Hd Tv over Ip Networks

HDTV over IP Networks

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

About CBN 1

HDTV Integration 2

Area Researched 3

Technology Involved 5

System Architecture 5

Implementation 6

Future Trends 8

Future Products 8

Companies Involved 10

Regulatory Issues 11

"Dual Carriage" and Multicast Requirement 11

"Must Carry" Requirement 11

Global Implications 11

Technology 12

Data Size and Bandwidth 12

Cost and Fees 12

The HDTV Advantage 13

References 14

Introduction

About CBN

Century Broadcast Networks, CBN, is a premiere home entertainment television network with five distinctly different channels. Each channel has its own unique name, most channels use the CBN name, and one in particular uses an entire different name. Each channel is maintained at a separate geographic location called broadcasting stations. Each five different broadcasting stations "Channels" have a structured content to them. Meaning CBN supplies different channels to different market segments. According to FCC laws each network must have a family station with all there other broadcasting stations. CBN has that and much more.

The five stations include CBN, which is an exclusive channel. We are a local Television Network; our four biggest competitors include FOX, ABC, CBS, and NBC. On this channel you will find, sitcoms, your local news, sports, nation news, Saturday morning cartoons, movies, and some paid programming. CBNN, which stands for Century Broadcast Networks News, is devoted to give the nation the most unbiased news possible. It stands as being one of the most balanced and unique news station around. Another station is CBNF, which stand for, Century Broadcast Network Family. This channel is devoted to the family; here you will find cartoons and other family friendly shows. CBNVG is devoted on the information of video games, hence the "VG" of CBNVG. This channel you will find all sorts of information on your favorite system, games, and all other forms of knowledge in the video game world. As for the last channel, here you will find our only station that doesn't use the CBN trademark. It's called AEE; it stands for adult entertainment extreme. This channel is not for kids, and we will just leave it at that.

HDTV Integration

Century Broadcasting Network has thousands of shareholders which we have pledged to continually strive to provide the highest quality of television programming at the lowest possible cost. This ensures that ROI's are profitable without compromising quality. This is a great challenge considering the rate to which the technology used in entertainment programming is changing. With analog equipment we easily can get 10+ years out of the components. Conversely with HDTV we would be lucky to achieve 4-5 years for most components. Because of this rate of change and our promise to shareholders, we are exploring new ways to use COTS, commercial off-the-shelf, components to accomplish our goal of transitioning our entire line-up to HDTV format.

Area Researched

"Nearly every night you'll see prime-time network TV shows that begin with a 'Simulcast in High Definition' message." (Kindig) The fact is that the number of programs broadcast in HDTV is steadily increasing. But when did it all begin?

Television began in the United States in 1941 when the NTSC adopted the analog television standard. This standard included only a black and what format. It wasn't until 1953 that the NTSC standard was modified to include color broadcasts. Modification to the standard was made only after RCA demonstrated that its 525-line color TV system was compatible to the NTSC black and white standard. In January 1954 the first color TV broadcasts began. Television remained relatively unchanged for approximately twenty years.

In 1974 Panasonic was the first company to demonstrate an 1125-line analog HDTV system. A Japanese prototype of Hi-Vision soon followed in 1981. In 1983 the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) was formed to assist in documenting and testing the new advanced television systems. The ATSC was instrumental in the adoption of the digital television standard.

After Japan's NHK network began it's satellite-based broadcasting of Hi-Vision analog HDTV, experts in the electronics industry began to push for the United States government to support a development program for HDTV. The industry argued that if the US government did not get behind HDTV development that the United States would be left behind and disadvantaged in the industry.

In March 1990 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) outlined what must be included in a new standard for advanced television. The new standard had to be distinct from the NTSC standard and offer true HDTV quality of at least twice the resolution of conventional TV; HDTV signals had to be sent on unused frequency bands simultaneously with the analog NTSC broadcasts; and conventional signals had continue for a period of time.

After the March 1990 decision the development and testing of HDTV exploded. In 1994 a group of companies -which included AT&T, the David Sarnoff Reasearch Center, General Instrument, MIT, Phillips, Thomson Consumer Electronics, and Zenith - became known as the Grand Alliance succeeded in building the video encoder and decoder as well as transport and modulation subsystems.

In July 1996 WRAL in Raleigh, North Carolina (a CBS affiliate) and WHD-TV in Washington DC (an NBC affiliate) were the first to broadcast HDTV Commercial signals. Two years later in October 1998 DIRECTV® began the first colt-to-cost delivery of an HDTV programming channel. By the end of the year 41 stations across the country included digital broadcasts.

In April 1997 the