DVB presents key demonstrations at IBC’07

7 September 2007

The DVB Pavilion at IBC 2007 is presenting a number of important technology demonstrations that will highlight recent advancements and progress that have been made by DVB in the following areas: IPTV, Content Protection and Copy Management (CPCM), and the delivery of mobile TV services over a hybrid satellite/terrestrial network (DVB-SH).
 
With a number of DVB-IPTV specifications already published as ETSI standards, and further work ongoing, the DVB stand at IBC is hosting a DVB-IPTV interoperability demonstration. Aspects of the DVB-IPTV specifications being demonstrated include Service Discovery and Selection (SD&S), Forward Error Correction (FEC) and Broadband Content Guide (BCG). Set-top boxes from Samsung Electronics, Siemens/Nokia Siemens Networks, and Thomson are presented receiving standard definition and high definition video employing both MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 video coding. Network equipment is supplied by Thomson, Enensys, Expway and Orange. The demonstration draws on the ongoing work of the French Distrim@ges project, the goal of which is to develop prototype DVB-IPTV based technologies.
 
Visitors to the DVB stand can also see the first public demonstration of features of the DVB-CPCM specification. DVB-CPCM is a system for Content Protection and Copy Management of commercial digital content delivered to consumer products. The specification will eventually consist of thirteen different elements, nine of which have now been approved by the DVB Steering Board.  The demonstration, by the Swiss based company Fastcom Technology SA, shows the acquisition of content into a user’s Authorised Domain (AD) and the subsequent movement of that content around the AD in accordance with the Usage State Information (USI) or permissions that have been attached to it by the rights holders. The demonstration also illustrates the remote accessing of content and the export of content from one AD to another. An interactive kiosk presentation is on site allowing visitors to get an idea of how the every day user might experience DVB-CPCM.
 
Earlier this year the DVB Steering Board approved the new DVB-SH specifications, enabling the delivery of mobile TV services over a hybrid satellite/terrestrial network using frequencies in S-band below 3GHz. At IBC visitors can see a technical demonstration of the DVB-SH physical layer, with simulations of the typical dynamic distortion experienced with mobile reception. The benefits of time interleaving and antenna diversity are clearly visible on a series of measurement displays. The demonstration is mounted with the support of Alcatel-Lucent, TeamCast and Rohde & Schwarz.

The DVB Project Office has also published a “Guide to DVB-H at IBC’07”, listing all of the companies that are showing DVB-H products and services at the show this year. The Guide can be downloaded from www.dvb-h.org.