NovelSat, TV2GO and PSSI Transmit HDTV Over 4.5 MHz Channel
May 1, 2012
NovelSat Ltd. announced that live testing of its NS3 modulation technology demonstrated that HD channels could be broadcast by users of minimal space segment, such as the smaller vehicles appropriated for digital satellite news gathering (DSNG). The tests, which were held in front of a live audience at the NAB show for 3 consecutive hours last week, demonstrated unprecedented ROI for the industry, including (1) cost savings due to 47% less bandwidth consumption, (2) HD-quaility transmission over standard-definition infrastructure, (3) simultaneous streaming of video and data enabled by dynamic bandwidth allocation to prioritize the video, and (4) the use of 35% smaller antennas (DSNG and flyaway).
Data rates of 14.72 Mb/s and 29.44 Mb/s were achieved over single- and dual-channel modes, respectively, demonstrating that, for the first time, high-quality HTDV and 3DTV video channels could be delivered over standard 4.5 MHz and 9 MHz transponder slots. The test were conducted together with TV2GO, which transmitted from Toronto using 8 Watts of power and a 4.5 meter dish over an SES AMC-9 transponder. A PSSI Global DSNG truck received the signals in Las Vegas using a standard 2.4 meter dish.
The NS3 protocol was able to achieve a rate of 14.72 Mb/s compared to the DVB-S2 rate of 10.05Mb/s and the DVB-S rate of 5.37 Mb/s over the same 4.5 MHz allocated bandwidth with the same link margin and CNR conditions. A transmission of 29.44 Mb/s was also demonstrated using NovelSat’s unique dual-channel mode over a 9 MHz carrier. NovelSat’s ability to internally multiplex two data/video streams over a single carrier enables the efficient transmission of 3DTV video or other special services using a DSNG track for the first time.
“It’s obvious that NovelSat’s 3rd-generation modulation technology optimizes high-bandwidth satellite networks,” explained Adrian Hepes, Technical Director of TV2GO. “In this trial, we’ve shown that it is just as beneficial to low-bandwidth networks, like DSNG, operating at higher constellations for maximum efficiency.”
“News gathering services appreciate the importance of being able to use two cameras to capture an event,” added Brian Nelles, Senior Vice President of PSSI Global Services. “What was impossible using the DVB-S2 modulation standard is now possible using NS3.”
“This enhanced efficiency should have an impact on the industry, especially for DSNG services,” predicted Daniel Wajcer, CTO of NovelSat. “Using our next-generation satellite modulators and demodulators, it is now possible to deliver high-quality HTDV and 3DTV channels over significantly narrower bandwidths without any changes to infrastructure.”
