More Than Picture and Sound: Multimedia TV

MHP ObjectCarousel R&S ® MHPCAR More than picture and sound: multimedia TV

The transition to digital TV will offer MHP in detail temporarily. Subsequently, the loaded programs are executed, and the objects new services and applications that The MHP software interface for set-top are activated and displayed. The pro- boxes has been defined as an add-on to grams are based on the powerful and will make TV more versatile, more the DVB digital TV standard. MHP sup- platform-independent Java program- ports all additional TV data services, ming language. exciting and more informative. The e. g. videotext as well as completely new applications. The new applications An example of a potential MHP applica- multimedia home platform (MHP) is range from detailed program information is text tickers. Currently, text tick- tion (electronic program guide, EPG) and ers are inserted directly into the TV pic- the basis for these additional func- text tickers up to games or even inter- ture at the studio. However, this method active TV. With future versions of MHP is less suitable in digital TV since picture tions. R&S ® MHPCAR makes it implementations, it will also be possibe content is compressed and every move- to seamlessly incorporate Internet tech- ment in the picture increases the com- possible to expand digital TV systems nologies. pression effort and the required rate of transmission. to MHP cost-efficiently and within a MHP services use software objects, pic- tures, audio files and commands that In contrast, MHP services transmit the short amount of time. are broadcast parallel to the TV signal. text separately from the picture. There- MHP-compatible set-top boxes are able fore, only short programs and the text to receive these objects and store them itself are necessary. The ticker is not

44 News from Rohde & Schwarz Number 183 (2004/III) inserted into the TV picture until it The Data Inserter R&S ® DIP010, com- Bandwidth is everything reaches the set-top box. Stream events plemented by MHP ObjectCarousel defined in the MHP standard make it R&S ® MHPCAR, is a simple solution for You can use this MHP playout solution possible to precisely synchronize picture expanding existing digital TV systems for all DVB-based TV standards – terres- content and ticker insertion. to transmit MHP services. The advan- trial broadcasting (DVB-T), distribution tage is that no new program multiplex- via cable networks (DVB-C) or satellite This technology opens up a new range ers nor any system reconfigurations are (DVB-S). The transport stream signals, of features for TV viewers. For example, necessary. which contain the TV programs and MHP viewers can choose not only whether signals, are passed to the corresponding they want to display a news ticker, but The data inserters are installed between modulators and transmitters. also the language they prefer. In addi- the studio and the transmission equip- tion, they can select a specific type of ment (FIG 1). The TV program passes MHP applications are gaining in favour news. through the inserter without being worldwide because of their performance changed. Instead, the MHP data is and flexibility. Even countries that use merely added, the signalling infor- other TV standards – the USA, for exam- MHP playout solution from mation is supplemented and a stan- ple, which uses ATSC – have selected Rohde & Schwarz dard-conforming signal that is ready MHP as a multimedia and interactive to broadcast is generated. The cyclical expansion of TV. Thus, MHP will soon be MHP is a software platform with defined insertion of the data and the software implemented in cable networks in North interfaces for set-top boxes. However, objects is handled by ObjectCarousel America, under the name OpenCable the multimedia content itself must first R&S ® MHPCAR. You can update the con- Application Platform (OCAP). be added to the digital TV programs on tent at any time. the transmitter end. To provide a means The MHP playout solution from of transmitting MHP content, an expan- The desired MHP applications are imple- Rohde & Schwarz, which is based on the sion of the data transmission formats mented and generated on external sys- Data Inserter R&S ® DIP010 and on the in MPEG-2 transport streams has been tems, and the generated Java objects software option MHP ObjectCarousel defined – the ObjectCarousel. Additional and files are transmitted to the data R&S ® MHPCAR, can make available signalling and program service informa- inserter. The data inserter converts the resources usable as opportunistic data tion (SI/PSI) make it possible to detect data into TS packets and handles the for MHP and can be operated with MHP services and to synchronize TV pro- generation of the signalling as well as guaranteed parameters. When oper- grams, MHP content and desired time the cyclical transmission. Thus, you can ated together with MediaRouter™ from sequence. Moreover, remote-controlled set up a MHP playout center without Rohde & Schwarz, the MHP playout solu- or automatic activation is possible. having to change the existing infrastruc- tion provides a flexible means of man- ture substantially or make additional aging bandwidths and connections. investments. Thus, you can also implement MHP

Generation of MHP content TCP/IP and applications Content download remote control Studio R&S®MHPCAR TV + MHP + data

TV program 1 DVB-T MPEG-2 TS MUX DVB-C FIG 1 TV program n Expansion of a DVB Data Inserter DVB-S system for the MHP R&S®DIP010 playout solution.

45 News from Rohde & Schwarz Number 183 (2004/III) BROADCASTING Datacasting

applications with very low and variable trol interface enables you to adapt ser- ing transmission technology – for exam- transmission rates. This is especially vices to one another, activate them at ple, the R&S ® SFQ or the R&S ® SFL from important for terrestrial transmissions specific times and manage them. More- Rohde & Schwarz – an MHP applica- in accordance with the DVB-T standard, over, you can adjust services to the lim- tion can be sent to a set-top box without and it simplifies the introduction of MHP ited transmission capacity in digital TV requiring any other accessories (FIG 2). as an additional service. systems. Likewise, new operating software can be downloaded by means of an update function. Further data services possible Testing of set-top boxes Torsten Jäkel

In addition to being able to acti- The implementation of the operat- vate multiple MHP services for differ- ing software in set-top boxes is com- ent applications simultaneously, you plex. Therefore, it is necessary to carry can also implement other data ser- out extensive tests during the develop- vices. R&S ® SSUCarousel, for exam- ment of the receiving devices and espe- ple, is a valuable addition for inserting cially of the MHP services. To meet this and broadcasting operating software for need and to enable you to perform com- set-top boxes via the broadcasting sys- parative evaluations of the MHP compat- tems. Thus, you can add new features ibility of set-top boxes, Rohde & Schwarz More information and data sheets at to your existing set-top box or down- offers an MHP playout test system for www.rohde-schwarz.com load new versions of the MHP software use in laboratories. (search term: MHPCAR / SSUCAR) stack. Since you can receive the software updates parallel to TV programs, it This solution consists of combining the is not necessary to exchange or send in Data Inserter R&S ® DIP010 with the the box or perform complicated installa- DTV Recorder Generator R&S ® DVRG.

MHP ObjectCarousel ¸MHPCAR DVB SSUCarousel ¸SSUCAR tion routines. The generation of the required trans- Software for broadcasting MHP content over DVB Implementation of ObjectCarousel Generation of MHP data struc- Automatic detection of changes in � Implementation of SSU standard � Creation of DVB PSI/SI signalling � Seamless integration into the according to ISO/IEC 13818-6 and tures in line with the standards ISO/ data to be broadcast TS 102 006 ¸DIP 010 data inserter platform EN 301192 IEC 13818-1 and ISO/IEC 13818-6 Parallel use with � Easy administration of content to be with TS 102 006 � Parallel use with Easy administration of content to be Creation of MHP signalling with DVB DVB SSUCarousel ¸SSUCAR and broadcast � MHP ObjectCarousel ¸MHPCAR broadcast PSI/SI signalling update notiﬁ cation DTVCarousel™ ¸DTVCAR � Concept based on WebCarousel™ � Usage of a typical WebCarousel™ and WebCarousel™ ¸DTVCAR Concept based on WebCarousel™ table in line with TS 101812 Usability on DVB Data Inserter ¸DTVCAR � Simultaneous operation of several platform Selectable transmission rate and ¸DIP 010 � Downloading and updating transmission rate, number of carousels Downloading and updating of con- number of transmission loops of content independently of transmission loops, automatic � Usability on data inserters for DVB tent independently of transmission transmission detection of changes in data to be port streams is described in the Appli- � Generation of SSU data structures in broadcast line with the standards TS 102 006, ISO/IEC 13818-6 and EN 301 192 R&S ® SSUCarousel is a versatile expan- cation Note titled “MHP and SSU test”, sion for MHP playout systems. It allows which can be downloaded from the you to insert different versions of soft- Rohde & Schwarz Internet site (search Data sheet Data sheet R&S ® MHPCAR R&S ® SSUCAR ware and it supports set-top boxes from term: FTK02). In combination with a different manufacturers. A remote-con- TV test transmitter for the correspond-

FIG 2 Test system for MHP set-top boxes and for updating the operating system.

Remote control, automatic test

R&S®MHPCAR R&S®SSUCarousel

RF Set-top box

DTV Recorder Generator Data Inserter Modulator R&S®DVRG R&S®DIP010 R&S®SFQ or R&S®SFL

Local administration

46 News from Rohde & Schwarz Number 183 (2004/III)