MediaCorps Experience in STB

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MediaCorps Experience in STB
Kenneth Lee 14 Mar 2004
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Scope

• Background Introduction
• Whats In The Box?
• MHP Trial
• STB Features Evolution
• Threats Opportunities

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1. Background Introduction
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Company Background

• Merger of Engineering, IT Transmission
• Leading transmission infrastructure provider
• Services offered include

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Trials Conducted

• Pilot DTT transmission since Dec 2000
• Test-bed for STBs and DTV applications
• Trials conducted include
• High-Definition TV (HDTV)
• TV Mobile
• Diversity Antenna Reception
• Interactive TV
• T-Commerce
• Digital Video Recorder (DVR)

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Digital Transmission

• Ch 29 (538MHz)
• Fixed reception
• FFT 8K
• Constellation 64 QAM
• Guard Interval 1/8
• FEC 3/4
• Services include

• Ch 37 (602MHz)
• Mobile Reception
• FFT 2K
• Constellation QPSK
• Guard Interval 1/4
• FEC 1/2
• Current service

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STBs Tested
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2. Whats In The Box?
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Components of STB

• Hardware
• CPU
• Memory
• Interfaces
• Power Supply
• Storage (optional)
• Return Channel
• Tuner
• Demodulator
• Media Processor

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Inside The STB
Source NDS Guide to Digital Set-To Boxes
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STB Block Diagram
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Components of STB

• Hardware
• CPU
• Memory
• Interfaces
• Power Supply
• Storage (optional)
• Return Channel
• Tuner
• Demodulator
• Media Processor

• Software
• Operating System
• Device Drivers
• Middleware (APIs)
• Virtual Machine (Optional)
• Residential Applications
• Conditional Access (Optional)

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Software Layers in STB
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Middleware Standards

• Proprietary

• Open

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MHP Implementation

• AltiCast AltiCaptor
• ID-way
• IRT
• Osmosys
• Zentek MediaStack

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AltiCast AltiCaptor
Source www.alticast.com
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3. MHP Trial
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MHP Trial

• 200 ADB MHP (1.0.2) DVB-T STB
• meant for the Finnish market (unmodified)
• 30 Samsung MHP (1.0.2) DVB-T STB
• customised with Ethernet connection and payment
  module (NETS)

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MHP Applications

• Electronic Programme Guide (EPG)
• News
• Weather
• Food Guide
• Pac-Man (Game)
• TODAY (Electronic Newspaper)
• Shop! (T-Commerce)
• Programme Associated Data (PAD)
• Interactive Advertisement
• Quiz
• Poll

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News
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Weather
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Food Guide
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Shop!
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Amazing Race PAD
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Quiz
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Challenges Encountered

• Unable to customise control task
• Application takes a long time to load
• Inconsistent look of application
• MHP implementation for Internet not ready
• Integration of payment module

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Performance depends on..

• STB Specification Implementation
• Transmission Bandwidth Reception
• Object Carousel Setting Configuration
• Application Size Code Optimisation

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4. STB Features Evolution
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Features depends on..

• Applications
• Business Model
• Costs
• Delivery Platform

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DTV Applications

• TV Mobile
• Diversity Reception
• HDTV
• Interactive TV
• Digital Video Recorder
• IP Datacast
• DVB-H

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Pay TV vs FTA

• Pay TV
• vertical market
• customised STB
• vendors need at least 6 months lead-time and
  minimum order of 50k to 100k STBs
• subsidy model
• recoup investments from subscription or
  pay-per-use
• little or no incentive to migrate to open
  standards

• FTA
• horizontal market
• little or no customisation
• vendors needs commitment from FTA operators
  regulator to transmit DTV services
• retail model
• rely on ad sales government funds
• depend on open standards for economies of scale

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Typical Specification
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Delivery Platforms

• Terrestrial
• Cable
• Satellite
• xDSL
• MMDS/LMDS
• Wireless

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Why define features?

• Set minimum requirements hence performance of
  STB
• Ensure consistency and that applications can run
  properly
• Ensure success of implementation
• However must be done with manufacturers support

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Must-Have Features

• Supports all DVB-T transmission modes
• Signal strength indicator

• RF loop through output

• Over-the-air firmware upgrade

• Teletext reinsertion

• Common Interface
• Smart card reader
• Subtitling
• EPG Event Info

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Good-To-Have Features

• Hard disk recording capability
• Dual tuners

• Dolby Digital

• High Definition
• High-Speed Interface (eg. IEEE 1394,
  USB or 10 Base-T)
• Parental Control
• DC Power Supply

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Consideration Factors

• Sensitivity
• Reliability
• Usability
• Connectivity
• Interactivity
• Security
• Upgradeability
• Addressability

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STB Evolution

• 1st Generation (Digital TV)
• Plain vanilla zapping STB
• No interactive middleware

• 2nd Generation (Interactive TV)
• Interactive middleware (Open TV, MHP etc)
• Return channel

• 3rd Generation (TV Anytime)
• Digital recording
• DVRs Media Centre PCs

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STB Evolution

• 4th Generation (TV Anywhere)
• Portable
• IP Datacast (DVB-H)
• Wireless return channel (3G, WiFi etc)

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5th Generation (???)

• More efficient compression
• Larger storage capacity
• Ultra high-speed interface
• Better content protection
• Better content management
• Seamless networking capability
• Wireless broadband access
• Ultra low power consumption
• Biometric verification
• Voice recognition

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STB Functionality
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The Connected Home

• Entertainment
• Communication Connectivity
• Control Automation
• Security Monitoring

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Lifespan of STB

• Technology advancement
• Architecture of STB
• Market conditions
• Substitutable products
• Relevant features
• Quality of components used
• CE manufacturers call

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5. Threats Opportunities
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Potential Threats

• Technology convergence Industry deregulation
  Increased competition
• New competitors
• Pay-TV Operators
• Telcos
• CE Manufacturers

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Digital Video Recorder

• STB with an integrated hard disk drive (HDD)
• Create your own channels (store profile)
• Easy usage full control (as when you like it)
• Business models
• Subscription
• Pay-per-use
• Advertisement
• Pay TV operators deploying DVR
• BSkyB in UK
• Echostar in USA

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Other DVRs

• Combo Player
• Home Server (Microsoft Media Center PC)
• Game Console
• Digital Home Recording Units over 240 million
  units with broadband connections by 2008
• Digital Home Recorders Broadband Access
  Re-Emergence of PUSH Technologies Rise
  of Walled Gardens of Protected Content
  In-Stat/MDR Report

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Threats of DVRs

• Advertisements skipped
• Brand awareness jeopardised - less people watch
  live
• Ratings may be affected
• Networked PVR (communication gaming)

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Opportunities of DVRs

• Able to capture profiles of viewers
• More programme sponsorship embedded ads
• Incentivised viewing
• Opening for gatekeeping
• Tying viewers to EPG signalling data
• Downloaded trailers advertisments
• Require synergies with DVR manufacturers

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Mobile Devices

• Wireless delivery platform
• Experiencing rapid growth in terms of user
  adoption
• Point-to-point, personalised content
• Plenty of innovative applications developed

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Impact To Broadcasters

• Less time spent by viewers watching TV
• Platform capable of delivering video
• Advertisers may switch over to mobile platform

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Cellphone Add-ons

• Encyclo-phone
• Defenderfone
• Ventrilo-phone
• X-PandaCam
• Nippit 3000

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Broadcast/Multicast/P2P

• Broadcast
• large user base
• wide area of coverage
• high bandwidth
• Peer-to-Peer
• messaging
• file exchange

• Multicast
• applications include
• location based services (eg.
  advertisements, group messaging)
• point-to-point (eg. downloads,
  transactions)

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Casting P2P Positioning
Source Ahmavaara K., Jolma P. Raivio Y.
Broadcast Multicast Services in Mobile
Networks
Broadcast
Peer to Peer
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Mobile Opportunities

• DVB-H
• Able to reach out viewers on the move
• Potential for location-based applications
• Able to deliver premium time critical content to
  users
• Tie-up with telcos for return channel billing
  system

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Electronic Program Guide

• Electronic Service Guide (ESG) or Interactive
  Service Guide (ISG)
• Equivalent to Web portal
• Provides information and access to services
• Extracts EPG data from DVB-SI
• Can be a resident application or downloaded to
  STB

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EPG
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Importance of EPG

• Gateway to content services
• Viewers retention
• Understanding viewer personalisation
• Allows marketing promotion of services
• Available real estate

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Threats of EPG

• Denied access by EPG operator
• Failure to form strategic partnerships
• Competing EPGs from other platforms
• CE Manufacturers EPG
• Nokia Navi-Bar
• Philips Streamium

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Opportunities of EPG

• Gateway to content services
• Attract viewers
• Collect premium for media space
• Control what viewers see
• Platform to launch new services

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Summary

• Whats In The Box?
• Hardware Software Components
• STB Features Evolution
• TV Anywhere
• Residential Gateway
• Threats Opportunities
• DVRs
• Mobile Devices
• EPGs

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Thank You

• Email kennethl_at_mediacorptechnologies.com
• Tel [phone]