Israeli satellite transmission tech firm NovelSat will be showing off its new DVB-S modulation technique, which promises to improve spectral efficiency by up to 28%. The technique cuts the roll-off factor (ROF) guard bands in the DVB-S standard from the specified acceptable 35% all the way down to the 5% claimed by NovelSat.
NovelSat says that when a signal is filtered or masked, the “edges” of the signal “drop off” and are effectively ignored in the transmission – wasting space in the spectrum that could be used for video signals instead. As such, NovelSat says its next-gen modulation is the way forward.
Gaining improved efficiency from an existing distribution platform allows an operator to increase its bandwidth without significant capital expenditure. For satellite operators, wringing the last few megabytes out of the spectrum is a must, as the alternative is either cutting channels out of a transmission or the exorbitant expense of launching more satellites or settling for renting more capacity. When a system that promises a 28% improvement in spectral efficiency comes along, most will lend it their ears.
And that’s what NovelSat will be hoping to do at NAB, as it shakes hands and demonstrates the technology to the crowds. The pitch centers around the NS1000 Satellite Modulator, which claims to support most existing consumer premises equipment (CPE). NovelSat essentially wants its customers to buy its box, which will allow them to listen to more of the DVB-S, DVB-S2 and DVB-S2X satellite signals captured by the rooftop dish.
In addition to the NS1000, NovelSat is also demonstrating its NS3 software system, as well as its recently demonstrated NS4 waveform, which NovelSat says currently tests at up to 25% more efficient than DVB-S2X, and will be available in Q3 of this year.
NovelSat says the NS4 system can offer a 45% efficiency improvement over DVB-S2, and that it can be implemented in any system that’s already using NovelSat’s modems. However, in recent weeks, the patent pool for DVB-S2X has begun to be negotiated by the DVB Project, and NS4 could be little more than a strategic bluff by NovelSat to secure more of the royalty payments in DVB-S2X.
While we aren’t privy to those inside conversations, tensions will undoubtedly be running high. At stake are billions of dollars’ worth of royalty payments, tied up in a market that has to accommodate massive upfront capex to expand the physical transmission bandwidths. Improvements such as NovelSat’s are incredibly valuable, and watching how the negotiations play out will likely be a dramatic affair – especially if a party comes away feeling righteously wronged.
“The massive undertaking and cost of replacing CPEs can discourage DTH providers from upgrading satellite capacity that they could use to offer their customers expanded HD content,” said Dan Peleg, NovelSat VP R&D. “The combination of a low cost 28% capacity bump and no interruption to the customer experience makes the NovelSat DVB-S 5% ROF solution very attractive to DTH satellite service providers.”
Of course, NovelSat hopes to sell its own hardware to these operators, but would certainly appreciate a hefty contribution from the DVB-S2X patent pool. DVB-S2X will support HEVC, further helping to squeeze more out of the finite resource that is spectrum.
Also at NAB, NovelSat will be demonstrating its new Satellite Network Orchestrator platform, which it says will focus on contention based bandwidth saving and automated deployment – “to dynamically provision, manage and maintain services in satellite and mixed satellite-terrestrial networks.”