Tag: satellite TV

Articles – From the horse’s mouth

SES-Astra

SELFSAT>IP, The World’s First SAT>IP Antenna, Gives Mobile Reception Devices Full Accessibility To Satellite Broadcasts – News release

SelfSat

Self-Sat IP range

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Snipe Air, Snipe Dome Air, Snipe Wing Air

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My Comments

A Korean company had launched a new direction for satellite antennas where they aren’t a dish with the LNB antenna in front but a multiple-layered plate which masks a horn-based waveguide to the LNB antenna in the back. It is very similar to how a horn-style tweeter on some PA and hi-fi speakers works, allowing for efficient handling of very high frequencies.

This company, SelfSat, has allowed for this to materialise as a highly-compact satellite antenna that can be installed by just about anyone even in situations were the traditional satellite dish can be perceived to be ugly and subject to all sorts or regulations and rigmarole. As well, these antennas also are pitched at cheaper multiple-tenancy housing which isn’t equipped with a SMATV (common satellite dish) setup for satellite-TV reception.

But they took this further by offering a range of single-piece antennas that have integrated SAT-IP broadcast-LAN support with its own Ethernet connection. This allows he SelfSat>IP antennas to each serve up to eight SAT-IP reception devices with content concurrently.

There is also  2 LNB outputs on this satellite antenna so you can connect a multi-tuner PVR sat-box or multiple set-top “display-only” sat-boxes.

SelfSat even took this further with their Snipe Air lineup of mobile SAT-IP broadcast-LAN antennas which have their own 802.11ac Wi-Fi access point to distribute satellite TV to 8 concurrent Wi-Fi-equipped computer devices. I am not sure whether these only function as access points in that they create their own network or whether they can be part of an existing Wi-Fi network, contributing satellite broadcasts to that network.

The best application example that comes to mind for the Snipe Air SAT-IP antennas is the Tour De France where one or more of the “camping-cars” (motorhomes) that line the route of the cycle race use this antenna to pull in any of France Télévision’s coverage signals that the Astra satellite yields, serving one or more iPads or convertible laptops with vision of where the peleton is currently at. This allows for a judgement call about whether to run out to the roadside to see it pass or not.

The advantage that SelfSat pitches about Snipe Air compact satellite antennas is that they can be stored easily in a small car’s boot with room to spare or that, in the case of some models, they have the same roof profile on a caravan, campervan or motorhome as the typical roof-mount RV air conditioner.

What do I see of SelfSat’s SAT-IP efforts? I see them as a way to reduce the fuss associated with deploying the equipment necessary to receive satellite TV service. This could open up paths for many-endpoint mobile applications like the “Tour De France caravan parks”  familiar to anyone who watches that cycle race, or the road coaches that offer competitive road transport service across European borders.

Article

SES teams up with rival Hispasat to launch SAT>IP industry alliance | VideoNet TV

My Comments

What SAT>IP is about with satellite TV

Previously, SES Astra have launched a standard for broadcast-LAN transmission of satellite-TV signals around a home or similar computer network. This standard, known as SAT>IP or can be known as SAT-IP, is based on UPnP technology but with the ability to transmit broadcast selection and satellite selection information to the server devices.

This was initially setup for the SES Astra satellite infrastructure that was common in Europe but SES have partnered with Hispasat who are a Spanish TV satellite operator competing with them to push SAT>IP across the whole of the European TV satellite space.

Devolo dLAN TV SAT Multituner SAT>IP server

This is because an increasing number of companies are manufacturing equipment designed for this infrastructure, including Panasonic who are fielding a range of Smart TVs with client functionality. For that matter, some of their “lounge-room” TVs are offering the server functionality so they can work with the existing satellite-TV infrastructure yet pass this on to SAT>IP clients.

SES are also stepping back from promoting this standard and are putting the mantle of promotion on to the supporters and adopters who are developing the equipment. This is to encourage an operator-neutral attitude towards implementing the broadcast-LAN technology for satellite TV.

It is also worth noting that a network can have multiple SAT>IP servers on it which can also cater to multiple-dish setups where there is a goal to receive content from multiple satellite platforms, something that may be of importance in Germany especially. Who knows what this could lead to with a level playing field offered by SAT>IP.

Article

FCC Moves to Give Internet Video Same Rights as Cable Co’s | Broadband News and DSL Reports

From the horse’s mouth

US Federal Communications Commission

Tech Transitions – Video And Future (Blog Post)

My Comments

The recent US Supreme Court decision against Aereo has shown up how facilities-based multichannel TV providers i.e. cable and satellite TV providers have the upper hand with negotiating access to content offered by the Hollywood studios and sports leagues.

But the FCC are considering allowing “over-the-top” Internet TV providers access to this same content on a par with the likes of Comcast and DirecTV. This is also in response to the fact that many American TV viewers are ending up with cable or satellite TV packages full of content they don’t want i.e. “57 channels and nothing on”.

The issue with the current situation is that Internet-based “over-the-top” TV providers aren’t placed on an equal footing to the big cable-TV providers. This is similar to how the US Congress passed laws requiring satellite TV providers like DirecTV and DISH to have access to the channels on an equal footing to cable-TV providers and this opened the doors to competition.

The opportunities provided by the Internet-based “over-the-top” services are many including the ability to provide TV content packages that are pitched at niche markets in a cost-effective manner. This includes providers that could focus on foreign-language content, wholesome family-friendly programming, and content pitched at expatriates. As well, it opens up the concept of increased carriage-service competition which can increase viewer choice and, hopefully, access to what the viewer really wants.

There is also the concept of taking a “technology-neutral” approach which also allows pay-TV companies and content providers to use a choice of technology to distribute the TV content to the end-user. This means that the likes of HBO, CBS, Comcast and co to implement Internet-based approaches thus increasing reach to a wider market. There is also the hope that this approach will heat up the demand for next-generation broadband through the US and increase the average bandwidth that Americans can enjoy.

For this to work, the FCC need to pass these rules without being sabotaged by Big Money. which is a problem that still dogs American politics.

Article

Sat-IP: Sat-TV im ganzen Haus – AUDIO VIDEO FOTO BILD (Germany – German language)

From the horse’s mouth

Sat-IP

Website

Previous coverage on HomeNetworking01.info

Broadcast-LAN devices–how relevant are they to the home network

My Comments

SAT-IP will see this as a way to distribute satellite TV around the European home

Just lately, I had published an article on this site about the concept of broadcast-LAN devices like the Devolo dLAN SAT and the HDHomeRun devices. These use at least one integrated broadcast tuner to stream broadcast signals received via a regular antenna (aerial), cable-TV setup or satellite dish around a small network using the protocols associated with these networks. The content is picked up from the network using software installed on regular or mobile computers to be displayed using their screens and speakers.

Now, SES, BSkyB and Craftwork who are heavyweights in Europe’s satellite-TV industry have set up a branded standards group called SAT-IP. This group determines standards for setting up satellite-based broadcast-LAN devices and promotes the concept of satellite-based broadcast-LAN systems. This is very relevant with the European market where satellite TV is considered a preferred medium for delivering supplementary TV content such as free-to-air from other European countries or pay-TV content from one’s own country or one of many neighbouring countries.

Here, they had worked out a data standard which is effectively based on the UPnP AV standards and is to co-operate with that standard but allow for satellite-TV tuning. They even wrote in support for DVB-T/T2 terrestrial-TV setups primarily to cater for the MATV systems implemented in multiple-tenancy setups where the goal is to run a single coaxial cable to each unit and have the satellite TV and regular TV through the one cable. The reason I supported this idea is to allow for a broadcast-LAN setup working to SAT-IP standards to cater to most broadcast environments where content distributed via the satellites is different to content distributed via the regular TV infrastructure.

But the main benefit is that there is a step to a level playing field for satellite-based broadcast-LAN applications thus providing for competition and innovation in this application no matter the deployment type. It has opened up broadcast-LAN implementations like a Power-Over-Ethernet-powered LNB with integrated server which bolts on to the satellite dish and yields the broadcast streams to the home network from that dish; as well as a Grundig broadcast-LAN tuner with four front-ends and full DLNA capability.

The SAT-IP concept, along with the US goal for using broadcast-LAN to democratise the provision of cable TV is underscoring the reality of using the home network to distribute TV content around the home, whether this network uses Ethernet, Wi-Fi wireless or HomePlug AV powerline or a mix of the technologies. Here, this means no more chipping at delicate walls to run satellite cable around the home and you can view Sky on your iPad or Sony VAIO Duo 11.

Article

DirecTV Genie whole-home DVR review | Engadget

From the horse’s mouth

DirecTV

Product Page

My Comments

Those of you who follow HomeNetworking01.info from the USA most likely would have heard of the DirecTV satellite-TV service and this pay-TV operator has designed a whole-home DVR which shows what could be yielded for this class of equipemnt.

\Here, a whole-home DVR, known as the DirecTV Genie, has a high-capacity hard disk of at least one terabyte and has at least four RF front-end tuners to receive and record the broadcast TV signals. It will have the ability to stream live or recorded TV content to two or more other suitably-equipped TVs using the home network or other means.

This whole-home DVR that DirecTV has a one-terabyte hard disk and five broadcast front-ends so it can comfortable handle three or four TV sets as well as recording the shows to the hard disk in a reduced-conflict manner. It can also work with a optional regular-TV front-end kit to catch locally-broadcast TV shows. According to the review, this device connects to the main TV and can work with it very easily including having it as a client for the DLNA Home Media Network. 

What impressed me about this box was that it implemented the RVU specification for distributing content to the extra TV sets. At the moment, most of the Samsung Smart TVs made in the last two years support this functionality and the standard has been called as part of the DLNA specification for TV and video setups. Over the next few model-years, more of the manufacturers could implement this in to their Smart TVs and Internet-capable video peripherals. This may also include some existing models having this function delivered as part of a firmware update.

On the other hand, you may have to use a DirecTV "Genie Client” box with existing TVs or can stream the content to certain DirecTV set-tops if you have these in place serving the extra TVs. Oh yeah, there are the mobile-client apps for setting up recording jobs, controlling the Genie and using the TV Everywhere functionality on iOS and Android devices.

The unit can be provided for free for new DirecTV customers who sign up to certain (mostly high-end) plans for a prescribed contract period like 24 months or US$300 for those who have this service. Personally, I would like to see equipment like this offered for free to existing customers who have finished their contract period and want to continue with the service further on a similar or better plan. This is a practice that some mobile-phone providers offer to their existing customers who have completed a contract period and want to upgrade their phone to something newer.

The DirecTV Genie could become a benchmark for whole-home pay-TV gateway device with DVR capabilities and I would hope that companies in the pay-TV space keep an eye on this review so they can look at what they can offer to their customers.

Articles

New DLNA Interoperability Guidelines Will Turn Your TV Set-top Box into a Home Server | eHomeUpgrade

From the horse’s mouth

DLNA Press Release

My Comments

DLNA have released a set of interoperability guidelines for networked equipment that can play premium pay-TV content, whether live or recorded across the home network while keeping it secure. This is based on the DTCP-IP link protection protocols so as to protect the content from being re-streamed in an unauthorised manner.

AllVid and similar initiatives

These guidelines will lead to the acceleration of the “AllVid” initiative that has been put forward to the FCC by the likes of Sony and TiVo. This is a way of providing an open scenario so that people can use equipment they have bought with their pay-TV services in the US rather than having the TV just become a display for their set-top box leased from the cable company.

The idea behind tis concept is that there is a “gateway” device that connects to pay-TV broadcast services like cable, satellite or IPTV. This device connects to TVs, set-top boxes and PVRs via the home network using DLNA-specified technologies and is responsible for bridging the broadcast content to the home network as well as managing the access-control to the premium content on the pay-TV service.

If it receives broadcast content from terrestrial, cable or satellite services, it would use one or more RF tuners and circuitry to present the broadcast channels as network streams as well as authenticating and authorising the pay-TV content. On the other hand, an IPTV setup which connects to the home network would simply authenticate the content and present it across that home network.

It also will provide for situations where the user may change to a different pay-TV service that uses different technology or move to a different area that uses a different pay-TV service without losing their investment in their equipment.

OCAP-compliant “Tru2Way” cable-TV setups

The first main implementation would be cable-TV systems that are based on the OCAP-compliant “Tru2Way” platform. These will have a regular set-top box with separate security measures that can work across the different cable-TV setups. As well, they would be a DLNA server that works to these guidelines, providing the channel lineup that the customer has subscribed to as well as programmes recorded on this set-top box to the compliant TV equipment.

Of course, the main application with this could be to serve the content out to secondary TVs that are compliant to this standard or are connected to video peripherals that again are compliant. It could also lead to the main TV being connected to a “video server” set-top box

The main difference between these setups that one should know is the kind of “skin” that is expected on the user interface. The “AllVid” user interface is expected to have the viewing device’s branding like Sony’s XrossBar rather than the media-provider’s. Conversely the Tru2Way platform is meant to have support for the content provider’s or service provider’s “skin”. This also includes the creation of DVD-style menus and user interfaces along with the enablement of full interactive television apps like voting up that favourite dancer or singer on that talent-quest reality show.

Questions

Pay-Per-View services

A good question that hasn’t been answered so far is how this will enable the initial purchase of “pay-per-view” content. Most pay-TV operators run one or more pay-per-view content services, either in the form of one or more broadcasted events that is sold in this arrangement or a “movie-on-demand” or “virtual cinema” service with a few of the latest blockbuster movies shown across multiple channels.

The current problem is how can a user instantiate a pay-per-view content purchase in one of these setups using the TV’s remote control; and seeing it through so that the content is available and duly authorised. This includes allowing the account owner to place controls on what pay-per-view content can be purchased in their home.

What do customers look for in the new equipment they intend to purchase

Also, customers need to have something to look for when they purchase TV equipment so that they are sure that the equipment is compatible with DLNA’s premium-content requirements. This could include a “super-logo” that is exhibited on compliant equipment, with the equipment having to support the DTCP-IP functionality as part of this functionality set.

Retroactive upgrading of current equipment

The other factor that needs to be looked at is whether this DLNA premium-content-handling functionality can be brought to existing DLNA-compliant hardware such as the current crop of Sony and Samsung TVs through a firmware upgrade; or whether they would need to replace the existing hardware to gain this functionality.

This will be more important with TV sets as people who upgrade TVs will end up deploying their existing sets to other rooms of the house or to other locations.

Conclusion

At least the use of DLNA technology and the extension of broadcast-content-protection methods to the network could make it easier to allow flexible equipment setups in most mainstream viewing applications.