EBU Technical Review : No. 282 (March 2000)
| Editorial | |
| Electronic
publishing |
|
| Webcasting | |
|
Webcasting — the broadcasters' perspective |
|
|
This article is based on the work carried out by the former EBU Webcasting Group. It provides an update on the extremely fast developments in the area of webcasting that have occurred since the publication of the Group’s document, “BPN 022 – Practical Webcasting”. It also outlines some of the opportunities and challenges provided by webcasting and gives some indication of the future prospects. In particular, the article explores the impact of the Internet on the broadcasting sector. We are witnessing the process of convergence between the Internet and the emerging digital terrestrial and satellite broadcast systems. The convergence of the PC and digital broadcast terminals is bringing about the delivery of new services as part of the multi-channel offerings from digital radio and television broadcasters. |
|
| Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) | |
| The challenges of rights management D. Wood 
(40 KB) |
|
| This article gives a brief overview of some of the tools available for protecting the copyright of broadcast material; namely, conditional access, digital signatures, copy protection and watermarking. | |
 |
|
| Access control and watermarking J. Barda and L. Cheveau
(179 KB) |
|
| Part 2 of this article returns to the concepts described in Part 1 (Eurovision — network security through access control and watermarking), but explains in more detail the technical implications of making secure a transmission network such as Eurovision. In particular, it examines the encryption process in use, and the watermarking requirements and techniques. | |
| Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG) | |
| DSNG — auxilliary co-ordination channels A. Morello, V. Mignone and W. Cascianelli
(443 KB) |
|
|
In July 1997, the Technical Module of the DVB Project set up an ad hoc group on DSNG under the chairmanship of RAI, with the tasks (i) to define the specification for modulation/channel coding for DSNG and other contribution applications by satellite, (ii) to define the specification for the auxiliary co-ordination channels and (iii) to co-operate with other DVB groups in defining the user guidelines for source coding, Service Information (SI) and scrambling for Conditional Access (CA). The specification for the auxiliary co-ordination channels was finalized by the group in Autumn 1998 and approved within DVB and ETSI in Spring 1999. It consists of a specification for a set of two-way (i.e. full-duplex) satellite communication circuits to allow for SNG technical and/or programme co-ordination between the DSNG terminal, the broadcaster, the DSNG operator (when required) and the satellite operator – particularly useful in areas where access to the public switched or cellular telephone networks is difficult or impossible. The specified system is based on Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum and QPSK modulation, convolutionally coded with rate 1/2, and allows for voice, data and fax transmissions. |
|
| MPEG-2 | |
| Picture quality in MPEG video J. Fletcher and M. Prior-Jones
(114 KB) |
|
| This article describes an investigation made into the effects of DCT coefficient quantization on the picture quality of MPEG-coded video. This involved subjective tests in which viewers were asked to grade pictures that had been coded at a fixed level of quantization. The results give a relationship between subjective picture quality and quantizer_scale. | |
| Multimedia Home Platform (MHP) | |
| First outing for MHP at IFA 99 S. Heimbecher
(112 KB) |
|
| The IRT – together with a group of representatives from DVB, the EBU, public and private broadcasters, research institutes as well as the software, computer and consumer electronics industries – staged the first public demonstrations of the Multimedia Home Platform (MHP) at IFA 99 in Berlin, during late August/early September 1999. The demonstrations were considered a great success as outlined in this report. | |
| * | Head of Publications and Internet Co-ordinator: | P. Jaquin |
| * | Editeur Responsable: | P.A. Laven |
| * | Editor: | M.R. Meyer |
| * | French Editor: | E. Piraux |
| European Broadcasting Union Case postale 45 Ancienne Route 17A CH-1218 Grand-Saconnex Geneva Switzerland techreview@ebu.ch |
 |