Future of KU?

[RidgeRunner]

Just curious I read in another post that most broadcast engineers dont like KU as a means of signal distribution, then i was reading a thread about more programming providers leaving c band. I am new to this game and am I curious am I getting started in a hobby that is on slow down turn. I do not mean this post to start a flame war I am just curious to hear from people who have been around the game for a while.

Thanks
Robert

 

[WyrTwister]

Just curious I read in another post that most broadcast engineers dont like KU as a means of signal distribution, then i was reading a thread about more programming providers leaving c band. I am new to this game and am I curious am I getting started in a hobby that is on slow down turn. I do not mean this post to start a flame war I am just curious to hear from people who have been around the game for a while.

Thanks
Robert

Channels are steadily moving from analog to digital . Both C band and Ku band .

Wyr

 

[voomvoom]

My thoughts on this are:
It doesn't matter what broadcast engineers don't like (or like), they don't pay for it.
The programming isn't leaving C-band, it's leaving VideocipherII. And some is switching to megapipe. And some is leaving analog, but it's still on C-band only it's on DVB, and in some of these cases, we lose them for various reasons (but they are still on C-band) or they get re-uplinked on (compressed, even more so) ku, which ain't much better than D* or E*.

Al

 

[Tron]

Ku has the advantage of relative cost and size in its favor. Ku satellite uplinks will be a viable option whenever/wherever fiber is unavailable (LOTS of situations) and C-band equipment is too large or expensive.

I could park a Ku uplink truck in my driveway (someday I might just do this )

 

[Krapola]

Ku has the advantage of relative cost and size in its favor. Ku satellite uplinks will be a viable option whenever/wherever fiber is unavailable (LOTS of situations) and C-band equipment is too large or expensive.

I could park a Ku uplink truck in my driveway (someday I might just do this )

Are you trying to say that it costs more to install C-band uplinks vice Ku uplinks?

 

[Pepper]

"well duh," i would think the size of dish for C-band uplink would have to be much bigger, if it's portable that means a bigger truck and probably more expensive way of having it stowed away during transport.

The actual equipment generating the signal would probably cost about the same though.

 

[Krapola]

"well duh," i would think the size of dish for C-band uplink would have to be much bigger, if it's portable that means a bigger truck and probably more expensive way of having it stowed away during transport.

The actual equipment generating the signal would probably cost about the same though.

Well, when you purchase and build an uplink, regardless of the Freq. spectrum, get back to me on your "thoughts" of cost...

 

[Tron]

Are you trying to say that it costs more to install C-band uplinks vice Ku uplinks?

C-band is just not practical in many situations where Ku would be. It would be too costly for some college sports venues, for example, to build C-band uplink facilities when a Ku truck can be obtained instead. Portability is another factor in favor of Ku, SNG being a prime example. Not saying C-band is going away (FAR from it), just making a case for Ku remaining a viable option for the foreseeable future

 

[Krapola]

C-band is just not practical in many situations where Ku would be. It would be too costly for some college sports venues, for example, to build C-band uplink facilities when a Ku truck can be obtained instead. Portability is another factor in favor of Ku, SNG being a prime example. Not saying C-band is going away (FAR from it), just making a case for Ku remaining a viable option for the foreseeable future

Ok, I understand what you are saying....It would cost less the rent a truck for a day when compared to purchasing infrastructure for the same result...That's a no-brainer..

Now, comparing apples to apples, the actual cost factor difference between installing a C-band uplink as compared to a Ku uplink on an E/S location is relatively the same....Antenna size does not create a serious change in cost, at least it doesn't at a Global Teleport where Antenna sizing and transmission preformance is held to minimum requirements...One could "cheap" out the infrastructure with used materials and such to change your actuall out-of-pocket monies, but those locations do not generate good revenue on a constant basis..Customer service is less, failure rates are increased, up to date gear is not readily available, etc....

Now what does make sense in the scenerio you described is that the Venues that frequently have national broadcastable events, 270mBt fiber lines are installed(assuming that SDI for now and HD later is the plan) and run to the local POP(IE: Broadwing, On-Fiber, L-3, etc...) for hand-off to Teleports for the actual Uplink...That cost factor is managable...Your only resposible for the Teleport Facilities and occational usage of the fiber ckt...

 

[mastermesh]

KU is dead... Long Live KU!

 

[RidgeRunner]

Well it was interesting to read the post, that everyone had. I kinda figured that since the only way to really put a signal accross a wide area is with a satellite. I was just curious about the future of KU and C from what I have been reading. It does seem to me that digital KU FTA hasnt really caught on here like it has over seas.

 

[Tron]

The main difference between digital Ku (and FTA in general) here and overseas is that here it is (for the most part anyway) up there only for broadcast and cable professionals who intend to redistribute it on the air or over cable, whereas overseas it is offered as direct-to-home for consumer use.

This is also the reason why FTA is so obscure here and over there you can buy a FTA receiver from any electronics dealer

 

[Tron]

Now what does make sense in the scenerio you described is that the Venues that frequently have national broadcastable events, 270mBt fiber lines are installed(assuming that SDI for now and HD later is the plan) and run to the local POP(IE: Broadwing, On-Fiber, L-3, etc...) for hand-off to Teleports for the actual Uplink...That cost factor is managable...Your only resposible for the Teleport Facilities and occational usage of the fiber ckt...

Not to get off of the original topic too much, but I am using Belden 1694A for my SD-SDI runs, which (theoretically and according to Belden) is able to carry up to HD-SDI @ 1.485 gBt. In a small facility (single story building) is there any advantage in switching to fiber when I upgrade to HD?

 

[Krapola]

Not to get off of the original topic too much, but I am using Belden 1694A for my SD-SDI runs, which (theoretically and according to Belden) is able to carry up to HD-SDI @ 1.485 gBt. In a small facility (single story building) is there any advantage in switching to fiber when I upgrade to HD?

Band width capacity and reduced signal loss would be your benifit in this scenerio...Cost factor would need to be looked at though...Cable is cheap, but is only as good as your terminations...Canare makes quality connectors as an industry standard...:up

 

[houli]

I would like to know when installing a coolsat 5000, if i need to install channell master list to veiw any channells, or is this not needed.

 

[Tron]

Houli, no you do not need Channel Master to use the Coolsat 5000, but it is helpful in editing your channel names and order. Any FTA box will operate on its own, without a computer or any software update.

Krapola, thanks for the insight. My connectors seem to be mixed, many are Kings and I do have some Canare fittings as well. I am looking into how well compression BNCs will work for these applications.

 

[Krapola]

Krapola, thanks for the insight. My connectors seem to be mixed, many are Kings and I do have some Canare fittings as well. I am looking into how well compression BNCs will work for these applications.

I have yet to see compression connectors to be used in a professional/commercial install....but hey, to each his own...

 

[Tron]

I have yet to see compression connectors to be used in a professional/commercial install....but hey, to each his own...

Well, only one way to find out, give it a try and if I get ridiculous amounts of jitter or bit errors I'll know why

 

[Krapola]

Well, only one way to find out, give it a try and if I get ridiculous amounts of jitter or bit errors I'll know why

Agreed....I would check the "eye" pattern as a first off....make sure of no overshoots and/or collapse...That would point you in a different direction...cable length is of utmost importance if you do not have re-clockers....

 

[Tron]

I've got a scope for composite digital (4fsc) but not component. Something I'll have to look into getting