Transport Only

The transport only option provides ViP-TV customers with the entire ViP-TV program line-up as a content only delivery service.


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Overview:

The transport only service allows network operators to receive all of the ViP-TV programming for distribution to subscribers through the customer's own internet protocol television system. Our approximately 275 channels* of MPEG-4 H.264 television and radio programming are delivered over our satellites to the customer's receive-site-headend in constant bit rate format (CBR).

(Programming note: Network operators are required to have valid content distribution rights from the content providers.)

The receive headend system consists of two satellite antennas and one-and-a-half racks of receiving equipment. One antenna is aimed at EchoStar XVI at 85° West Longitude to capture ViP-TV national and international programming channels. EchoStar engineers will provide a link analysis to help customers choose the appropriate size antenna for their region of the continental United States and an elevation and azimuth finder to help get both antennas properly positioned. The second antenna is a small digital services broadcast (DBS) antenna aimed at orbital slots at 65°, 110°, 119°, or 129° West Longitude. This antenna will capture the local broadcast channels for the designated market area (DMA) where the network operator's subscribers reside.

Network operators will take the approximately 275 channels of programming from the receive headend system (RHS) as individual internet protocol multicast addressed signals and insert them into their own IPTV delivery network for distribution. At this point the IP encapsulated MPEG-4 streams are in the clear; security encryption has been removed by a bulk decryptor resident in the RHS. All of the ancillary systems needed to control, condition and route the IPTV programming will be provided by the network operator.

National and international programs included in the ViP-TV Line-up are encoded in motion picture experts group four (MPEG-4) standard for standard definition (SD) and H.264 for high definition (HD), in EchoStar's Gilbert, Arizona broadcast uplink facility. The encoded programs are then encapsulated in internet protocol (IP) packets and encrypted for broadcast security before being modulated into radio frequency (RF) signals in 8PSK- DBS-2 with 3/4 forward error correction (FEC). The programs as RF signals are up-converted by high powered amplifiers and transmitted at 14.00 -14.50 GHz to AMC XVI, a KU band satellite at 85° West Longitude.

The local channels that are available for distribution by IPTV network operators are received from EchoStar DBS direct to home (DTH) satellites at the 61.5°, 110°, 119°, 129°. The federal communications commission (FCC) mandates which programs can be distributed in a given DMA. The DMAs are aggregations of zip-codes. Network operators will need to identify which DMAs they will provide programming to and scale their RHS accordingly. A ViP-TV account manager can assist in identifying the proper DMA. The satellite signals of local channels will be received in a variable bit rate (VBR) encoded format. Some network operators will require transcoding or trans-rating to convert the programs to CBR for distribution within their IPTV delivery network.

A receive-site headend will require two antennas to receive the national programming and the local programs. For the signals coming down at 11.70-12.20 GHz from AMC XVI at 85° W.L. (ViP-TV-85), EchoStar recommends a minimum 1.8 meter antenna. Due to weather conditions in various zones of the United States, network operators may choose larger antennas for their particular installations.

Local programming will be received on the traditional small dish DTH antennas that are familiar to DISH Network subscribers everywhere. EchoStar will provide assistance to network operators to help ensure proper placement and alignment of the antennas. Both elevation (antenna tilt) and azimuth (angle measurement) need to be accurate for high signal strength at the receivers. Proper antenna placement requires care to avoid both physical obstructions and RF clutter (interference). A ViP-TV engineer will help customers to locate antenna azimuth and elevation settings.

Antenna system purchasing, planning and installation will be supplied by EchoStar for customers who sign-up for ViP-TV Integration Services.

Can be found on the ViP-TV website, www.echostarviptv.com.

Receive Headend System:

A receive-site headend will consist of several components. RHS planning, installation and integration can be supplied by EchoStar for customers who sign-up for ViP-TV Integration Services.

RF signals received by the antennas are routed via coaxial or fiber cables to the RHS located in a network operator's facility. Signals are distributed to multiple RF receivers by an RF distribution amplifier or active splitters. Receivers are International Datacasting Corporation Super Flex model 3101F (SFX3101F). Each receiver handles one 36 MHz satellite transponder of IPTV data containing 60 mbps of programming. The receivers include conditional access bulk decryption which allows IPTV signals to exit the receiver in the clear.

The IPTV signals are formatted as individual MPEG-4 program streams encapsulated as internet group management protocol (IGMP) into udp multi-cast addresses. The number of programs from each receiver depends on the bit rate of the individual programs. All of the multicast streams are taken via Ethernet into a network switch/router. EchoStar supplies a multicast address list that correlates each television or audio channel with a multicast address. The program signals do not contain program service information (PSI) tables or other usual MPEG information tables that a television service provider uses to communicate program information to set top boxes (STB). Programming data is supplied by the network operator through ancillary systems particular to their own IPTV system and operational choices.

Local channels differ from the ViP-TV-85 signals in that they arrive via a DBS antenna and are routed to an EchoStar receiver system where they are IP encapsulated as multicast addresses before being sent to a network switch/router.