Harmonic Ellipse 3000 series encoder
SAN JOSE, Calif. —Harmonic announced that the new Ellipse 3202 contribution encoder has been used by several major international satellite operators to test the new DVB Carrier ID (DVB-CID) standard. Ellipse 3202 is one of the first digital satellite newsgathering encoders that supports DVB-CID.
The trials were organized by the Satellite Interference Reduction Group, a global industry organization dedicated to combating and mitigating radio frequency interference (RFI) for an interference-free satellite frequency spectrum. Using the Ellipse 3202 encoder, which is the industry’s first DSNG encoding solution with an integrated modulator that supports DVB-CID, satellite operators can reduce interference between satellite signals.
The first DVB-CID trial using Harmonic’s Ellipse 3202 contribution encoder was conducted on Aug. 5. During the demonstration, the satellite signal was uplinked by RR Media in Israel and received by an Intelsat teleport in Germany, with coordination and supervision by Intelsat in Ellenwood, Ga. The second trial took place on Aug. 15. A satellite signal was uplinked by SES in Luxembourg, and the transmission was received and verified by Eutelsat in France.
“The World Broadcast Union has mandated that new DSNG encoders and satellite modulators support the Carrier ID standard, and in about two years we can anticipate that all satellite transmissions will be carrying DVB-CID,” said Martin Coleman, executive director for the Satellite Interference Reduction Group. “Being able to conduct trials such as this enables us to help prepare the satellite industry for the future.”
Prior to the DVB-CID standard, ID information was carried in the NIT tables of the MPEG transport stream. The new DVB-CID standard will replace the NIT format by end of 2017, and mitigates satellite interference by adding an identifier in a separate spread spectrum carrier below the main traffic signal. It can also carry information such as the name, location and telephone number of the uplink station. This enables satellite operators to determine which carrier is interfering with the transmission.
By supporting the DVB-CID and DVB-S2X standards, the Ellipse 3202 encoder ensures that satellite operators are prepared for the future. The Ellipse 3202 encoder also offers a variety of features, such as 4:2:2 10-bit encoding of 1080p60 content and dual power supplies, to increase video quality and reliability for broadcast contribution applications. The 1-RU Ellipse encoder fits easily in DSNG vehicles, teleports and flyaway packages operating on the C, Ku and Ka bands.
