A Sony UHD production chain consisting of cameras, video mixers, video signal processors and control panels is currently under construction at CRIT.

Devices interconnect either with legacy interfaces (4 x 3G-SDI) on coaxial cables, or using IP networks and Networked Media Interface (NMI) protocols, as defined by Sony IP Live platform.

Tests will be conducted in collaboration with RAI Production and ICT Divisions, providing, after a first phase of laboratory testing at CRIT, interconnection of two corporate sites through the IP Rai network.

Today, the satellite distribution of DVB-T2 multiplexes to terrestrial transmitters located throughout the territory requires dedicated transponders for the transport of the relevant T2-MI (Modulator Interface) streams, which are not directly accessible also for direct-to-home reception by standard satellite receivers. This causes duplication of the needed satellite bandwidth, with the associated costs. To overcome this problem, DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) has activated a new ad-hoc group, named TM-T-JSI, with the purpose of defining an optimized way to transport DVB-T/T2 multiplexes from a national head-end to the terrestrial transmitters, while allowing at the same time direct reception via DVB-S/S2 commercial satellite receivers.

Today, TV content can be distributed via Internet as OTT (Over The Top) delivery, allowing to expand the traditional offer with on-demand services. As the QoS (Quality of Service) cannot be guaranteed on the Internet as on a private IP network, during the years specific network architectures have been designed and developed (CDN: Content Distribution Network) and adaptive streaming protocols (ABR: Adaptive Bit-Rate), in order to optimise the data stream according to the broadband connection and the kind o terminal associated to each user.

The integration of terrestrial and satellite telecommunication networks will allow the widespread distribution of OTT contents, offloading the CDN backbone during traffic peaks, for the benefit of the effective picture quality perceived by the users.

Created and patented by Rai-CRIT, SFN-Scope can analyze SFN DVB-T signal received in the service area, and identify the individual components of the signals emitted from transmitters in service to the area, with their levels and delays. SFN-Scope thus makes now possible to simplify the signal quality control operated by RaiWay teams, and get actual feedback for level/delay measurment that until now were only available in a “aggregate” form by ordinary instruments.