TheRoadtoDigitalTVinthePhilippines TheGEMNETExperience

December 9, 2010 SMX Convention Center, Philippines

FAQsonDigitalTV
What is Digital TV? g Why should I switch to Digital TV? What are the things I need to switch to Digital TV? Can I still use my old TV set to view Digital TV? When can I start watching Digital TV?

WhatisDigitalTV
Digital TV is the transmission of audio and video information b using di i f i by i discrete signals, i i l i.e. the audio and h di d video information are first converted to 1s and 0s before being modulated at the transmitter for broadcast. In analog TV, the analog audio and video information are directly modulated at the transmitter. Digital Terrestrial TV or DTT is the transmission of g digital audio and video data by using digital terrestrial transmission facilities.

WhatsinitfortheViewingPublic
HDTV or High Definition Television. A better viewing experience will be available to viewers, not possible with analog TV.

WhatsinitfortheViewingPublic
Multiple SD or Standard Definitions channels. More SD channels will be available to the viewing public A 6MHz TV public. channel can only contain 1 channel in analog broadcasting. By using digital TV, up to 8 SD channels can be squeezed inside a 6 MHz TV channel.

WhatsinitfortheViewingPublic
One Seg Mobile TV channel. In digital TV, specifically in ISDB-T, the viewer has the option to view his or her favorite programs on portable devices while on the move.

WhatsinitfortheViewingPublic
A 6MHz analog TV channel is divided into 13 segments to come up with multiple HD or multiple SD programs plus One Seg mobile service.

WhatsinitfortheBroadcaster
Capability to broadcast more programs through multiple SD transmission. O or more of the SD channels can i i One f h h l be Pay TV if the government regulator will allow. P Possibility of earning more revenue b offering value ibilit f i by ff i l added services through mobile TV and interactive television made possible by the datacasting capability of ISDB-T. The downside is converting to digital TV will require additional investments from the broadcaster.

WhatsinitfortheBroadcaster
Sample of Datacasting

WhatdoIneedtoviewDigitalTV?
HDTV with Digital TV tuner, old TV set plus Set Top Box or portable Digital TV device

WhatsinitfortheRegulator
The transition to digital TV in the Philippines will p t all TV ill put broadcasters in the UHF band (channels 21-51). The VHF band (channels 2-13) will be freed up when all analog TV transmission , ( y is shut down on December 31, 2015 (as recommended by TWG11 but not yet final).

WorldwideDigitalTVStandards
There are several digital TV standards deployed around the world: 1.ATSC - US, the rest of North America and South Korea 2.DVB-T Europe, Australia, New Zealand and most of Asia 3.ISDB-T - Japan, Brazil and most of South America 4.DMB-T - China ATSC is based on 8VSB modulation, which is suited for fixed reception while DVB-T, ISDB-T and DMB-T are all based on COFDM, which is not only suited for fixed reception but also for mobile broadcast as well.

WorldwideDigitalTVStandards

TechnicalWorkingGroupI TechnicalWorkingGroup
TWG-I was established by the NTC in January of 2006 2006. Its objective is to study and recommend a standard for Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) broadcasting in the country and to assist the Commission in the preparation and f d formulation of th l ti f the rules and regulations i l d l ti in implementing DTT in the country. The group studied four (4) available DTT standards - ATSC (U.S), DVB (Europe), ISDB-T (Japan) and DMB-T (China). After ISDB T DMB T careful evaluation, the TWG-I recommended the DVB-T standard for adoption in the country.

TechnicalWorkingGroupII TechnicalWorkingGroup
TWG-II was created by the NTC in August of 2007 to review the report and recommendation of TWG-I. It was instructed to include the socio-economic aspects of the migration, recommend a standard to be adopted by the country, and to prepare its implementing rules and regulations.

TechnicalWorkingGroupII TechnicalWorkingGroup
TWG-II was subdivided into three (3) sub-committees Technical Sub Committee - in charge of the actual Sub-Committee in-charge demo/propagation tests and the technical analysis of each standard and to recommend a standard best suited for the country. Socio-Economic Impact Sub-Committee - in-charge of the review of the socio-economic impact of such migration to DTT among key stakeholders such as the government, g y g broadcasting industry, suppliers and the consumers. Regulatory Sub-Committee - will recommend and draft the necessary implementing rules and regulations for DTT application.

AboutGEMNETandNET25 AboutGEMNETandNET
GEMNET or Global Expansion Media Network is the television facility of Christian Era Broadcasting Service Service, Inc. (CEBSI). CEBSI is the broadcast entity of the Iglesia ni Cristo. NET-25 is an affiliate commercial TV station owned by Eagle Broadcasting Corporation. GEMNET and NET-25 are currently conducting a joint ISDB-T trial at UHF Channel-49.

AboutGEMNETandNET25 AboutGEMNETandNET
GEMNET houses a number of studios and non-linear edit stations i our Q i in Quezon Ci f ili City facility. We also have a studio and post-editing facility in Daly City, California which contribute foreign contents to our channels. We have bureaus in major cities in the Philippines and in more th 20 locations around th world. than l ti d the ld

About GEMNET and NET25 AboutGEMNETandNET NET

DVB DVBTTrials
GEMNET secured a digital TV trial permit from the NTC in early 2007 and conducted its trial broadcast using DVB-T from June to September of 2007. The objective of the test is to validate the earlier studies on digital TV done by the organizations Di it l TV P j t G i ti Digital Project Group.

TestParametersandEquipmentUsed
Transmitter power output = 400W T itt t t Channel = 49 Antenna pattern = narrow-cardiod with main lobe towards SW Antenna elevation = 620 ft AMSL ft. Antenna gain = 15dB Modulation = 16QAM, 8K, 1/16 Guard Interval, 3/4 FEC

DVB DVBTTransmitterandModulator

DVB DVBTTestBroadcastReception

ISDB ISDBTTrials
In the 2nd half of 2007 Japan cond cted a seminar and 2007, conducted demonstration on ISDB-T. A side-by-side actual demonstration of DVB-T and ISDB-T was later conducted y p p by TWG-II. The results of this demonstration prompted us to also conduct our own ISDB-T test, which started in January 2008. We used the same transmitter used in the DVB test but replaced the modulator with a unit lent by Japan s Japans MIC and ARIB They also provided a set of ARIB. encoders, multiplexer and decoders for the trial.

TestParametersandEquipmentUsed
Transmitter po er o tp t = 400W Transmitter power output Channel = 49 Antenna pattern = narrow-cardiod with main lobe towards SW Antenna elevation = 620 ft. AMSL Antenn gain = 15dB Modulation = 8K, 1/16 Guard Interval oHD: 64QAM, 3/4 FEC oOne Seg: QPSK 2/3 FEC QPSK,

ISDBTTransmitterandModulator ISDBT Transmitter and Modulator

ISDB ISDBTEncoderandMUX

ISDB ISDBTTestBroadcastReception

DVB DVBTTestTransmissionResults
LOCATION 1. Project 4, Q.C. 2 Taytay, Rizal y y, 3 Pineda, Rizal 4. Pineda, Rizal 5. Ibayo, Paranaque 6. Ibayo, Paranaque 7. Pasay, MMS 8. Pasay, MMS y, 9. Meycauyan, Bulacan 10. Meycauyan, Bulacan 11. Marilao, Bulacan 12. Malinta, MMN SUBJECTIVE EVALUATION INDOOR Video pixelization occurs Video is totally p y pixelized Bad or no Signal Bad or no Signal Bad or no Signal Bad or no Signal Bad or no Signal Bad or no Signal g Bad or no Signal Bad or no Signal Bad or no Signal Bad or no Signal SUBJECTIVE EVALUATION OUTDOOR A/V signal is ok A/V signal is ok g A/V signal is ok, sig strength marginal A/V signal is ok A/V signal is ok, sig strength marginal A/V signal is ok A/V signal is ok, sig strength marginal A/V signal is ok g A/V signal is ok, sig strength marginal A/V signal is ok A/V signal is ok A/V signal is ok TRANSMISSION MODE 8k,16QAM,3/4, 1/16 8k,16QAM,3/4, 1/16 , , , 8k,16QAM,3/4, 1/16 8k, QPSK, 3/4, 1/8 8k,16QAM,3/4, 1/16 8k, QPSK, 3/4, 1/8 8k,16QAM,3/4, 1/16 8k, QPSK, 3/4, 1/8 ,Q , , 8k,16QAM,3/4, 1/16 8k, QPSK, 3/4, 1/8 8k,16QAM,3/4,1/8 8k,16QAM,3/4, 1/8 Aerial Distance to XMTR 5.2 km 13.5 km 10.7 km 10.7 km 19.3 km 19.3 km 16.0 km 16.0 km 14.4 km 14.4 km 18.0 km 11.9 km

Note: At some locations where we obtained poor signal, we changed modulation from 16QAM to QPSK to improve reception. This, however, is at the expense of the data payload.

ISDB ISDBTTestTransmissionResults

SummaryofResultsandComparison
Distance from Transmitter 5 km 10 km 15 km DVB-T Audio/ Video OK Audio/ Video OK Pixelized at some locations ISDB-T HD Audio/ Video OK Audio/ Video OK Pixelized at some locations ISDB-T ONE SEG Audio/ Video OK Audio/ Video OK Audio/ Video OK

20 km

Pixelized at most locations

Pixelized at most locations

Pixelized at some locations

25 km 30 km

No Signal No Signal

No Signal No Signal

Pixelized at most locations No Signal

Observations
It should be noted that the same RF system (transmitter to antenna) were used i b h propagation tests d ) d in both i done. The only difference is in the modulators used. As per the summarized results, it can be concluded that there is no very significant difference between the two standards when it comes to fixed reception. But it can be said that ISDB-T is more superior because 64QAM was used in the modulation compared to 16QAM in DVB-T. 16QAM should have provided better signal coverage but it did not.

Observations
It should also be noted that the ONE SEG feature of ISDB-T ISDB T provided additional signal coverage to mobile and portable receivers. QPSK was used in the modulation providing a more robust signal than those available from 16QAM or 64QAM. In the tests conducted by TWG-2, almost the same results were obtained. 16QAM was used for DVB-T while 64QAM for ISDB-T ISDB-T. This not an apple-to-apple comparison but the supposedly more robust signal in using 16QAM for DVB-T was not observed.

High HighpowerTestBroadcast
In early 2009, GEMNET decided to continue its ISDB-T trials at a higher power level of 5 kW using a Toshiba ISDB-T transmitter. transmitter

HighpowerISDB HighpowerISDBTTrialReception

HighpowerISDB HighpowerISDBTTrialReception (withdatacasting) ( g)

NET25May2010ElectionCoverage NET25 May 2010 Election Coverage

TheFutureofDTTinthePhilippines
The Philippine government through the regulatory body NTC has announced in June of this year that it will h di J f thi th t ill adopt the ISDB-T standard. No TV network has yet to start its DTT roll-out because we are still waiting for the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) that will come from NTC. The IRR is important because it will specify in what channel a TV station will migrate to in digital broadcast and what compression standard to use for the audio and video programs. There are other issues that will be addressed by the IRR but the most important may be the analog broadcast shutdown date p y g that is tentatively set on December 31, 2015.

TheFutureofDTTinthePhilippines
I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. Quoting the line from Robert Frosts famous poem, the choice of Japan s ISDB T Japans ISDB-T digital TV standard for the Philippines is a case of a road less traveled for GEMNET and it's affiliate station NET 25. The two networks stood their ground to support and promote ISDB-T for its technical superiority at a time when other TV networks i th country f t k in the t favored DVB T th E d DVB-T, the European standard. t d d They are also more focused on the value added services that Digital TV can offer and not on the usual programming content that you see in our local airwaves. y

TheFutureofDTTinthePhilippines
We are currently building a new broadcast facility that will house three (3) big studios and two (2) smaller studios all of which will be HD-capable studios, HD capable.

TheFutureofDTTinthePhilippines
GEMNET and NET-25 are among the pioneers in the use of HD NET 25 systems in the production of its programs the Philippines. Some of these programs are now being aired live via GEMNET's ISDB-T test broadcast on Channel 49. We will start our DTT roll out as soon as NTC comes out with the IRR. First on the list are the Metro Manila digital transmitters, which will be followed by the deployment of relay DTT transmitters y p y y in major cities nationwide.

EndofPresentation ThankYou!