Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting

Objective

To develop a digital network for television terrestrial broadcasting and contribute to a European standard that:

- Uses the traditional UHF/VHF frequency bands.
- Does not degrade quality of existing analogue services.
- Provides HD capability for fixed receivers.
- Has High Definition services capacity for fixed receivers and portable/mobile reception with significant coverage in clear channels.
- Allows simpler and economic frequency management.
- Can be demonstrated easily with available technology and be implementable at consumer prices by 1997/1998.
- Works with cable distribution and contribution nets.
- Gives rise to a wide European consensus in order to bring unified European views in ITU-R discussions.
The main objective of the research was to develop a digital communications network suited to television terrestrial (wireless) broadcasting that:
can be used within the traditional frequency plan of ultrahigh frequency (UHF) and very high frequency (VHF) bands;
provides high definition (HD) capability for fixed receivers;
provides the capability of portable (plug free) reception as well as mobile reception;
allows further simplification and economy in frequency management, by use of single frequency network concept, locally, regionally or nationwide;
can be demonstrated easily with current technology and be proven to be implementable at consumer prices in 1998 technology;
gives rise to a wide European consensus in order to bring unified European views on Comite Consultatif International des Radiocommunications (CCIR) discussions.

Key issues in the research include:
characterization of UHF and VHF channels in the simulcast environment as well as in a clear channel configuration;
selection of bandwidth and power efficient modulation and channel coding schemes;
measurement of performance and evaluation of receiver cost and its compatibility with cable distribution (community antennae);
selection of an access control system and multiplex structure.

The research has resulted in:
a preliminary introduction strategy;
a review of carrier systems;
pilot reception quality tests performed in a simulcast environment;
live demonstation at the Montreux symposium'95, including integrated satellite and terrestrial digital television transmission, in common with the HD-SAT project;
draft specifications describing a baseline transmission system for digital terrestrial television broadcasting, inpublic enquiery phase in ETSI, expected to be adopted by the end of 1996.
Technical Approach

dTTb realizes a series of field trials using the demonstrator built in year 3 to assess performances required, principally in single frequency networks. The specifications put forth by the project in cooperation with HD-DIVINE (Scandinavia) and HDTVT (Germany) allow realization of a second demonstrator conforming to European DVB specifications. Results of the first trials are important inputs to the final design of this demonstrator. However, this latter will not be assessed in this project.

Cost estimates of the various modules, based on the second demonstrator's design allow for the structure definition of the consumer set top adapter which will help manufacturers in the design of integrated circuits for the demodulator.

A public demonstration, held jointly with HD-SAT (R2075) will demonstrate the main concepts of terrestrial digital broadcasting at Montreux '95, in a configuration probably close to the final version but including some options (e.g. hierarchy) not likely to be kept in the baseline service.

Key Issues

- Characterisation of UHF/VHF channels.
- Bandwidth/power efficient modulation and channel coding
- Performance and receiver cost; compatibility with cable distribution (community antennae).
- Multiplex structure compatible with MPEG-2.
- Compatibility with other (cable) networks.

Expected Impact

- Proposals for dTTb standards in DVB, EBU and CCIR
- Technical and economic feasibility of a digital terrestrial television service
- Introduction of experimental digital terrestrial services in Europe

Fields of science

• humanities › arts › modern and contemporary art › radio and television
• engineering and technology › electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering › electronic engineering › control systems
• natural sciences › computer and information sciences › computer security › access control
• engineering and technology › mechanical engineering › vehicle engineering › aerospace engineering › satellite technology

Programme(s)

• FP3-RACE 2 - Specific research and technological development programme (EEC) in the field of communication technologies, 1990-1994

Topic(s)

• T.712 - Image network interworking
• T.813 - Bandwidth-efficient coding and modulation for IBC on bandwidth-limited media
• PL4 - Project line 4 - Image and data communications

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

Data not available

Coordinator

Centre Commun d'Études de Télécommunications et de Télédiffusion (CCETT)

Address

4 Rue Du Clos Courtel
35512 Cesson-sévigne
France

Participants (41)

BARCO N.V

Belgium

Address

Th. Sevenslaan 106
8500 Kortrijk

BARCO N.V. KORTRIJK

Belgium

Address

Th. Sevenslaan 106
8500 Kortrijk

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

United Kingdom

Address

Kingswood Warren
KT20 6NP Tadworth

Links

CODITEL N.V

Belgium

Address

Twee Kerkenstraat 26
1040 Brussel

Centro Studi e Laboratori Telecomunicazioni SpA (CSELT)

Italy

Address

Via Guglielmo Reiss Romoli 274
10148 Torino

DEUTSCHE THOMSON-BRANDT GMBH

Germany

Address

7730 Villingen

Deutsche Bundespost Telekom (DBP)

Germany

Address

Am Kavalleriesand 3
64295 Darmstadt

Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Luft- und Raumfahrt eV (DLR)

Germany

Address

Münchener Straße 20
82230 Weßling

ELECTRABEL N.V (TRACTEBEL NV)

Belgium

Address

Gentweg 18
9440 Evergen

ENST BRETAGNE

France

Address

Rue De La Chataigneraie
35512 Cesson-sevigne

ENTE PUBLICO RETEVISION

Spain

Address

P1/2 De La Castellana 83
28046 Madrid

EUROPEAN BROADCASTING UNION

Belgium

Address

Avenue Albert Lancaster 32, Uccle
1180 Brussels

EUROPEAN BROADCASTING UNION

Switzerland

Address

Ancienne Route 17 A
1218 Grand-saconnex

Fondazione Ugo Bordoni

Italy

Address

Via Baldassarre Castiglione 59
00142 Roma

France Télécom

France

Address

Chemin Du Vieux Chene
38243 Meylan

Grundig Elektrogeräte GmbH

Germany

Address

Kurgartenstraße 37
90762 Fürth

INSTITUT FÜR RUNDFUNKTECHNIK GMBH

Germany

Address

Floriansmühlstraße 60
8000 München

Italtel Società Italiana Telecomunicazioni SpA

Italy

Address

Piazzale Zavattari 12
20149 Milano

Laboratoire d'Électronique Philips

France

Address

22 Avenue Descartes
94453 Limeil-brevannes

NEDERLANDSE PHILIPS BEDRIJVEN N.V. (PRL)

Netherlands

Address

Prof. Holstlaan 4
5656 AA Eindhoven

NEDERLANSE PHILIPS BEDRIJVEN BV (P.R.L)

Netherlands

Address

Professor Holstaan 4
5656AA Eindhoven

NOZEMA

Netherlands

Address

Biezendijk 3
3412 KB Lopik

National Transcommunications Ltd

United Kingdom

Address

Crawley Court
SO21 2QA Winchester

National Transcommunications Ltd

United Kingdom

Address

Crawley Court
SO21 2QA Winchester

PHILIPS KOMMUNIKATIONS INDUSTRIE AG

Germany

Address

Thurn-und-taxis-straße 10
90327 Nürnberg

Pesa Electronica (AMPER SA)

Spain

Address

Albala 12
28037 Madrid

Politecnico di Torino

Italy

Address

Corso Duca Degli Abruzzi 24
10129 Torino

Radiotelevisione Italiana

Italy

Address

Viale Mazzini 14
00195 Roma

SGS THOMSON MICROELECTRONICS SA

France

Address

7 Avenue Gallieni
94253 Gentilly

SGS-Thomson Microelectronics SrL

Italy

Address

Via Olivetti 2
20041 Agrate Brianza (Mi)

SIGNAL PROCESSING LAB.

Switzerland

Address

Epfl
1004 Lausanne

Seleco SpA

Italy

Address

Viale Treviso 15
33170 Pordenone

TELECOM DENMARK

Denmark

Address

Telegade 2
2630 Taastrup

TELEDIFFUSION DE FRANCE (TDF)

France

Address

10 Rue D'oradour Sur Glane
75732 Paris

TELEDIFFUSION DE FRANCE (TDF)

France

Address

10 Rue D'oradour Sur Glane
75732 Paris

THOMSON CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SA

France

Address

1 Parc D'innovation
67403 Illkirch

THOMSON CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SA

France

Address

9 Place Des Vosges
92050 Paris La Defense

THOMSON CSF LER

France

Address

Avenue De Belle Fontaine
35512 Cesson-sevigne

THOMSON-LGT

France

Address

1 Rue De L'hautil
78702 Conflans Ste Honorine

UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE MADRID

Spain

Address

C/ramire De Maeztu, S/n
28040 Madrid

VNIIT

Russia

Address

22 Polytechnicheskaya St
194021 Leningrad