1. DTT Broadcasting Ecosystem
Alan B Downie
Broadcast Engineering Consultant
Commonwealth Broadcasting Association

2. Ecosystem
a living community of plants and animals sharing an environment and interacting with non-living elements such as climate and soil

3. Broadcasting Ecosystem
a living community of sound image text and moving-pictures creators and distributors (electronic media) who share an environment and interact with national and international regulations and consumers

4. How did we get here?

5. A very short history of television

6. Transatlantic transmissions
Guglielmo Marconi
Italy
1901
Transatlantic transmissions

7. John Logie Baird Scotland (1888 - 1946)
First public demonstration January 1926, London ( 1920, Santa Cruz, Trinidad )

8. Mechanical scanning Paul Gottlieb Nipkow Jan 1884
Cathode ray tube Karl Ferdinand Braun 1897
“Distant Electric Vision” Campbell Swinton June 1908
First images John Logie Baird 1920
Public Demonstration John Logie Baird 27 Jan 1926
First transmission, 40 lines Kenjiro Takayanagi Dec 1926

9. First public service, 30 lines John Logie Baird 22 Aug 1932
120 lines service, New York Vladimir Zworykin
180 line service, Berlin Mar 1935
405 line service, UK BBC 2 Nov 1936
525 line service, USA
1000 line system German Forces, Paris

10. 1200 line system UK late 1940’s
819 lines service, France early 1950’s
625 lines service, Europe mid 1960’s
1125 lines service, Japan NHK early 1980’s
1250 lines system, Europe late 1980’s
1080 line system Common Image Standard late 1990’s

11. Evolution
Not
Revolution

12. If you can’t beat them, join them
Decide to change
Fund the change
Go digital ………..
Make the change
Keep it going

13. DTT Opportunity
Digital content available in the home. In particular educational content
Ability to connect schools and other public entities
Promotion of e-government services
Bringing the internet to the people
Open standards facilitating new entrants 13

14. DTT is an infrastructure project
National network providing a media / communication gateway into the home 14

15. Public Perception Programmes Consumer Transmission Regulation
© ABD 2012
Perception

16. Public Perception Public Perception Programmes Consumer Transmission
Regulation
Public
© ABD 2012
Perception

17. Edinburgh
Trams

18. Petrol Shortage

19. Climate Change

20. Regulation Public Perception Programmes Consumer Transmission
© ABD 2012
Perception

21. Michael Starks

22. Transmission Public Perception Programmes Consumer Transmission
Regulation
Public
© ABD 2012
Perception

24. Congestion in The Spectrum

25. The UK spectrum band – 470-862MHz
Channel
Frequency
(MHz)
256 MHz already assigned to six DTT multiplexes
(32 x 8 MHz - but some ‘white space’ available within this)
112 MHz of cleared spectrum (14 x 8 MHz)
Channel 36 – currently used mainly for airport radar
Channel 38 – currently protected for radio-astronomy in UK and Netherlands
Channel 69 – currently used for equipment such as wireless microphones 25 25

26. The UK spectrum band – 800 MHz clearance plan
Channel
Frequency
(MHz)
Channel 69:
to be cleared of PMSE
Channel 61 & 62:
to be cleared of DTT
Channel 39 and 40:
to be allocated for DTT
Channel 38:
to be allocated for PMSE
PMSE = Programme Making and Special Events 26 26

28. Spectrum is standards agnostic

29. UK switch-over plan
The network is based on 16 multiple-frequency networks (MFNs). the Use of UK-wide single-frequency networks (SFNs) was ruled out because of the different programme services required in the 16 different regions
The frequencies, ERPs, radiation patterns and other characteristics of the transmitting stations were calculated largely by prediction using software tools
As far as possible, public-service digital signals are transmitted on the same frequencies from the same stations as analogue, to minimise changes to receiving antenna installations
Digital ERPs (average power) are generally 10 dB lower than PAL (peak-sync) power, but transmitters require 6 to 10 dB back-off for DVB-T … so power amplifiers need to be rated for similar powers to analogue
A DTV multiplex with 6 channels will require greater electrical power than the equivalent analogue channel but the power per digital channel will be less
All 1150 existing transmitting stations will be used

30. The Digital Dividend What exactly does the broadcaster get ?
Extra work
Extra Cost
All the blame
What exactly do the others get ?
The government gets cash and the telcos get cash and all the kudos
The Telcos get the cash from users interacting with broadcasters ………online news, reality programme phone-ins, twitter comments to friends and “second-screen”

31. The Digital Dividend Allocating Spectrum Fair Play for everyone
It is the broadcaster who delivers the message free to all
In an emergency situation it is the broadcaster who delivers the message
Broadcasting is essential national infrastructure
Allocating Spectrum
Fair Play for everyone

32. Programmes Public Perception Programmes Consumer Transmission
Regulation
Public
© ABD 2012
Perception

33. The Broons The Digital Family Grampa Hen, Joe, Daphne, Maggie
Ay twin, Ither twin
Maw, Paw , Horace
The Bairn
©D C Thompson Ltd The Sunday Post

34. Lots of Programmes Shopping ++++ +1 channels Community Teachers
BBC 1,2,3,4,Alba
CBBC, Cbeebies,
Red Button
News
ITV 1,2 C4 E4 Five
Sky
HD variants
Parliament
Shopping ++++
Sports ++++
+1 channels
Community
Teachers
Nostalgia
Religious
Factual
“Adult”
Mobile phone chat
Music ++
Film
Comedy
Foreign
Pay / Subscription
Radio
108 TV 35 Radio

35. Lots of Options 16:9 14:9 letterbox pillarbox Safe area HD SD 3D
Hi-vision
Red button
EPG
Mobile
Subtitles
Radio
Languages
Closed captions
Signed
Descriptive

36. Consumer Public Perception Regulation Programmes Consumer Transmission
© ABD 2011

38. Communication is the key! (Source: OFCOM, UK)
Consumer awareness plan in UK
Countdown:
‘Switchover is
happening!’
Switchover
to 100%
digital
“How to
get ready!”
“Are you
ready?”
“Get
ready!”
here!’
3-Years
2-Years
1-Year
<12 months
1 month
National Launch of SwitchCo 38

39. Cooperation is a must! Get everyone involved in ALL process
Governments and regulators
Public Service Broadcasters
Private and commercial broadcasters
Cable and satellite platforms
Manufacturers of professional and consumer equipment
Retailers and antenna installers

40. Vanilla STB - cheap and cheerful
Basic box of tricks
Just a tuner unit
Probably no CAM for pay-tv
Capable of 12volt battery power
Has UHF and maybe SCART output

41. Strawberry STB – a bit better
A tuner unit
Maybe with CAM for pay-tv
Capable of 12volt battery power
Has UHF and SCART outputs
Has USB port for memory stick

42. Chocolate STB – a whole lot better
A tuner unit
With CAM for pay-tv
Capable of 12volt battery power
Has UHF and SCART outputs
Has USB port for memory stick
Has USB port for Mobile phone dongle

43. Whisky STB – top of tree A tuner unit With CAM for pay-tv
Capable of 12volt battery power
Has UHF and SCART and HDMI outputs
Has USB port for memory stick
Has USB port for Mobile phone dongle
Has hard disk for recording

44. Support is vital!
Education
Technical
Financial
Policy/legal

45. PRACTICAL LESSONS FROM THE FIELD
NOT A BIG ISSUE – STILL A BIG TASK.
You will be judged by perception as much as technical success. Therefore advance communication and engagement in the field is crucial.
Make your communications engaging.
Regard switchover as an opportunity to enhance the reputation of the broadcasting industry – not a threat that may damage it. 45

46. Sally-Ann Wilson, CBA Secretary General
The CBA
Sally-Ann Wilson, CBA Secretary General

47. OBJECTIVES OF THE CBA
To support freedom of expression and the ideals of public service broadcasting. To facilitate information and knowledge exchange between media organisations and their employees. To provide assistance to member organisations via training, bursaries, consultancies, networking opportunities and content sharing initiatives.
We do that in many ways…..the Secretariat has some permanent staff and many specialist consultants who understand the problems you have in your area…… 47

48. Digital Switchover Workshops and Forum
CBA CTO CBU CTU et al
August 2012, Antigua

49. Thank You Alan B Downie Broadcast Engineering Consultant
And thanks to my many colleagues who have given help and shared their knowledge with me
of which some is incorporated into this presentation
Alan B Downie
Broadcast Engineering Consultant
Commonwealth Broadcasting Association