Broadcast to Broadband - Open Standards for IPTV

What is DVB-IPTV?

DVB-IPTV is the collective name for a set of open, interoperable technical specifications, developed by the DVB Project, that facilitate the delivery of digital TV using Internet Protocol over bi-directional fixed broadband networks. The work is taking place in two tracks, where Track 1 covers delivery over managed networks and Track 2 covers Internet delivery.

Key specifications already published in DVB IPTV Standard include:

- TS 102 034 : Transport of MPEG-2 TS-Based DVB Services over IP Based Networks

- TS 102 539 : Carriage of Broadband Content Guide (BCG) Information over Internet Protocol

- TS 102 824 : Remote Management and Firmware Update System for DVB IP Services

 DVB’s interactive middleware specifications, DVB-MHP and GEM, also include IPTV profiles.

Background

Traditionally DVB services have been delivered over broadcast networks, i.e. a one-to-many uni-directional architecture. The advent of high-speed bi-directional consumer broadband networks means that that there is increasing demand to

Offer DVB services over an IP network. The delivery of TV using bi-directional IP over a broadband network presents a particular set of challenges, especially when integrated with a range of other IP services. DVB’s task, in response to calls from the industry, is to help define and develop appropriate standards for the delivery of DVB services over such networks, and to provide a means of integrating these with other broadband services, whilst maintaining maximum interoperability with existing DVB broadcast standards. In view of the complex nature of IPTV, and the varied facets of such services, there are numerous DVB groups dealing with IPTV. DVB’s unique approach is based on consensus approval between its diverse members based on commonly-agreed Commercial Requirements.

How does it work?

The initial phase of DVB’s work concentrates on the interface between the IPTV set-top-box (STB) and the IP-based home network. DVB’s work in IPTV can be divided into three broad areas:

(i) STBs and PVRs on IP networks: the definition of appropriate standards to facilitate the automated connection and configuration of a STB connected to an IP network. This extends to how MPEG Transport Stream based services are encapsulated onto an IP network, and covers Service Discovery & Selection (SD&S), Broadband Content Guide (BCG), remote management, firmware update, etc.

(ii) Home Networking: the definition of an appropriate sub-set of existing standards for a DVB home network (based on IP). DVB’s Home Network specification will be based on the DLNA/UPnP guidelines where possible.

(iii) Additions to the DVB-MHP middleware specifications, to allow interactive TV applications running on MHP to use the resources available in a DVB-IPTV environment.

Market Deployment
Commercial IPTV networks have been rolled out to a greater or lesser degree in a number of countries. Many of these are using non-standardized proprietary technologies to deliver a range of services including television, interactive services, video-on-demand, etc... IPTV is expected to become an ever more popular means of delivering such services to the home, particularly when offered in conjunction with other forms of broadcast network, such as terrestrial or satellite. So if you want to build IPTV server, you might need some DVB Satellite or terrestrial cards to get IPTV streaming.

Here are some recommended TV tuner cards for IPTV building

DVB S2 Satellite Cards
TBS6984- A quad DVB S2 card, with four tuners for ideal building IPTV
TBS6981-A dual DVB S2 card, download two satellite transponders data simultaneously
DVB T2 Terrestrial Card
TBS6284- DVB T2 Card with four tuners, working great with Linux IPTV Streaming Server

TBS6280- DVB T2 Dual Tuner Card, download two terrestrial transponders data simultaneously

With the publication of the first set of DVB standards for IPTV, services can be launched that benefit from the advantages that come with open standards. The industry has particularly welcomed the standardization of the Broadband Content Guide, similar to the EPG used in “traditional” digital TV, and the Service Discovery and Selection mechanism. Thanks to standardized information, the SD&S mechanism allows a STB to efficiently recognize the multicast and unicast offerings of IPTV service operators on a broadband network. Many DVB member companies have participated in the working groups and are now integrating DVB-IPTV into their product lines.

Related Articles:
DVB IPTV: How Does IPTV Work

DVB IPTV: How Does IPTV Work

What is IPTV
IPTV or IP Television is a process, a method of preparing and distributing television signals over an IP based data network. Content streams are acquired, demodulated and decrypted if necessary, then re-encoded digitally for IP transport possibly with additional compression and new encryption. IPTV signals, or streams, are distributed on an IP based network and viewed on a IPTV capable viewing device, usually a Set Top Box. With multi digital TV Tuner cards, you can build a TPTV server and transfer the data to the end users.
Note: This article discusses building and operating a complete headend, for the purpose of competing with or replacing a traditional CATV service, to provide coverage to a metro or regional area.
The key steps to delivering IPTV to the end user

Acquiring the Programming – The vast majority of this content will be received via satellite, requiring a headend facility. Additional content, local network affiliates, may be received off-air in either analog or digital off air format, or even terrestrially, as an ASI or SDI stream provided over fiber optic transport from a nearby broadcaster.
In the mostly digital environment, the receiver will be connected to an input from the satellite dish or splitter. The receiver will be tuned to a transponder, which represents a frequency or a channel. Other settings, such as symbol and forward error correction rates must be set, as well as other technical settings as per the requirements of the programmer’s uplink operations center. The receiver will demodulate the stream or streams, and it will decrypt the encryption that the programmers have used to protect their intellectual property for the trip to outer space and back. The programmers designate the type of encryption used, and this in turn dictates the receiver manufacturer and sometimes the model. The digital output of the receiver is the Asynchronous Serial Interface (ASI). ASI is a compressed format designed to carry multiple MPEG2 streams.

Encoding the streams– The digital or analog content that has been received has to be re-encoded for multicast IP transport. This stage would also encompass the encryption that will be required by the programmers. These digital outputs from the various receivers will be injected into an encoding device to be assigned a multicast IP address. In a standard definition environment, these streams can be encoded in MPEG2 format or in MPEG4 format. The higher cost of MPEG4 encoding equipment encourages the encoding as MPEG2 if sufficient bandwidth on the distribution network is available. We will discuss this in detail later on. If the content in question is High Definition (HD), then without question it will need to be encoded in MPEG4 not to overwhelm the distribution network.

IPTV Distribution Network – The distribution network obviously needs to be some kind of wide area network, as it needs to deliver IPTV services to the customers’ homes. This network needs to have adequate bandwidth with the ability to implement Quality of Service (QoS) to the end users to deliver IPTV content. These requirements can be attained with the mixing and matching of many current technologies.

Middleware –Middleware is the glue that holds the IPTVSP together. Without the middleware the
IPTVSP has a lot of expensive but useless equipment. It may have been noticed that up until this point in this series all reference to content has been identified as streams, not channels. This effort not to address streams as channels was directed toward this purpose; without middleware there are no channels, just streams. The end user, the television customer, expects a user friendly viewing experience. Typically presented in the form of an Electronic Program Guide. The middleware presents this to the viewer via the Set Top Box.

IPTV Viewing Device – This is generally considered to be the Set Top Box, not too different in appearance from the STB provided by the cable company for their digital service tier, or the STB included with a home satellite package, which is also a satellite receiver. The IPTV STB works hand in hand with the middleware.
Recommended TV tuner cards for IPTV building

DVB S2 Satellite Cards
TBS6984- A quad DVB S2 card, with four tuners for ideal building IPTV
TBS6981-A dual DVB S2 card, download two satellite transponders data simultaneously

DVB T2 Terrestrial Card
TBS6284- DVB T2 Card with four tuners, working great with Linux IPTV Streaming Server

TBS6280- DVB T2 Dual Tuner Card, download two terrestrial transponders data simultaneously