced technology lies within the uplink and the subscriber HD STBs, it gives Voom a clear advantage over the competition now and in the future."
Globecomm Systems was involved in designing the uplink. NDS is providing its VideoGuard conditional access technology, along with an HD electronic programming guide, and NDS digital video recorder content protection and storage technology. The Motorola STB has slots to allow for a card-based migration to MPEG-4, although Voom is not saying exactly when an upgrade from MPEG-2 will take place.
"We are currently researching the viability of incorporating DVB-S2 with the release of MPEG-4 compression as well," says Pontillo. "The current modulation being used is 8PSK."
For its HDNews offering, Voom is using a combination of both satellite and fiber to backhaul content. All content is transmitted in 1080i.
Democratizing HD In Europe
Belgium-based HD programming provider Euro1080, a pan-European HDTV service provider, already deployed some 3,000 HD demo STBs without conditional access. In addition, interested customers ordered 30,000 Zinwell Quali-TV STBs with conditional access all across Europe, according to Euro1080 spokesperson Vicky De Beule. The plan is for the Euro1080 HD programming stream to be totally encrypted in January 2005 using Irdeto Plsys-based conditional access cards from Irdeto Access.
Euro1080 offers two HD channels including a Main channel, which airs 24-hours-a-day in four-hour blocks, and the Event channel, which beams HD special event content to digital cinemas. A half transponder is used on Astra 1H for the Main channel, while the Event channel is on Sirius 2. Euro1080 currently beams HD content primarily in English, but starting in January 2005, German and French will be added with Italian and Spanish coming shortly thereafter.
"Because all the equipment used for production is 1080 x 1920, the same Alfacam mobile HD production vehicles used for live HD transmissions can also used for SD production in a simulcast," says De Beule. "This enables us to greatly reduce our production costs."
"We created the Event channel so everybody can enjoy the wonderful HD images. Because equipment for home theaters and HD displays in general is still very expensive--an HD plasma costs approximately 6000 euros[U.S. $7,250]--we know that just a few can afford it," adds De Beule. "This is why we created the Event channel; to democratize HD."
HDTV Is A Win-Win
Japan is the overall HDTV leader. Based on HDTV units shipped data from the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association, we count a total of 2 million- plus HDTV viewing households, slightly ahead of the United States, which has an estimated 1.5 million. In mid-April Tokyo-based Space Communications Corp. was preparing to launch Superbird 2A, a Boeing 601 Ku-/Ka-band hybrid, which is designed to deliver HDTV, among other things. Consumers in the United Kingdom, Sweden, South Korea and Australia are also enjoying HDTV.
There are several HDTV wild cards in the United States. The FCC is floating the idea of possibly accelerating the Digital TV transition, while at the same time, the Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Reauthorization Act taking shape in Congress has local-into-local service via DBS going through various twists and turns.
For the most part, HDTV is a win-win for the satellite industry, which already enjoys a considerable lead over any alternative terrestrial services when it comes to HDTV programming distribution in particular.
Peter J. Brown is Via Satellite's Senior Multimedia & Homeland Security Editor. He also volunteers as a satellite technology and communications advisor to the Maine Emergency Management Agency.
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