DIPOL Weekly Review - TV and SAT TV, CCTV, WLAN

Wiring renaissance - G.hn. The ubiquity of cable infrastructure encourages its use with the latest technology. Residential buildings have electrical wiring that can be adapted for signal transmission, are also equipped with telephones, and - in urban areas - cable TV networks. Standard installations in new buildings, especially those in scattered locations, include integrate reception systems (MATV/SMATV systems for receiving FM/TV/SAT broadcasts), which provide at least one outlet in each room.
All these cables can be very effectively used for data transmission - say the proponents of the "next generation" home network - G.hn - "next Generation" home network.
This uniform communications platform, offering up to 1Gbit/s throughput in the home, took the form of recommendations (Dec. 12, 2008), developed in the framework of the ITU (ITU-T G.9960). It specifies the physical layer, including the parameters of transmission, protection of its quality (QoS) and cost-effective energy use. The application layer is still under development - Media Access Control (MAC).
The new standard is supported by HomeGrid Forum - an industrial group consisting of, among others, such tycoons like Intel, Infineon, Panasonic, Texas Instruments.
The new platform is to standardize the use of existing household wiring for the purpose of fast and stable transmission of video and audio between home appliances, focusing on HD formats. It does not exclude the use of wireless devices. According to industry projections, the first series of processors tailored for G.hn will be available in the second half of 2010, and the final products should be offered in 2011.

What for the cable?

Television in Hungary. Since December 1st there is available digital terrestrial TV. The previous test broadcasts were compressed in MPEG-2, the current transmissions are in MPEG-4 AVC (H.264).
MinDig TV (the name of the DVB-T platform) is available for 60% of Hungarians. It is broadcast from three transmitters, located in Budapest, Szentes and Kab-hegy.
One multiplex provides two free programs: Duna TV in HD and Duna II Autonomia in SD (the same programs are broadcast by satellite). Second multiplex consists of pay programs: ATV and Hír TV encrypted in Conax. However, the cards will be available only in January.
So far, terrestrial digital TV did not achieve commercial success, DVB-T receivers fill the shelves of shops. The customers are constrained by lack of the most popular programs that are still broadcast in analog (M1, RTL, TV2), expensive set-top-boxes, and very extensive satellite TV offer. Via satellite, in addition to free programs Duna HD and Duna Autonomy, there are available three paid platforms: UPC Direct, DigiTV and T-Home. T-Home, recently introduced to the market, has met with considerable interest from subscribers, while the demand for DigiTV declines.
From mid-December, in Budapest and its surroundings, there is available DVB-H (mobile TV) - two programs that can be received on mobile phones and palmtops, for example on Nokia N96.

Hungary - TV tower in Pecs

Advantages of central amplifiers - large MATV systems. Multi-staircase buildings require to use distribution amplifiers in each staircase or can be based on one, central set of channel amplifiers.
Using ZG-401/421/601 channel amplifiers, the installation can have up to 200 outlets, without a need of additional distribution boosters. Such a solution allows to provide broadcast signals from a single antenna cluster to multiple outlets, improving reliability of the whole system. Additionally, the installation and adjustment of the system is much simpler than in the case of band amplifiers - each channel's level can be precisely set according to application requirements.
It is easy to include additional signals, usually coming from a monitoring system - they are processed by the next channel amplifiers and do not interfere with adjacent channels (due to 40 dB or so attenuation of spurious signals generated by the modulators).

Notice! DIPOL e-Store introduces a new, more straightforward way of ordering channel amplifiers. The ZG-401 and ZG-601 series have been divided into groups. Ordering the desired channel the customer knows that the amplifier is available in the stock.

ZG channel amplifiers

Terra headend in local cable TV network. Local cable TV operator in Warsaw provides signals to 500 apartments. So far, there were distributed 32 channels (retransmitted satellite programs). The operator decided to increase the offer by next 6 channels. For this purpose, the installation company proposed to employ TERRA headend, despite the fact that the original network is based on a headend coming from another manufacturer. The company was able to convince the investor that the MMH-3000 headend can cooperate with the existing equipment, providing high quality signals, ensuring flexible configuration and low operating costs - all for very competitive price.

The modulators of TERRA MMH-3000 headend use VSB modulation. Thanks to vestigial side band they allow to utilize adjacent channels - the headend can distribute a wide range of programs. The extension consists of four QPSK CI receivers RD-313C (R81710) that enable transmodulation of satellite QPSK broadcasts into PAL signals, and two MPEG-2 TS decoders/VSB modulators DM-313 (R81712) using master-slave concept. This configuration saves two CI modules and smart cards. Due to extensive distribution network, additional amplifiers located in the buildings - Terra HA-123 R82301 - compensate the loss of signal in the cabling.

A great advantage of the headend is SMS notification, enabling immediate reaction of the technician. With remote control interface - PCS-200 R81716 - there is possibility of programing and testing the headend with local or remote computer (via the Internet), including easy modification of the channel list.
More on designing MMH-3000 headend (it takes only five steps) you can read in the Library.

The author has been awarded the "Chameleon mug".
How to get "Chameleon mug"?

This TERRA headend provides signals to 500 apartments

ULTISYSTEM - a unique and honored surveillance software - support for megapixel cameras. ULTISYSTEM provides versatile tools for managing CCTV cameras, both the latest IP CCTV devices and analog cameras installed in older, still functioning video monitoring systems, incorporated (thanks to the suite) into city surveillance.
ULTISYSTEM is especially well prepared for cooperation with megapixel cameras. The software allows to enlarge any part of the image from any camera (digital zoom) and does not limit the number of the operations (i.e. the number of cameras with enlarged images). Despite the fact that the monitor shows only the enlarged area, the system still records the whole image. The same function is available during playback of the recordings. ULTISYSTEM software supports megapixel cameras from IQinVision, ACTi, ULTICAM and other well known manufacturers.

Marking the interesting part of the image

The enlarged area

Professional monitoring system in a warehouse, a supermarket, a station or terminal hall. IP PTZ camera ACTi ACM-8511 (K1217) is specially designed for monitoring large spaces inside buildings. Thanks to PTZ control it is an ideal device for use in the places listed at the beginning of this notice.
Due to 10x zoom the camera can provide both general view and close-up of some selected details. Day/night and Sense Up functions allow operation in any lighting conditions (sensitivity 0.009 lx). The camera is also equipped with many options of backlight compensation, iris control, white balance - which are usually not available in similar devices.
Using MPEG-4 or MJPEG compression, the parameters can be adjusted to a variety of systems. The camera can generate multiple video streams (Multi-stream mode, with different frame rates), with maximum frame rate of 30 fps (D1).
The camera allows bidirectional audio transmission and has been equipped with hardware motion detection and alarm input/output. The manufacturer provides NVR utility cooperating with a whole range of ACTi devices. The camera can also be operated with ULTISYSTEM or NUUO software.
The complementary devices for outdoor operation (outside the building/s) can be high-class megapixel IP cameras ACTi ACM-1231(K1511). They offer very high image quality (resolution: 1280 x 1024) even in low light. The employed CMOS sensors and IR illuminators allow operation even in total darkness (0 lx).

Surveillance system for warehouses based on ACTi cameras

ULTIAIR - video monitoring of streets based on IP CCTV technology and wireless transmission. Professional ULTIAIR access points allow to build both the backbones of the systems and wireless access networks. The unique versatility of the devices is based on the implemented Linux software that allows different applications, from simple point-to-point links, indispensable in extensive IP video surveillance systems, to very sophisticated systems of data transmission. They are perfect for creating effective systems of city monitoring.

Main features of ULTIAIR family:

• Flexible configuration;
• Possibility of creating advanced network systems;
• Efficient data transmission (ULTIAIR Nstreme N2320 - up to 54 Mb/s in each direction);
• Weather-resistant housing (IP 66);
• Quick configuration of Access Point, Bridge, and HOTSPOT modes;
• Easy installation.

The diagram below presents a solution based on ULTISYSTEM software, ULTIAIR access points and ACTi IP cameras. The system can be expanded by using different modes of operation of the ULTIAIR devices (to be continued in next issues). The system can utilize some cameras of local monitoring systems based on ULTIMAX DVRs and analog cameras.

Video monitoring of a road, based on ULTISYSTEM and ULTIAIR devices

ULTIAIR - license levels. ULTIAIR devices have two license levels, 3 or 4. First of all, the difference lies in the number of supported modes of work and HotSpot users. The license levels are compared in the table below.

(v3.x - software version)

ULTIAIR family consists of:

Bids on 4safe.pl portal. The 4safe.pl portal (in Polish) is the largest service for security industry in Poland, informing about events and new solutions in national market and around the world. For the last several years this website for professionals has become a strong and well recognized brand in the Polish market. Its opinion-forming nature, a wealth of articles (including technical ones) and the tender section - are the reasons for a great and still growing popularity among Internet users. 4safe takes part in all trade fairs and exhibitions, as well as actively promotes its mission through professional journals.
Bids and announcements at 4safe.pl (Polish version only)

We have written about:

9-cable system - multiswitch installations. The most flexible multiswitch installations in multi-story buildings are based on 9-cable system (signals from two Quatro LNBs and terrestrial TV antenna). On each floor we employ the splitter providing signals to multiswitches. It allows to shape the network according to actual requirements - we may deploy practically unlimited number of outlets...
- archive DWR of Jan. 14, 2008

How to use wireless connectivity to develop the network at home or office. Internet access can be easily distributed among many users by wireless means - solutions based on TP-LINK devices.
- archive DWR of Sept. 08, 2008

How does DDNS work? Users of ADSL service (e.g. Neostrada in Poland) do not have a static IP - it is changed periodically. With this type of connectivity it is not possible to run a server, because the current IP address is unknown...
- archive DWR of Dec. 17, 2007

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