NTT Electronics' Video Encoder System Passed the Satellite Carrier ID Transmission Test
Prompt support of standards to become mandatory for satellite communications
January 17, 2013

NTT Electronics’ video encoder system passed the large-scale test of satellite Carrier ID standards held by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and other broadcasting and satellite operators.

During satellite news gathering (SNG) and other satellite uplinks, the Carrier ID standard is used to transmit data from ground stations, including specific encoder data, by way of an uplink signal. Satellite uplink signals compatible with Carrier ID can easily identify the originating station. Currently, there continue to be numerous cases of setup problems and equipment failures with regard to satellite transmissions, causing problems for otherwise normally functioning stations around the world. This has led the UK-based Satellite Interference Reduction Group (sIRG) to become a central player in the push for the creation of the Carrier ID standard and its eventual approval by the international satellite operations group, WBU-ISOG. As signal interference has remained a significant problem, Intelsat, Eutelsat, SES and other satellite operators and broadcasters requested a switch to encoders and modulators compatible with Carrier ID before January 1, 2015. This date is the worldwide deadline for the switchover to an operational system which only supports satellite uplinks compatible with the Carrier ID standard.

The world’s first large-scale Carrier ID transmission test, which spanned 2,000 hours and used actual satellites, was conducted by four global industry groups (WBU-ISOG, RFI-EUI, GVF and sIRG) involved with broadcasting, satellite communications and VSAT ahead of the high-profile transmission of the London Olympics in July 2012. This test checked uplink signals using encoders and modulators compatible with the Carrier ID standard and confirmed whether satellites could identify the originating station.

To participate in the test, NTT Electronics added Carrier ID compatibility to its HVE9100S HDTV/SDTV encoder, which has been used successfully in other events around the world. (As of January 2013, both HVE9100S and HVE9200 NTT Electronics encoders are Carrier ID compatible.)

Hisashi Kasahara, General Manager, NTT Electronics Digital Video Business Group, made the following comment:“NTT Electronics will continue to promptly meet the needs of our global customers and will strive to deliver to viewers high-quality video utilizing the latest technologies.”