DIGISAT-S3M: The interactivity for SMATV users

Abstract

The Broadcasting world has evolved very quickly towards the Digital technology supported by the DVB consensus for the harmonization of technical specifications for Satellite Digital TV distribution as well as for Satellite Master Antenna Television (SMATV), Cable, Terrestrial and Microwaves based systems. Nowadays interactivity is the key upgrading to enhance Direct Broadcasting Satellite systems for getting user acceptance in a very competitive world. Internet access through the satellite is one of the target services which makes very attractive the convergence between the broadcasting and the computers world. Interactive broadcasting systems are under definition in the frame of the DVB for the several transmission media. This paper describes the DVB Interaction Channel solution for Satellite Master Antenna Television (SMATV) systems based on the concatenation of the coaxial and the satellite sections. The satellite section is based on inexpensive low power Ku band satellite terminals known as Satellite Interactive Terminals. The coaxial section can be implemented following the Interactive Cable system compatible with DVB and DA VIC but selecting the adequate subset of options with the aim to get nearly consumer type SMATV headend equipment. Alternative Coaxial section solutions are under development in order to cope with the cost requirements of small SMATV systems with less than 40 users. The DVB Interaction Channel solutions for the SMATV users have been developed in the frame of the European ACTS Project DIGISAT. DIGISAT has developed prototy es in order to demonstrate the technical and commercial feasibility of the Interaction channel for SMATV based on Satellite Interactive Terminals and the corresponding coaxial section.