DIGITISING AUNTIE

A. R. Lewis , S. R. Ely , N. Fry , D. J. King

1 2

BBC Research & Development, BBC Resources, BBC Broadcast

ABSTRACT In 1995 the BBC took its first major step towards the introduction of digital television by setting up pilot DTT broadcasts in London. This was followed, in 1996, by a commitment to launch widescreen, digital TV services for the UK from both terrestrial and satellite transmitters. The BBC has been working in partnership with other UK broadcasters to develop these new services which will start to launch during 1998. This paper provides a technical overview of the digital TV infrastructure implemented by the BBC. It examines some of the background to the major technical decisions made during the planning of digital television, summarises the BBCs implementation to date, and looks forward to some likely future developments. An overview is also presented of the services which will launch this year.

BACKGROUND In 1995, the BBC established a Digital Pilot project to provide a test-bed to demonstrate the feasibility of digital television. This was closely followed, in 1996, by the setting up of a full project team with a brief to launch BBC digital TV services on satellite, terrestrial and cable platforms. This paper briefly reviews the outcome of the Digital Pilot project and gives broad details of the technical implementation of the BBCs new digital widescreen services. Details are given of the background to the major technical decisions. The paper concludes with a look at some planned future developments. A companion paper presented at this conference by Tanton et al (1) presents fuller details of the design and implementation of the technical infrastructure.

their intention to launch digital cable services in the near future. The BBC has worked with the other major UK broadcasters to ensure that its services are available free-to-air to all licence-fee payers, whether their choose to receive their signals from digital terrestrial (DTT), digital satellite (DSAT) or digital cable (DCABLE) transmissions.

THE DIGITAL PILOT PROJECT The first major step for the BBC in launching digital TV came with the establishment, in 1995, of the BBCs Digital Pilot project. This included a widescreen digital playout area and demonstration facility in the Television Centre (TVC) area in West London. A DTT transmitter was installed at Crystal Palace, the main transmitter serving the London area. The Pilot has been used by the BBC for a number of purposes including: a) to assist in the development and verification of the DVB specifications. To this end, the first DVB compliant transmissions were available in London within a couple of weeks of the DTT specification being endorsed by the DVB group, b) to demonstrate digital television to decision makers and opinion formers within and outside the BBC. The demonstrations have served to raise UK, and international, awareness of the issues and opportunities presented by digital TV,

OTHER UK BROADCASTERS The UK has a strong commercial broadcasting sector operating from satellite and terrestrial 1 transmitters. Both BSkyB and BDB are intending to launch digital pay-TV services in 1998 and both plan to subsidise the cost of set-top boxes to viewers. The cable operators have also announced
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British Digital Broadcasting - who were awarded a license to operate three digital terrestrial multiplexes by the UK regulator (the ITC) in 1997.

c) to evaluate appropriate coding and multiplexing technologies and to establish appropriate source coding rates, d) to aid in establishing coverage models for DTT transmitters. Initially, the Pilot was expected to have a limited lifetime but in practice it has served as an invaluable tool throughout the development of the BBCs digital services. It is likely to continue transmitting until just a few weeks before the actual launch of DTT later this year. More detailed information on the implementation of the Digital Pilot can be found in a paper by Oliphant et al (2).

Conditional Access The BBCs public service channels are available free-to-air to UK licence-fee payers. All DTT (and DCABLE) transmissions can be in the clear since reception is localised by the nature of the transmissions. However, for DSAT, reception is possible over an area much wider than the UK. DSAT transmissions must therefore be encrypted to prevent their reception outside the UK. BBC DSAT transmissions will be part of the digital bouquet transmitted from ASTRA satellites located at 28.2E. To ensure compatibility with BSkyB settop boxes, CA data for the MPEG transport stream is provided by BSkyB. Physically, the equipment which inserts the data is an additional multiplexing stage located alongside the core coding and multiplex equipment at TVC; see FIGURE 1. The digital bouquet also features an Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) which carries 7-day programme schedules for all the services in the bouquet. EPG data, also provided by BSkyB, is inserted into the transport stream, using a similar process to that used for CA data, at the final multiplexing stage at TVC.

TECHNICAL ARCHITECTURE A number of factors have affected the BBCs technical architecture. These include; the regional nature of the BBCs existing and planned services, the need for Conditional Access (CA) on satellite transmissions, the handling of mixed signal formats and the bit-rate budget.

Regionality On its current analogue (terrestrial) network the BBC operates two TV channels: BBC ONE and BBC TWO. Though generated in London, the two channels nevertheless carry a significant amount of regional content. This is achieved by opting-out of the common signal at the main regional centres. There are three National regional centres (for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) and ten major English regional centres. In order to allow regional variation to be retained in the digital services, sustaining feeds of all digital services are generated in London and routed to all regions using ATM networks; see FIGURE 1. For services which carry regional content, the coding rates on the sustaining feeds are kept high (>9 Mbit/s) to allow for re-coding in each region. The sustaining feeds are then de-coded in each region and subsequently re-coded (at the emission rate) after substitution of locally generated programme material if required. The sustaining feeds for all national services (those which do not opt) can be encoded directly at the emission rate since these are not subject to further re-coding.

Schedule Information The generation of the CA and EPG data on DSAT requires information on BBC schedules to be fed to BSkyB. For DTT transmissions, there is a requirement for all multiplex operators to crosscarry Service Information (SI). In the UK, the crosscarried data will be generated by BDB who will also need to access BBC schedule information in order to generate the relevant SI. The schedule information is compiled from information stored in the BBCs scheduling and automation systems. This is collated by the Schedule Interface for Digital-TV (SID), which reformats the data into that required by BSkyB and BDB; see FIGURE 1. The diversity of automation systems in use in the BBC, and the absence of some of the required information, means that some manual editing of the information held on SID is also required. This is done by presentation staff in London.

Widescreen Content Demonstrations using the Digital Pilot and specially commissioned widescreen material have demonstrated the effectiveness of widescreen presentation. However, much of the material

transmitted in the early years of digital services will only be available in a 4:3 format. The use of mixed aspect ratios in the broadcast signal poses many operational problems as well as problems for the receiver with the display of the picture in an appropriate format. The approach adopted by the BBC for the launch of its digital services is to transmit a fixed 16:9 raster in which any 4:3 material is carried in a pillar-box format. Additional information is transmitted alongside the picture (Active Region Descriptors) which lets the receiver know how the raster is filled. The receiver is then in a position to make an optimum decision for the display format taking into account the broadcast format, the display aspect ratio and the viewers preferences.

THE BIT-RATE BUDGET The range of services which can be offered on each platform is governed by: - the coding rate required for each service, - the capacity available on each platform, - the need to reserve some capacity for future data services

Service rates Extensive testing of MPEG coded pictures, in a wide variety of viewing conditions, using expert and inexpert viewers, were used before deciding on a service rate of 5.8 Mbit/s per TV service. In round figures, 5.5 Mbit/s is allocated for the video and audio components leaving 0.3 Mbit/s for World System Teletext (WST), if carried, and other data such as DVB subtitles. Cost considerations dictated the use of common coding for all services. This means that each service occupies an identical capacity on each delivery platform. The total capacity available on each of the three delivery platforms is of course different and this is considered in more detail below.

New TV Services Although BBC ONE and BBC TWO remain as the backbone of the BBCs digital services, the simulcasting of existing services is unlikely to appeal to viewers even when carrying material in widescreen format. New services will also be needed. The first two planned by the BBC are BBC News 24 and BBC CHOICE. BBC News 24 builds on the BBCs newsgathering expertise and resources. The channel is produced in widescreen format and uses extensive UK regional as well as international input. BBC CHOICE will offer viewers programming which is complementary and linked to BBC ONE and BBC TWO. BBC CHOICE will have a strong regional bias and will offer extended coverage of major events together with a high proportion of educational material.

Satellite Capacity For DSAT, the capacity available is limited, in practice, by the cost of the satellite transponders and uplink facilities. The range of services which the BBC can offer is more than can be accommodated in a single transponder, given the required coding rate, but can be comfortably accommodated in a pair of transponders (see TABLE 1) provided that regional variants are limited to BBC ONE and BBC CHOICE.

Data Services In addition to the normal linear TV channels described above, the BBC also wants to exploit the opportunities offered by data services on digital TV. In the first instance, this is likely to be an enhanced text-based service to replace CEEFAX (the BBCs teletext service). But, in time, it is hoped to offer additional, programme support services possibly with links to the BBCs Internet services. Service plans are still being developed but for the time being space has been reserved in each multiplex to allow for service prototyping and proving alongside the launch of the conventional linear channels.

Digital Terrestrial Capacity For DTT in the UK there are six multiplexes available in total. The BBC has been allocated one complete multiplex with a coverage which, potentially, exceeds 90% of the population. The other five multiplexes have been licensed to the commercial multiplex operators.

TABLE 1 gives the proposed range of services for the BBCs DSAT and DTT multiplexes together with the associated service rates.

the locally generated programme. The distributed nature of the coding makes it difficult to take advantage of developments such as statistical multiplexing. This is not a particular disadvantage at the beginning but could become so as demand for data services uses up the fairly limited capacity which is currently set aside for them.

Digital Cable Capacity On DCABLE, it is expected that the cable operators will receive the BBCs signals off-air from the terrestrial or satellite transmitters and re-multiplex the BBCs appropriate regional services into their own multiplexes.

Multiplexing For DSAT For DSAT, secondary multiplexers at TVC build the multiplexes for each of the two satellite transponders. The uplink facilities, including the circuits to the uplink site, are leased from NTL. A final re-multiplexing stage adds the CA and EPG data. This stage also adds the appropriate SI tables (NIT, BAT etc.) which are also provided by BSkyB.

CORE CODING & MULTIPLEXING FIGURE 1 shows the general architecture employed for the core MPEG coding and multiplexing functions. A general description follows. More detailed information will be found in a companion paper (1). Playout suites in TVC produce sustaining feeds of BBC ONE (actually the English region version) and BBC CHOICE (again the English version) coded at the higher sustaining rate. These are combined with BBC TWO and BBC News 24 signals coded at their emission rate of 5.8 Mbit/s. The full package of signals is distributed to the Regional centres in England, and to the National regional centres in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Permanent virtual channels on ATM circuits, provided by Energis, are used to distribute the data. The sustaining feeds for BBC ONE and BBC CHOICE are decoded in each National region which may then choose to re-code, at emission rate, either the locally decoded sustaining feed or

Multiplexing for DTT Unlike DSAT, the final multiplexing for DTT takes place at the regional centres and it is from there that signals are fed to the relevant groups of terrestrial transmitters. ATM networks are used to feed the transport streams to the transmitters. For DTT, these are being provided by BT under a common arrangement between them and the UK DTT transmission providers, CTI and NTL.

DSAT - Multiplex 1 Service BBC ONE (England) BBC TWO BBC News 24 BBC CHOICE (England) BBC ONE (Scotland) Reserved for data services Rate 5.8 Mbit/s 5.8 Mbit/s 5.8 Mbit/s 5.8 Mbit/s 5.8 Mbit/s ~2.5 Mbit/s

DSAT - Multiplex 2 Service BBC ONE (Northern Ireland) BBC ONE (Wales) BBC CHOICE (Northern Ireland) BBC CHOICE (Wales) BBC CHOICE (Scotland) Reserved for data services Rate 5.8 Mbit/s 5.8 Mbit/s 5.8 Mbit/s 5.8 Mbit/s 5.8 Mbit/s ~2.5 Mbit/s

DTT Multiplex Service BBC ONE (regional version) BBC TWO BBC News 24 BBC CHOICE (regional version) Reserved for data services Rate 5.8 Mbit/s 5.8 Mbit/s 5.8 Mbit/s 5.8 Mbit/s ~1 Mbit/s

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TABLE 1 - BBC services on DSAT and DTT

National Regions (X 3)
scheduling and automation systems manual enhancement scheduling and automation systems DTT SI sustaining feeds to DTT transmitters code and mux CA/EPG insertion to DSAT uplink CA/EPG data

decode, opt and re-code

to DTT transmitters

SID

schedule data for DSAT/DTT

decode, opt and re-code

Television Centre

English Regions (X 10)

FIGURE 1 - Outline of BBC coding & multiplexing architecture

FIGURE 2 - Example of a Digital Text page

DTT Transmitter Network Transmission facilities for DTT are provided to the BBC by CTI. A network of 81 transmitters is being planned, though only 52 of these are being implemented for the initial phase of DTT.

the receiver itself or with the broadcaster via a modem and telephone connection. The first of these services to be offered will be a Digital Text application which replaces conventional Teletext. FIGURE 2 shows a screen from a prototype Digital Text application being developed by the BBC. Later on, applications which support television services will also be present offering, for instance, pop chart statistics and record information to supplement a chart show. Prototyping of these services has started. One of the major problems faced by broadcasters such as the BBC, who plan to deliver their services to multiple platforms, is the proliferation of APIs. In the UK, for instance, the DSAT platform uses OpenTV, whereas the DTT platform uses MHEG-5. The implications of this for data preparation and playout are only beginning to be addressed.

DTT SI Insertion Points For DTT, there is a requirement to cross-carry Service Information across all of the DTT multiplexes. The differing regionality of each of the broadcasters causes some difficulty in this regard. The solution has been to break down the DTT network into elemental areas served by a small group of transmitters; typically three or fewer. All transmitters in these elemental areas (each an SI Insertion Point, or SIP), share common SI across all multiplex providers. The SIPs may be combined in different ways to build up the required regionality for each operator. A total of 29 SIPs are required to cover the UK given the regionality adopted by each broadcaster. All broadcasters feed schedule and associated information to a central point (the central SI collator, operated by BDB) which assembles the SI relevant to each SIP. The collated information is sent to each SIP using the same distribution network as is used for the main transport streams. A set of transport stream multiplexers, local to each SIP, assembles the complete transport streams, including relevant SI, which are then transmitted from all the transmitters in the SIP. In the BBCs network, SID is used to collate the relevant schedule information for DTT for onward routing to BDB. In the case of DTT, there is also a link between SID and the core multiplexing equipment so that some SI may be inserted in the transport stream at source. This provides some independence from the central collator but cannot, of course, include the cross-carried SI.

CONCLUSION At the time of writing (mid-May 1998), the BBC has just started test transmissions of its DSAT services. Full field-trialling will begin in June. DTT is on schedule for launch before the end of 1998.

REFERENCES 1. Tanton, N. E., Whiting, G. P., Marsden, R. P., Jackson, J. D., 1998. The design and implementation of a system for UK-wide distribution of BBC digital television services. Proceedings of the 1998 International Broadcasting Convention. pp 498 to 504. 2. Oliphant, A., Marsden, R. P., Poole, R. H. M., Tanton, N. E., 1996. The design of a network for digital terrestrial TV trials. Proceedings of 1996 International Broadcasting Convention. pp 242 to 247.

FUTURE SERVICES The receivers being developed for DSAT and DTT give broadcasters the opportunity to offer data services which can run on their own or which complement television services. This is achieved through the use of an Application Programming Interface (API) - software which runs in the receiver to which the broadcaster is able to download applications. The applications allow the viewer to interact, either with the application and associated data stored in ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The launch of digital TV marks the start of a new era in broadcasting for the BBC. That we are now embarked on this new era is a tribute to the dedication and drive of a large team of colleagues and co-workers. The authors gratefully acknowledge the contribution of all of these people. Thanks are also due to the BBC for their permission to publish this paper.