Satellite Transmissions and the DVB-S and DVB-S2

How to take advantage of new modulation and coding standards (DVB-S2) on your satellite links. Digital video formats and transmission standards are constantly changing and being modified to allow for new transmission and compression techniques. In a never ending effort to get more out of less, satellite communication standards have recently released a new satellite transmission standard called DVB-S2. This new standard allows the transmission of converged data, voice and video while also providing for new modulation and coding techniques that greatly reduce power and bandwidth. When DVB-S2 transport is coupled with new encoding techniques such as MPEG4/H.264, efficiencies are so dramatic that the same space segment needed to transmit an SD channel over satellite only 3 years ago, can now be used to transmit an HD channel over satellite. Our discussion today will focus on the coding and modulation advantages of DVB-S2 over satellite. We will explore what the new “LDPC” coding does and what real-life benefits DVB-S2 modulation offers to broadcasters. We will also discuss the ramifications of moving to a DVB-S2 platform, both from a space segment point of view and a hardware capitol cost point of view. Finally we will take a look at further ways to improve satellite usage through technologies such as Group-Delay and Amplitude Equalization.