Method for the transmission and distribution of digital television signals
View Patent ↗A system for the end-to-end delivery of digital television signals. In a preferred embodiment a digital television signal is: received from production equipment, typically in HD format at approximately 1.4 gigabits per second (Gbps); the received signal is transmitted to a venue point-of-presence; converted for transmission via a 270 Mbps local loop; transmitted to a fiber network point of presence/video service edge; packetized into TCP/IP packets in a video gateway; and routed to one or more destination addresses via the fiber network; received at one or more video service edge destinations; converted to a digital television format, typically SDI; and either transmitted via a second 270 Mbps local loop for delivery to a customer site and subsequent conversion to a 1.4 Gbps HD signal, or converted directly to a 1.4 Gbs HD signal at the receiving video service edge.
1. A method for transmitting an HD signal from a source location to a destination location comprising the steps of:
(a) at the source location, receiving the HD signal from a video source at an HD data rate;
(b) compressing said HD signal at said HD data rate to create a compressed HD signal having a data rate not greater than an SD data rate, wherein said HD signal and said compressed HD signal are digital signals;
(c) transmitting said compressed HD signal from said source location to a first network point-of-presence;
(d) in a first video gateway, converting said compressed HD signal into data formatted for transmission via a data network;
(e) transmitting said data to a second network point-of-presence;
(f) in a second video gateway converting said data into said compressed HD signal;
(g) decompressing said compressed HD signal into a destination HD signal at said HD data rate; and
(h) delivering said destination HD signal at the destination location.
2. The method for transmitting said HD signal from said source location to said destination location of claim 1 wherein said first and said second network points-of-presence are video service edges, and further wherein the transmitted data is transmitted between said first and said second video service edges through a GRE tunnel, wherein the GRE tunnel is a bidirectional and symmetric path through said data network.
3. The method for transmitting said HD signal from said source location to said destination location of claim 2 further comprising: (k) transmitting TCP/IP packets containing a return video program through said GRE tunnel from said second point-of-presence to said first point-of-presence.
4. The method for transmitting said HD signal from said source location to said destination location of claim 1 wherein said data formatted for transmission via a network is formatted as TCP/IP packets.
5. The method for transmitting said HD signal from said source location to said destination location of claim 4 wherein said data network is an MPLS network and said first point-of-presence comprises a first label edge router and said second point of presence comprises a second label edge router and wherein said data formatted for transmission further comprises tagging said TCP/IP packets with a label in said first label edge router, said label defining said route between said first point-of-presence and said second point-of-presence.
6. The method for transmitting said HD signal from said source location to said destination location of claim 5 wherein said route is defined and reserved according to a schedule prior to performing step(a).
7. The method for transmitting said HD signal from said source location to said destination location of claim 4 , wherein said TCP/IP packets are transmitted in a point-to-multipoint fashion to a plurality of label edge routers.
8. The method for transmitting said HD signal from said source location to said destination location of claim 1 , wherein said second video gateway comprises a video buffer, and wherein delivering said destination HD signal at the destination location further comprises (i) in a second video gateway converting said destination HD signal into said compressed HD signal at said SD data rate; and (h)(ii) buffering said compressed HD signal in said buffer to remove jitter from said compressed HD signal.
9. The method for transmitting said HD signal from said source location to said destination location of claim 1 , wherein said data network is a fiber network.
10. A system for the end-to-end digital transmission of a video signal comprising:
a mezzanine level system comprising:
an encoder for compressing an HD signal at a first data rate to an SDI data stream at a second data rate; and
a first converter for converting said SDI data stream to an optical signal;
a fiber optic link connecting a second converter for converting said optical signal back to said SDI data stream;
a first video service edge comprising:
an SDI switch for receiving said SDI data stream, said SDI switch connected to said second converter through a 270 Mbps loop;
a first video gateway in communication with said SDI switch for receiving said SDI data stream, wherein said SDI data stream is configured by said first video gateway into packets output through a gateway network connection; and
a first router in communication with said first gateway network connection to receive said packets and retransmit said packets via a GRE tunnel of a data network, wherein the GRE tunnel is a bidirectional and symetric path through said data network; and
a second video service edge comprising:
a second router, said second router receiving said packets from said data network and outputs said packets through a router output; and
a second video gateway in communication with said router output to receive said packets, wherein said second video gateway converts said packets to restore said SDI data stream through a gateway digital output;
a decoder for decompressing said SDI data stream into an uncompressed HD signal at said first data rate, said decoder in communication with said gateway digital output for receiving said SDI data stream.
11. The system for the end-to-end digital transmission of the video signal of claim 10 wherein said decoder is located at a customer site and said decoder is in communication with said gateway digital output through a 270 Mbps loop.
12. The system for the end-to-end digital transmission of the video signal of claim 10 wherein said second video gateway is located at a customer site and said second video gateway is in communication with said router output through an Ethernet switch loop or Ethernet local loop.
13. The system for the end-to-end digital transmission of the video signal of claim 10 wherein said second video service edge is located at a customer site.
14. The system for the end-to-end digital transmission of the video signal of claim 10 wherein said packets are TCP/IP packets.
15. The system for the end-to-end digital transmission of the video signal of claim 10 wherein said data network is an MPLS network and said first and said second routers are label edge routers.
16. The system for the end-to-end digital transmission of the video signal of claim 15 wherein said MPLS network is a fiber network.
17. A system for preparing a plurality of HD signals for transmission over a data network, the plurality of HD signals originating from a plurality of venues, the system comprising:
a plurality of encoders for compressing said plurality of HD signals into a corresponding plurality of compressed HD signals, each encoder being associated with one venue of said plurality of venues, wherein each of the corresponding plurality of compressed HD signal is at a data rate not greater than an SD data rate, and in which said HD signals and said compressed HD signals are digital signals;
a plurality of local digital loops, each local digital loop being in communication with a corresponding encoder of said plurality of encoders for carrying the compressed HD signal of said corresponding encoder;
an SDI switch having a plurality of SDI inputs in communication with said plurality of encoders through said plurality of local digital loops, said SDI switch having an SDI output for selectively outputting an individual compressed HD signal selectected from said corresponding plurality of compressed HD signals;
a video gateway in communication with said SDI switch to receive said individual compressed HD signal, wherein said individual compressed HD signal is configured by said video gateway into data packets output through a gateway network connection; and
a router in communication with said gateway network connection to receive said data packets and retransmit said data packet over a data network.
18. The system for preparing the plurality of HD signals for transmission over the data network of claim 17 wherein said data network is an MPLS network and said router is a label edge router.
19. A system comprising:
a mezzanine level system comprising:
an encoder configured to compress an HD video signal at a first data rate to a data stream at a second data rate, said second data rate being lower than said first data rate and not greater than an SD data rate, wherein said HD video signal and said data stream are digital signals; and
a communications device configured to transmit the data stream onto a local loop;
a first video service edge site comprising:
a switch in communication with the local loop thereby configured to receive said data stream transmitted by the communication device;
a first video gateway in communication with said switch thereby configured to receive said data stream, wherein said first video gateway is configured to convert said data stream into packets and output said packets through a first gateway network connection; and
a first router in communication with said first gateway network connection thereby configured to receive said packets therefrom and retransmit said packets via a data network; and
a second video service edge site comprising:
a second router, said second router configured to receive said packets from said data network and output said packets through a router output; and
a second video gateway in communication with said router output thereby configured to receive said packets therefrom, wherein said second video gateway is configured to convert said packets to restore said data stream and output said data stream through a gateway digital output;
a decoder in communication with said gateway digital output thereby configured to receive said data stream therefrom, said decoder configured to decompress said data stream to restore the HD video signal at said first data rate.
20. A system as recited in claim 19 , wherein said decoder is located at a customer site and said decoder is in communication with said gateway digital output through a local loop.
21. A system as recited in claim 19 , wherein said second video gateway is located at a customer site and said second video gateway is in communication with said router output through an Ethernet switch loop or Ethernet local loop.
22. A system as recited in claim 19 , wherein said packets are TCP/IP packets.
23. A system as recited in claim 19 , wherein said data network is an MPLS network and said first and said second routers are first and second label edge routers, respectively.
24. A system as recited in claim 23 , wherein said MPLS network is a fiber network.
25. A system as recited in claim 19 , wherein said local loop is a 270 Mbps loop.
26. A system as recited in claim 19 , wherein the data stream is in SDI format, said first switch being an SDI switch.
27. A system as recited in claim 19 , wherein the data stream is in ASI format, said first switch being an ASI switch.
28. A system as recited in claim 19 , wherein said first data rate is at least 1.4 Gpbs.
29. A system as recited in claim 19 , wherein the mezzanine level system comprises:
a first converter configured to convert the data stream to an optical signal;
a fiber optic link communicatively connecting said first converter to a second converter, wherein the second converter is configured to receive the optical signal from the first converter via the fiber optic link and reconvert the optical signal to the data stream, and wherein the second converter is communicatively connected to the local loop and configured to transmit the reconverted data stream thereon for communication to the switch at the first video service edge site.
30. A system for the end-to-end digital transmission of a video signal comprising:
a mezzanine level system comprising:
an encoder for compressing an HD signal at a first data rate to a data stream at a second data rate not greater than an SD data rate, wherein said HD signal and said data stream are digital signals; and
a first converter for converting said data stream to an optical signal; a fiber optic link connecting a second converter for converting said optical signal back to said data stream;
a first video service edge comprising:
a switch for receiving said data stream, said switch connected to said second converter through a local loop;
a first video gateway in communication with said switch for receiving said data stream, wherein said data stream is configured by said first video gateway into packets output through a gateway network connection; and
a first router in communication with said first gateway network connection to receive said packets and retransmit said packets via a data network; and
a second video service edge comprising:
a second router, said second router receiving said packets from said data network and outputs said packets through a router output; and
a second video gateway in communication with said router output to receive said packets, wherein said second video gateway converts said packets to restore said data stream through a gateway digital output;
a decoder for decompressing said data stream into an uncompressed HD signal at said first data rate, said decoder in communication with said gateway digital output for receiving said data stream.
31. The system for the end-to-end digital transmission of the video signal of claim 30 , wherein said decoder is located at a customer site and said decoder is in communication with said gateway digital output through a local loop.
32. The system for the end-to-end digital transmission of the video signal of claim 30 , wherein said second video gateway is located at a customer site and said second video gateway is in communication with said router output through an Ethernet switch loop or Ethernet local loop.
33. The system for the end-to-end digital transmission of the video signal of claim 30 , wherein said second video service edge is located at a customer site.
34. The system for the end-to-end digital transmission of the video signal of claim 30 , wherein said packets are TCP/IP packets.
35. The system for the end-to-end digital transmission of the video signal of claim 30 , wherein said data network is an MPLS network and said first and second routers and first and second label edge routers, respectively.
36. The system for the end-to-end digital transmission of the video signal of claim 35 , wherein said MPLS network is a fiber network.