European satellite operators go head to head over IP in the smart home
Both Eutelsat Communications and SES are developing similar technologies that bridge satellite and IP.
Eutelsat has completed the first phase of development of a ‘smart LNB’ for a Direct-to-Home antenna that opens the door for broadcasters to operate their own ecosystem of linear television and connected TV services directly by satellite. The technology is now entering into the industrialization phase in advance of commercial availability in 2014.
SES demonstrated its smart LNB technology, called Sat>IP, back in April and has seen its SAT>IP protocol technology also integrated into TV set top boxes at the end of last year.
The smart LNB connects to an antenna with an embedded transmitter for interactive applications such as HbbTV, pay-per-view, social networking, personal subscription management and live show participation such as voting and comments. The new product meets increasing consumer expectation to manage and interact with content and also prepares the ground for machine-to-machine and home automation applications, hence the focus by the operators.
"Building on Eutelsat’s track record for innovation that broadens the scope and competitivity of satellite services, the ‘smart LNB’ will enable broadcast players to more efficiently serve their customer base and diversify the range and nature of applications offered, from direct customer support to audience measurement and enhanced security," said Jean-François Leprince-Ringuet, Eutelsat’s Chief Commercial Officer. "This new technology can benefit satellite homes with limited options for the return link as well as mature markets where platform operators are seeking to build and sustain a close direct relationship with their subscriber base."
Fully compatible with existing consumer satellite equipment, the ‘smart LNB’ is based on open standards such as DVB-S2 and TCP/IP and highly efficient protocols developed by Eutelsat for the connection link, combined with optimized use of satellite spectrum in multiple frequency bands (C, Ku, Ka). As an IP-based tool, it will also enable content to be viewed on mobile devices in the home.
The proof-of-concept and first prototypes have already been tested over Eutelsat satellites and are now ready for validation with platform operators and partners. Eutelsat has launched the industrialisation process with the first manufacturers with the objective that this new product will be adopted by further hardware manufacturers and become a pillar of future television infrastructure.
SES worked with Inverto, Abilis and MaxLinear on its Smart LNB design that includes eight-channel, 10W satellite-to-IP bridging technology. “The IP-LNB will give satellite television providers and consumers new options for distributing unmatched quality satellite television to multiple TVs, computers and tablets over IPat the lowest cost,” said Thomas Wrede, Vice President of SESReception Systems. “When we committed ourselves to making SAT>IP an open standard, we envisioned this type of innovation. It is exciting to see it now come to fruition.”
The sat>IP protocol can sit in the LNB, the set top box or in media server, converting the satellite TV stream into the appropriate format for the viewing device via a wireless or powerline network.
By locating the satellite reception and the IP bridging functions in the antenna the IP-LNB will enable satellite content distribution to the home over a single Ethernet cable. The IP-LNB may be powered over that same cable through Power over Ethernet (PoE) technology, greatly reducing the overall system cost and power consumption.
The new device combines sat>ip with MaxLinear’s Full-Spectrum Capture (FSC) DVB-S2 receiver IC, Abilis’ TB101 Broadcast to Broadband Bridge (B3) SoC and Inverto’s software stacks.
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