EUREKA PROJECT > 6249 ODOVOS
ISRAEL
Optimal Delivery of Video over Satellite
Transmission of multiple description encoded video via satellite using variable modulation and coding scheme in optimized way, its reception by both new and legacy receivers, and video content reconstruction for end user devices with various capabilities with the best quality possible.
Status > ANNOUNCED - 21-Jun-2011 Technological Area Market Area Start Date > 01-Jan-2011 Duration > 24 Months Participating countries > ISRAEL, ITALY | Main contactAyecka Communication Systems Ltd Mr. Baruch Kagan > CEO Organisation type > SME |
Project Description
The video compression method H.264/MPEG-4 SVC (Scalable Video Coding) combined with Satellite transmission method DVB-S2 VCM (Variable Code Modulation) offers optimal utilization of space segment when broadcasting digital video. The situation today, without this method, is that the broadcaster has the dilemma either to use robust modulation profile so that all customers will receive all the information with standard definition (SD) video or to transmit high definition (HD) video and use high efficiency modulation so that channel efficiency will be high but customers on outer contours will not receive anything. Therefore, combination of H.264 SVC and DVB-S2 VCM, will offer optimal compromise between quality, coverage and availability in broadcasting digital video. SVC enables the encoding of a high-quality video bitstream that contains one or more subset bitstreams (layers) that can themselves be decoded with a complexity and reconstruction quality similar to that achieved using the existing H.264/MPEG-4 AVC (Advanced Video Coding) design with the same quantity of data as in the subset bitstream. The subset bitstream is derived by dropping packets from the larger bitstream. A subset bitstream can represent a lower spatial or temporal resolution or a lower quality video signal (each separately or in combination) compared to the bitstream it is derived from. SVC is a special case of Multiple description source coding, which is a method to overcome unexpected information loss in a diversity system to handle the situation where the rate in some channels drops to zero temporarily, thus causing unexpected packet-losses. In this case the data can be recovered at the receiver but with a lower "quality". Usually using VCM, a different Coding/Modulation Scheme (CMS) can be selected for each station according the average Co/No (= Es/No) at each site. However, the combination with SVC enables the broadcasting station encoding different bitstreams with different CMS. The receivers that receive the signal with high Co/No will detect all the subset bitstreams and can combine them in order to get the best video signal. Stations with low Co/No due to weather or due to the position outside the center of the satellite down link will detect correctly only the subset bitstreams with the most robust modulation profile and can combine them to get a lower quality video signal. The project proposed consists of two parts: 1. Broadcasting transmitter that combines H.264 SVC and DVB-S2 VCM and broadcasting the video in several levels, basic is SD and then up to HD, using VCM such that different types of information are modulated with different robustness / efficiency levels on one channel. SD is broadcasted on robust modulation and HD with efficient modulation. This enables all customers to receive SD, while customers in the centre of beam (or with large antenna) receive HD video. 2. Proposed solution for the receiver is based on trans-modulator and video processor to convert H.264/MPEG-4 SVC over DVB-S2 to H.264/MPEG-4 AVC over DVB-S signal in a cost effective way. The main problem is that legacy receivers do not support DVB-S2 VCM and legacy decoders do not support H.264/MPEG-4 SVC decoding The objectives of the development are 1. to develop solution to allow DVB-S receivers support DVB-S2 VCM signals and to process H.264/MPEG-4 SVC stream 2. to develop solution to allow non SVC receivers to decode SVC The development will be based on Ayecka's platform TM1 Pro.
Technological Development Envisaged
The project consists of two parts 1) Transmitter: H.264 SVC over DVB-S2 VCM to H.264 AVC over DVB-S Uplink • H264/MPEG-4 AVC HD video is transcoded to several layers of H.264/MPEG-4 SVC • Each layer is transmitted on different PID with different CMS • Base service is transmitted with lowest CMS – assuring highest resilience to errors and the ability to be received by receivers with low C/N signal Receiver: H.264/MPEG-4 SVC over DVB-S2 VCM to H.264/MPEG-4 AVC over DVB-S Downlink • DVB-S2 VCM signal is received by different receivers. Each one on different power contour and so with different C/N • The DVB-S2 VCM demodulator will demodulate all 3 layers in receiver A, 2 in Receiver B and only one in receiver C. (in this example there are three layers, ban be more) • In Receiver A the Stream re-writer will modify the NAL (Network Abstraction Layer) of the SVC bitstream to create an HD service by combining all the 3 layers – highest quality. HD service will be H.264/MPEG-4 AVC according to H.264/MPEG-4 Part 10 • The Stream re-writer will combine all the layers it can, from lowest to highest quality. • In receiver A it will combine 3 layers, in receiver B two and in receiver C only one. • The services generated by the stream rewriter are multiplexed to one transport stream and modulated to DVB-S • The H.264/MPEG-4 AVC receiver will receive DVB-S signal carrying the maximum quality available in his region • By getting benefit from the commonalities of SVC and AVC syntaxes and exploiting some typical features of the SVC standard, the Stream Rewriter is devised in order to minimize the computational load and maximize the efficiency of the rewriting operations. Additional features of the solution: 1. Backward compatibility with legacy receivers. 2. Probes at the receiver end to (optionally) report a rewriter’s state (or its status in successful creation of AVC stream of different qualities), in such a way that the stream rewriting can be re-modulated if necessary This optional feedback would allow to provide additional input to Coding/Modulation Scheme control and dynamic control of optimal number of layers based on statistical information received from these “smart head-ends”.
Main contactbSoft srl (limited liability company) Mr. Stefano Battista > Managing Director Organisation type > SME |
Contribution to project
Uplink encoding/transcoding and Reception transcoding/decoding algorithms. Specifically, bSoft will develop, optimize, integrate with Ayecka its proprietary software solutions for Video and Audio Coding, based on international standards from ISO and ITUT.
Expertise
Products and services targeted to the digital multimedia market. Software solutions designed to maximize portability, together with the expertise to customise and optimise them for a wide range of applications, from CD/DVD storage to web streaming, from video communication to interactive digital TV.
Main contactAyecka Communication Systems Ltd Mr. Baruch Kagan > CEO Organisation type > SME |
Contribution to project
Reception hardware
Expertise
Satellite Communication Modems and transconverters
