Asia-Pacific Broadcasting (APB) Satellie Special Supplement 2016 | Page 14

2016 SPECIAL

Why OTT is interfering with
satellite broadcast by Martin Coleman
C

onsumers are getting used to wide-ranging choices
when it comes to video content. As more and more
video content goes over-the-top (OTT), we will see a
substantial increase in the number of video channels.
There has been some concern that the move to OTT and
video-on-demand (VoD) will spell the end of satellitedistributed video; however, I believe the increase in
channels will actually put more pressure on satellite
networks.

Increased demand

Remember what happened after the analogue to digital
video transition years ago? With four digital video
channels being placed in the same bandwidth as one
analogue video channel, there was a real concern that
the demand for satellite bandwidth would diminish. What
actually happened was the number of video channels
increased substantially. Today, these channels consume
more satellite bandwidth than was previously used.
We are in a similar situation right now. With so much
video being streamed over-the-top, the number of video
“channels” will increase substantially from thousands to
hundreds of millions.
Satellite still has an important role to play here. In
some cases, especially remote or mobile environments,
it can be the only communication method available. In
other cases, SNG and satellite contribution links are still
a highly reliable source and backup for broadcasters.
With the rise in channels and video content, the world
will need all the bandwidth it can muster to deliver all
that video. It is not yet clear how much of that video will
end up on satellites, but a large portion will.

Technical know-how

Satellite remains a highly reliable technology, which
means that broadcasters will at the very least continue
to use it for backup and contribution, especially when
broadcasting live events or breaking news. However, the
challenge for satellite is the requirement of technical
knowledge to use equipment properly. This is something
which is often not embraced by broadcasters and,
nowadays, most SNG trucks are not manned by an
expert in this technology.
The FCC ruling is also drawing extremely close, so
for broadcasters in the US at least, they need to ensure
the latest Carrier ID technology, DVB-CID, is included in
all digital video SNG transmissions by June 1 this year!

The key to preparing for that
potential increase in demand comes
down to technology and training.
Today, with more automated systems,
there is less chance of human error.
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Again, this adds another requirement
for transmission. For many, the
equipment is already in place,
especially those moving to DVBS2X. Although, for some, it means
purchasing new DSNG encoders or
modulators that are able to provide
this CID technology. For most, it is
about understanding how to ensure
you are transmitting CID information.
In the majority of cases, the equipment
is shipped with CID turned off, so
broadcasters simply need to ensure
they switch it on.
With the complication of SNG being
a mobile platform and if SNG operators
are not well trained in the art of using
satellite technology, that all adds extra
complications to providing reliable and
successful transmissions.

❝Satellite still
has an important
role to play
here. In some
cases, especially
remote or mobile
environments, it
can be the only
communication
method
available.❞
— Martin Coleman,
Executive Director,
Satellite Interference
Reduction Group

Getting it wrong

The biggest challenge I see with satellite broadcasting
right now, is that there is an increased demand and
pressure on broadcasters to make content available
instantly, and to a variety of different platforms. This
in turn is likely to lead to more demand for all types
of communication technology, and satellite is likely to
become increasingly a key player, given its reliability as
well as its global coverage.
With this shift, we will likely see more and more
people asked to operate satellite equipment, for example,
on SNG trucks and the vast majority of them won’t have
any experience or training. The lack of the basic technical
understanding could therefore lead to an increase in
errors and instances of interference. In a world where so
much pressure is placed on broadcasters, interference
affecting a live event, breaking news or any other
programming is always detrimental to the service and
therefore it is something all broadcasters need to avoid.

The resolution

The key to preparing for that potential increase in
demand comes down to technology and training. Today,
with more automated systems, there is less chance of
human error. But things can still go wrong and the SNG
operator needs knowledge to be able to resolve technical
problems quickly. Adding CID to this mix means that at
the very least, resolution of interference, if it does occur,
will be quickly and efficiently dealt with as identifying the
interfering carrier becomes obvious.
And finally, broadcasters need to recognise the need
to train anyone who will be asked to operate any satellite
equipment. Our End Users Initiative (EUI) Group has
worked with the Global VSAT Forum (GVF) to develop a
training course and other packages specifically designed
for SNG. If more SNG operators were to take it, then the
threat of errors would be drastically reduced.

Supplement

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