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

Finally, it has emerged! The long-awaited, twice more powerful successor to H.264.

When in 2012 the participants of the conference in Shanghai worked on the draft document on the new MPEG-H codec, no one imagined that the final version would be approved so quickly. In late January 2013, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) announced the approval of a new version of High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) under the code name H.265.

HEVC is the successor to H.264/AVC that burst onto the consumer electronics markets. It helped in the rapid development of the whole multimedia part of the Internet. Its high compression efficiency allows the transmission and remote sharing of video and multimedia content intended both for personal computers and, in recent times, for mobile phones. However, as the consumer demands for resolution and quality of the materials viewed on the network are continually growing, it is necessary to develop and optimize compression methods.

Now, it's time for H.265/HEVC. The benefits of implementing the new compression method are obvious, e.g digital terrestrial television may offer broadcasts in Ultra HD resolution (twice the horizontal and vertical resolution of the 1080p HDTV format, with four times as many pixels in the image). Similarly, extra-quality materials may be offered on the Internet, without a need for higher data transfers. The higher compression efficiency will also slow down the growth of the size of disk resources. Not without significance is the possibility of the integration of the new compression method with the latest mobile data transmission technology, LTE. This combination will result in the ability to seamlessly deliver UHDTV content using 50% of the capabilities of LTE.

HEVC requires to double the computing power of consumer devices. First forecasts presented a few months ago suggested that the popularization of the new codec will take place not earlier than in 2-3 years. Meanwhile, at January's CES in Las Vegas the visitors could see first consumer devices compatible with the new standard - Samsung unveiled a series of televisions for 2013, some of which being equipped with a suitable decoder, Broadcom presented an STB with dedicated chipset capable of decoding H.265. Mass production of the chipset is planned for the beginning of 2014, the time which seems to be realistic for the true expansion of H.265 in the mass market.

Optical power meter - the basic equipment of a professional fiber optic technician/installer.

The measuring device is one of the basic tools of every installer. While low-current systems, based on copper cables (distribution of television, CCTV) may sometimes forgive the installer an unprofessional approach to measurement issues (quality estimation based only on the observation of the effects on the end devices), there is no place for such simplification in the case of optical networks. Optical systems are often deployed long before the actual use and at the initial stage they include only cable infrastructure. To verify the performance of the job done, it necessary to have appropriate measuring devices. Even the smallest mistake or inaccuracy in connecting the components of an optical system may result in attenuation increased by a few dB, which may lead to the failure of the entire system.

Optical power meter Optokon PM-800
L5818

OPTOKON PM-800 L5818 is an advanced meter designed to measure optical power loss in fiber networks based on multimode and single-mode fibers. The meter is calibrated to measure optical power at six wavelengths (nm): 850, 1300, 1310, 1490, 1550, and 1625. AWD (Auto Wavelength Detection) function allows the meter to detect the length of the transmitted wave and automatically adjust measuring parameters. It is possible to set 0 dB reference level so as to make the measurements of optical path easier. The meter is equipped with a tip that allows measurements of optical power in optical paths terminated with connectors with 2.5 mm ferrules. The accuracy of measurements is better than 5%. Built-in memory can store up to 3000 measurements which can be exported to a PC via Hyper Terminal program.

Distribution of DVB-T and analog signals via optical fiber.

Modern shared antenna systems based on the distribution of TV and radio signals via optical fibers provide much more flexibility compared to those using coaxial cables, especially in terms of the lengths of transmission lines.

The following diagram shows the idea of ​​distributing digital television (DVB-T), analog PAL channels and FM broadcasts in a MATV system based on Terra and Mixpol devices. The aim of the project was to distribute the signals to three buildings.

Distribution of original DVB-T multiplexes and trans-coded PAL channels (after COFDM-PAL conversion)
in a fiber-optic MATV system

The DVB-T muxes are fed into the distribution system by modern, digitally controlled four-channel amplifier Terra at440 R82511. Other signals (FM/DAB/VHF) are introduced to the system by the multiband amplifier ma400 R82520, which also amplifies the DVB-T signals from the output of the R82511 amplifier. Analog PAL channels (selectable within the whole UHF band, ch. 21-69) are provided by the DVB-T / UHF PAL headend Mixpol DVB-08T R951680. The 8-channel DSB headend DVB-08T R951680 converts DVB-T signals to analog PAL channels within UHF band (ch. 21-69), allowing for reception of 8 digital channels on any PAL TV. The analog channels are then amplified by the building amplifier Terra HA-126 R82303.

The complex output signal, ready for further distribution, is converted into optical form optimal for transmission over longer distances to the three buildings. The conversion is carried out by the optical transmitter TERRA MOS-211A R81720, changing the electrical input signals into modulated light for transmission over single-mode optical fiber (1310 nm, optical power of 6 dBm). The optical signal is split into the three paths by the Opto-Spt3 BOX 3 A98893 optical splitter. Each building has been equipped with optical node/receiver OD-120 R81724, with a maximum output level of 95 dBuV, allowing for the distribution of the RF signals to dozens of outlets without the need for additional amplifiers.

How to choose the right rechargeable battery?

The main parameters of each rechargeable battery are the rated voltage and capacity. Due to the fact that the capacity of a battery depends on the discharge conditions, the value is normally given for a 10-hour full discharge current. For example, if the battery has a capacity of 20 Ah, it means that the load can take 2 A for ten hours. To determine how long the battery can supply a real system, one should know the actual current consumption and compare it with the characteristics of the battery for a similar discharge current.

Longer video retention times.

The ever-increasing requirements for the quality of the video archived in surveillance systems pose a problem when a DVR has only one SATA slot. In this case, a good practice is to use a hard disk with the highest capacity possible. The example of a very capacious hard drive is the 3TB HDD SEAGATE ST3000DM001 7200.12 XT SATA3 M89290.

The following table shows the interrelation between the maximum retention period (in days) and the number and resolution of the cameras in the system. The assumptions include fixed data streams (D1 - 0.5 Mbps, 720p - 1.8 Mbps, 1080p - 2.8 Mbps) at 25 fps. The data is stored on the 3 TB drive.

Quick and easy installation of telecommunications devices.

It happens that the devices designed for installation in rack cabinets should be easily accessible, both from the front and rear. In the case of cable organizers, it is also much easier to make any operations when they are accessible from any side.

The offered RACK frames allow installation of any telecommunications equipment compliant with 19" rack standard. They are perfectly suited for systems requiring easy access to the equipment. Thanks to wheels, the frame with the equipment can be easily moved around the room.

Depending on the needs, the user can select a single or a double frame rack (the latter used for mounting equipment that should be screwed also in the rear).

How to control devices hidden in cabinets? Many people tend to hide electronic devices in modern cabinets or in drawers, which is an elegant solution but brings a lot of usability issues - it is difficult or impossible to control the devices with remote controls. The problem can be solved by application of the Signal IRB-600U R94130 IR bender... more

The application of the Signal IRB-600U R94130 IR bender

CCTV analog cameras in IP networks. If the user wants to switch from analog surveillance system to IP CCTV, there is no need to replace all the cameras. In many cases it is sensible to connect them to video servers. The K1601 video servers can convert analog video signals into compressed digital video streams and encapsulate them into IP packets transported over Ethernet networks. The Sunell video servers also enable transmission of control signals to PTZ cameras... more

Sunell video servers enable transmission of video as well as control signals to PTZ cameras

TP-LINK TL-WDR4300 dual-band wireless router as a DLNA server. Many televisions available on the market are equipped with LAN ports that can be connected to Ethernet networks to cooperate with other DLNA certified devices. DLNA stands for the Digital Living Network Alliance, a non-profit collaborative trade organization gathering hundreds of member companies operating in the fields of consumer electronics, computer equipment, mobile devices. The home network devices compatible with DLNA include PCs and network attached storage (NAS) devices, TVs, stereos, home theaters, audio/video receivers, video displays, game consoles, tablets, PDAs, network printers, smartphones etc... more

Application of TP-LINK N3260 wireless router as a DLNA server