DIRECTV will begin beaming MPEG-4 AVC/DVB-S2 to transmit HDTV to customers later this year. (Photo courtesy DIRECTV)
DIRECTV demonstrated the world's first live MPEG-4 AVC/DVB-S2 (Moving Picture Expert Group — Advanced Video Compression/Digital Video Broadcast — Satellite 2) high-definition (HD) transmission via satellite at the 2005 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
The new standard in transmission and video compression was demonstrated on an HD television set in the DIRECTV booth at CES. DIRECTV will use the technology to expand its video offering by launching hundreds of local and national HD channels later this year and in 2007.
This advanced transmission significantly reduces the amount of bandwidth required to deliver HD via satellite. DIRECTV will continue to use MPEG-2 for standard definition broadcasts and will eventually convert all existing HD customers to the new technology introduced today.
DIRECTV announced last September plans for a dramatic expansion of local and national HD programming over the next two years via four new Ka-band satellites to support the carriage of 1500 local and 150 CONUS HDTV channels. The satellites are under construction and two will be launched early this year.
Separately, TANDBERG Television announced Jan. 28 that it had received an order, valued at more than $9 million from “a leading North American satellite broadcaster.”
The contract is the world's first order to be announced for an MPEG-4 AVC HDTV video headend and will see TANDBERG Television deploy its EN5990 encoder within fully redundant systems complete with its Reflex statistical multiplexing software.
TANDBERG Television declined to name the customer.
For more information, visit www.directv.com and www.tandbergtv.com.
