Re: Status: Digital Terrestrial Television South Africa.

Hi Daniel,

 

Perhaps I can shed some light on this matter - and maybe persuade some of you lurkers to use my consulting expertise, too ;-)

 

> if it's currently broadcasting

 

DVB-T2 is currently broadcast as DTT by Sentech with a usable signal for 84% of the RSA population - not geographical area - for MUX 1

DVB-T2 is currently broadcast as DTT by Sentech with a usable signal for roughly 50% of the RSA population - not geographical area - for MUX 2

DTH-S2 is currently broadcast by Sentech with a usable signal for ~100% of the geographical area of RSA - for both MUX 1 and MUX 2

Orbicom also broadcasts an unknown (to me) amount of DTT.

 

This has been true for about a year, although the signal is some places (e.g. Gauteng) has been broadcast since ~2013.

 

*  which channel (Frequency) and the encoding, and what areas.

 

Note also that Gauteng (12 Tx), as well as all the major metros run a SFN. Gauteng channels are (if I can insert an image in this message, and switch to HTML without offending too many ;-)

 



 

The full answer is given in the Terrestrial Broadcasting Frequency Plan 2013 – GG 36321

Lots of useful explanation in this document, but see Annexures G (page 124) & J (page 138) for the details of which channel at which frequency is transmitted from which location: Name & Latitude & Longitude

http://www.nab.org.za/uploads/files/Terrestrial_Broadcasting_Frequency_Plan_2013.pdf 

 

There have been some minor amendments to this (some of which are my fault), but the bulk of the data are accurate.

 

*  I can't even find out if it's encrypted or not, this changes the equipment we need to order.

 

The relevant standards are: -

 

DTT STB                SANS 862:2013      2.01         Set-top box decoder for free-to-air digital terrestrial television                                       2013-12-13

DTH STB                SANS 1719:2015    1              Set-top box decoders for free-to-air Direct-to-Home (DTH) digital satellite Television 2015-03-27

IDTV                        SANS 10352:2015  1              Integrated Digital Television (IDTV) for free-to-air digital terrestrial broadcasting        2015-08-07

 

HTH.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

William Stucke

079-501-0850

[email protected]

 

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Daniel Schroder
Sent: 26 September 2016 04:20 PM
To: IOZ <[email protected]>
Subject: [IOZ] Status: Digital Terrestrial Television South Africa.

 

Hi all.. does ANYONE know what is happening with the digital Terrestrial television rollout in south africa, and ANYTHING regards the signal, if it's currently broadcasting, which channel (Frequency) and the encoding, and what areas. I'm prepared to go somewhere where I can get a decent signal, and send that over the Internet to the hotel, and demux it there into all the stations and radio stations.

 

An unencrypted DVB-T2 signal allows one to run six streams per demodulator onto the network at once, they cost around 10k each, and allow you full control of channels tuning etc via a web interface. Now it's stacks of decoders with remotes all over the place, really old school.

 

However it's possible to decode the broadcasts using SDR's, works like a charm for radio stations. We running cheap SDR's for radio stations, transcoded to rtsp onto the network, really easy (see  <http://www.rtl-sdr.com/> http://www.rtl-sdr.com/ .. lots of fun to play with.) What I want is a

DVB-T2 signal, break it up into all the separate channels, transcode with a tv headend, and send over the network. That's a room full of decoders/power supplies plugs etc that can be shelved.

 

I'm pulling what's left of my hair trying to get info. Theres something running on that frequency but it's the digital equivalent of static. I can't even find out if it's encrypted or not, this changes the equipment we need to order.

 

I'm busy rolling out a IPTV network at a hotel, gone through two kilometers already of cabling, all is running smoothly, except this free to air issue.

Currently we stuck running a decoder to a channel, and it's a pain in the arse. DSTV is a ripoff and a joke, they do not offer anything remotely akin to IPTV, they offer there own version of it, but again, we need to put DSTV set top boxes in each room. What was the kicker was any branding changes to the menu or adding/removing channels has to be done by DSTV themselves, at cost.

 

Daniel

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