Method and system for monitoring and switching between a primary and diverse site in a satellite communication system

1. A method of operating a broadcast system having a primary site and a diverse site separated from the primary site comprising:

monitoring a first modulator of the diverse site and a second modulator of the diverse site;

controlling a switch coupled to the first modulator and the second modulator in response to monitoring to form a selected signal;

amplifying the selected signal to form an amplified signal; and

communicating the amplified signal to a satellite.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the step of monitoring is performed at the primary site.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising communicating a first signal from a transport processing system of the primary site to the first modulator and the second modulator at the diverse site, said first signal comprising a transport stream signal.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first signal corresponds to a plurality of channel signals for a first transponder.

5. The method as recited in claim 3 , wherein prior to communicating the first signal, the method further comprising:

receiving a plurality of formatted signals having a first format;

encoding the plurality of formatted signals into a plurality of transport streams;

after encoding, routing the plurality of transport streams through a local area network to a multiplexer to form a combined signal;

modulating the combined signal to form a modulated signal; and

forming the first signal from the modulated signal.

6. A method of operating a broadcast system having a primary site and a diverse site separated from the primary site comprising:

monitoring a first plurality of modulators at the diverse site and a second plurality of modulators at the diverse site;

in response to monitoring, controlling a plurality of switches, each one of the plurality of switches coupled to one of the first plurality of modulators and one of the second plurality of modulators, wherein controlling generates a plurality of selected signals, one of the plurality of selected signals corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of switches;

summing the plurality of selected signals to form a summed signal;

amplifying the summed signal to form an amplified signal; and

communicating the amplified signal to a satellite as an uplink signal.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein monitoring a first plurality of modulators comprises monitoring the summed signal at the primary site.

8. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein monitoring a first plurality of modulators comprises monitoring the summed signal prior to a power amplifier.

9. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein monitoring a first plurality of modulators comprises monitoring the summed signal after a power amplifier.

10. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein summing comprises summing the plurality of selected signals into Right-Hand Circularly Polarized (RHCP) Signals and Left-Hand Circularly Polarized (LHCP) signals.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 , further comprising routing the RHCP signals and LHCP signals through a router at the diverse site to form a plurality of routed monitor signals.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 , further comprising demodulating the plurality of routed monitor signals to form a plurality of demodulated signals.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the plurality of demodulated signals correspond to a respective transponder.

14. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein after communicating the demodulated signals, modulating the plurality of demodulated signals to form a plurality of monitor signals.

15. The method as recited in claim 6 , further comprising:

receiving a plurality of formatted signals having a first format at the primary site;

encoding the plurality of formatted signals into a plurality of transport streams;

after encoding, routing the plurality of transport streams through a local area network to a multiplexer to form a combined signal;

modulating the combined signal to form a modulated signal; and

communicating the modulated signal to the diverse site.

16. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the uplink signal comprises a Ka band uplink signal.

17. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the uplink signal comprises a digital television signal.

18. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the uplink signal comprises a high-definition digital television signal.

19. A system comprising:

a diverse site;

and

a primary site in communication with the diverse site through a communication network, a transport processing system at the primary site communicating one or more transport processing signals to the diverse site through the communication network;

said diverse site generating a first modulator signal at a first modulator and a second modulator signal at a second modulator from the one or more transport processing signals, said diverse site having a switch coupled to the first modulator and the second modulator and generating a switch output signal corresponding to the first modulator signal or the second modulator signal;

said primary site monitoring said first modulator signal and said second modulator signal and controlling the switch in response thereto.

20. The system as recited in claim 19 , further comprising an amplifier amplifying the switch output signal to form an amplified signal.

21. The system as recited in claim 20 , further comprising a satellite receiving the amplified signal.

22. The system as recited in claim 21 , wherein the one or more transport processing signals correspond to a plurality of channel signals for a first transponder of the satellite.

23. The system as recited in claim 19 , wherein the one or more transport processing signals comprise a transport stream signal.

24. The system as recited in claim 19 , wherein the primary site communicates a control signal to the diverse site through the communication network.

25. The system as recited in claim 19 , wherein the primary site receives a plurality of formatted signals having a first format;

said primary site comprising an encoder encoding the plurality of formatted signals into a plurality of transport streams and a router routing the plurality of transport streams through a local area network to a multiplexer to form a combined signal after encoding,

said primary site comprising a modulator modulating the combined signal to form the one or more transport processing signals.