Nextream ••••••••••••••••••••••••• Philips ScreenPeaks a cable operator can offer. The Thomson Broadcast digital signal makes access University of Gent (RUG) control, protection and security of applications possible and opens the way for data and interactive Countries involved multimedia applications. Belgium • The notion of interactivity requires France a suitable return path. Headend Israel management implies a shift from The Netherlands a rather static broadcast system to a complex, dynamic system. • This leading-edge technology presents both an opportunity and Start of the project The world of cable broadcasting a challenge: many new multimedia July 1999 is changing dramatically, from applications will become possible, the mere distribution of audio but there is as yet little agreement and video services to offering on what they will be. End of the project complex interactive multimedia • Standards for multimedia services July 2001 services. Providers and are still emerging; they do not customers alike are demanding cover all aspects and sometimes new kinds of Internet-based impose conflicting demands. services and applications in addition to traditional TV DIGITAL HEADEND has provided services. Digital cable technology European industry with a new digital is the best tool to support these headend solution, demonstrating demands. the excellence of Europe’s digital video broadcasting standards Bridging the datacom and video (DVB based on MPEG). A new broadcasting worlds concept developed within the At least 45 million European households have cable TV in their homes. The coaxial cables used can cope with much higher bandwidths than telephone lines, making them a perfect candidate for an all-purpose transportation media for multimedia content. The network ‘headend’ is the interface between a cable TV network and other networks, such as satellite transmissions over the Internet. To be able to provide multimedia content and advanced services to their customers, new digital headends must be developed.
Key features of the new digital
cable environment: • Digital compression technology multiplies the number of services ITEA Office PROJECT RESULTS Eindhoven University of Technology Campus Laplace Building 0.04 project provides a bridge between integrated with data broadcasting PO box 513 the data communications world into the digital headend 5600 MB Eindhoven and the video broadcasting architecture, allowing support for The Netherlands world, supporting new interactive interactive services Tel : +31 40 247 5590 broadband services to the home. • multimedia components have Fax : +31 40 247 5595 been synchronised within a Email : itea2@itea2.org An architecture for interactive digital headend environment and Web : www.itea2.org multimedia applications validated with a distance-learning Digitalization represents a major application. revolution in cable television making additional multimedia Since the project partners ITEA - Information Technology services feasible with high revenue work closely with European for European Advancement - opportunities for operators and standardisation bodies, European is an eight-year strategic service providers. Within the industry will benefit from the pan-European programme for project, various solutions have results via common digital video pre-competitive research and been developed for digital TV broadcasting standards. The project development in embedded and and interactive multimedia-based team has also actively contributed distributed software. Our work applications over cable networks, to the standardisation of DVB and has major impact on government, including: MPEG. academia and business. • a digital headend architecture, including in-band remote Solutions for providing ITEA was established in 1999 management multimedia content and advanced as a EUREKA strategic cluster • advanced information processing services programme. We support coordi- that complies with all global DIGITAL HEADEND secures the nated national funding submissi- standards and user-friendly competitive position of the following ons, providing the link between integrated models European industry sectors: those who provide finance, • network operators and service technology and software engi- providers (by reducing operational neering. We issue annual Calls costs and creating extra revenues for Projects, evaluate projects, through additional multimedia and help bring research partners services) together. We are a prominent • business electronics (by creating player in European software enabling headend technology and development with more than systems for DTV and multimedia 5,000 person-years of R&D service distribution) invested in the programme so far, • consumer electronics (by and another 10,000 anticipated extending the market for digital over the next five years. TVs, PC add-ons, and enhanced set-top boxes) ITEA-labelled projects build • content creators and application crucial middleware and prepare software developers (by standards, laying the founda- increasing standardisation and tions for the next generation of creating a platform for new digital products, systems, appliances services). and services. Our projects are industry-driven initiatives, Examples of partners’ use of project involving complementary R&D • data broadcasting - with results in commercial products: from at least two companies in conditional scheduling access • in-band remote control system two countries. Our programme and IP encapsulation - has been and capabilities are being is open to partners from large integrated within MPEG-based integrated into Thomson’s industrial companies, small and video streaming Nextream commercial offers medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) • a virtual channel concept • data broadcast architecture has as well as public research for complex multimedia data been adopted by Philips (DTS and institutes and universities. broadcasting has been developed CryptoTec) and integrated into a fully digital • Screenpeaks is creating a headend management system. marketable product based on • a complete return channel work done in the project concept has been developed • BarcoNet is implementing the - using network management project results in its commercial Σ! 2023 software based on DVB-RC- products and has sales contracts compliant MIB files - and for delivery of digital headends. October 2002