CellTV - on the Benefit of TV Distribution over Cellular Networks A Case Study

As mobile IP-access is becoming the dominant technology for providing wireless services, the demand for more spectrum for this type of access is increasing rapidly. Since IP-access can be used for all types of services, instead of a plethora of dedicated, single-service systems, there is a significant potential to make spectrum use more efficient. In this paper, the feasibility and potential benefit of replacing the current terrestrial UHF TV broadcasting system with a mobile, cellular data (IP-) network is analyzed. In the cellular network, TV content would be provided as {one} of the services, here referred to as CellTV. In the investigation we consider typical Swedish rural and urban environments. We use different models for TV viewing patterns and cellular technologies as expected in the year 2020. Results of the quantitative analysis indicate that CellTV distribution can be beneficial if the TV consumption trend goes towards more specialized programming, more local contents, and more on-demand requests. Mobile cellular systems, with their flexible unicast capabilities, will be an ideal platform to provide these services. However, the results also demonstrate that CellTV is not a spectrum-efficient replacement for terrestrial TV broadcasting with current viewing patterns (i.e. a moderate number of channels with each a high numbers of viewers). In this case, it is doubtful whether the expected spectrum savings can motivate the necessary investments in upgrading cellular sites and developing advanced TV receiver required for the success of CellTV distribution.Comment: To appear on Trans. Broadcasting 201

Adaptive subframe allocation for next generation multimedia delivery over hybrid LTE unicast broadcast

The continued global roll-out of long term evolution (LTE) networks is providing mobile users with perpetually increasing ubiquitous access to a rich selection of high quality multimedia. Interactive viewing experiences including 3-D or free-viewpoint video require the synchronous delivery of multiple video streams. This paper presents a novel hybrid unicast broadcast synchronisation (HUBS) framework to synchronously deliver multi-stream content. Previous techniques on hybrid LTE implementations include staggered modulation and coding scheme grouping, adaptive modulation coding or implementing error recover techniques; the work presented here instead focuses on dynamic allocation of resources between unicast and broadcast, improving stream synchronisation as well as overall cell resource usage. Furthermore, the HUBS framework has been developed to work within the limitations imposed by the LTE specification. Performance evaluation of the framework is performed through the simulation of probable future scenarios, where a popular live event is broadcast with stereo 3-D or multi-angle companion views interactively offered to capable users. The proposed framework forms a ``HUBS group'' that monitors the radio bearer queues to establish a time lead or lag between broadcast and unicast streams. Since unicast and broadcast share the same radio resources, the number of subframes allocated to the broadcast transmission are then dynamically increased or decreased to minimise the average lead/lag time offset between the streams. Dynamic allocation showed improvements for all services across the cell, whilst keeping streams synchronised despite increased user loading

Τεχνοοικονομική μελέτη των ευκαιριών σύγκλισης της επίγειας ψηφιακής ραδιοτηλεοπτικής ευρυεκπομπής και των κινητών ευρυζωνικών δικτύων

Το κύριο μέσο διανομής του τηλεοπτικού προϊόντος στην Ευρώπη εξακολουθεί στις μέρες μας να είναι το επίγειο ψηφιακό δίκτυο ευρυεκπομπής (DTT), ενώ έπονται η δορυφορική και καλωδιακή πλατφόρμα με σημαντικά ποσοστά διείσδυσης. Αλλά αν ρωτηθεί κάποιος και δη ένας νέος πως προτιμά να παρακολουθεί τηλεόραση και να καταναλώνει βίντεο, πιθανότατα θα απαντήσει: «δεν ανοίγω καν την τηλεόραση αλλά θα το σκεφτόμουν να αγοράσω μια συνδρομητική υπηρεσία IPTV», «την αγαπημένη μου σειρά την είδα χθες στο tablet» (VoD, TV anytime), «όσο περίμενα στη στάση του λεωφορείου έριξα μια ματιά σε κάτι τρέιλερ στο Youtube από το κινητό μου» (ΟΤΤ, TV anywhere). Οι τάσεις τηλεθεάσεις αλλάζουν, οι δυνατότητες των δικτύων βελτιώνονται και η ζήτηση για ραδιοφάσμα διογκώνεται. Η συζήτηση περί συγκλινουσών τεχνολογιών που θα εξυπηρετούν αυτές τις απαιτήσεις υπό το πρίσμα της αποδοτικής διαχείρισης του ραδιοφάσματος και τη διαμόρφωση μιας ενιαίας ψηφιακής στρατηγικής σε επίπεδο Ε.Ε. είναι πιο επίκαιρη από ποτέ. Στόχος της διπλωματικής εργασίας είναι να αναδείξει και εξειδικεύσει τις νέες ανάγκες κατανάλωσης περιεχομένου βίντεο, να παρουσιάσει τις τεχνολογικές λύσεις που μπορούν να προσφέρουν τα δίκτυα με έμφαση κυρίως σε αυτά των κινητών επικοινωνιών και παράλληλα να αποτιμήσει το οικονομικό όφελος της μετάβασης σε ένα νέο οπτικοακουστικό μοντέλο όπου τα ενδιαφερόμενα μέρη (ραδιοτηλεοπτικοί φορείς, πάροχοι κινητών επικοινωνιών) θα έχουν σαφή επιχειρηματικά κίνητρα.The main means of distribution of the television product in Europe is still in our days the DTT network, followed by the satellite and cable platform with significant penetration rates. But if someone is asked, especially a younger person, how he prefers to watch television and consume video, in all likelihood, he will answer: “I don’t even watch television but I will consider purchase an IPTV subscription service”, “I watched my favorite series yesterday on my tablet” (VoD, TV anytime), “While I was waiting at the bus stop I took a look at some trailers on Youtube from my smartphone” (OTT, TV anywhere). Viewing trends are changing, the capabilities of the networks are improving and the demand for more spectrum is growing. The discussion about converging technologies which will serve these requirements in the light of efficient spectrum management and the development of a single digital strategy at EU level is more timely than ever. The aim of the Master’s thesis is to highlight and specify the new needs for video content consumption, to present the technological solutions that networks can offer with a focus on mobile communications, while at the same time to assess the economic benefit of switching to a new audiovisual model where the stakeholders (broadcasters, mobile operators) will have clear business incentives