ISDB and its Transmission System

ISDB(Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting) is a concept for digital broadcasting which has flexibility, extensibility, interoperability with other media, etc., and provides various kinds of services via different types of transmission channels with maximum commonality. NHK originally proposed the concept of ISDB in 1985 and since then has been doing research on services, transmission systems and transmission channels based on the concept. This paper outlines the ISDB services and transmission channels, and highlights the transmission system of ISDB and prototype transmission equipment developed by NHK. — The multiplexing system of ISDB uses a packet multiplexing method that provides flexibility for various service configurations and extensibility for introducing new services. NHK has been contributing the concept of ISDB to MPEG2, therefore multiplexing of ISDB is compatible with MPEG2 part 1 (systems). The transport system employs a frame structure for robust synchronization against transmission error. It also employs a sub-frame structure for hierarchical transmission (or graceful degradation) and for reducing the speed of the decoding process to simply the decoders. NHK has developed a prototype ISDB system and experimental transmission equipment. The equipment is capable of broadcasting multiprogram TV services together with data services through satellite broadcasting channels, such as a 12-GHz-band 27-MHz-width channel. It applies a priority-based packet multiplexing and variable-bit-rate picture coding and multiplexing. The prototype equipment has been used in various tests and demonstrations: of multiprogram TV service, of HDTV service, of a captioning service, and of the statistical multiplexing of TV services.

Published

1995-02

Content type

Original Research

DOI

10.5594/M00845

ISBN

978-1-61482-922-5