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Digital Television Via IP Multicast: by Pradeep Patel & Vidhi Patel

The document describes a project to distribute digital television channels over an IP network using multicast. The proposed system would take channels from a DVB-T reception card and allow PCs on the network to receive and display the channels. It would include features like a program guide, recording, scheduling reminders and collecting usage statistics. The system architecture involves a transmission server to receive the DVB stream and transmit over multicast, and client software to decode and display the streams.

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149 views34 pages

Digital Television Via IP Multicast: by Pradeep Patel & Vidhi Patel

The document describes a project to distribute digital television channels over an IP network using multicast. The proposed system would take channels from a DVB-T reception card and allow PCs on the network to receive and display the channels. It would include features like a program guide, recording, scheduling reminders and collecting usage statistics. The system architecture involves a transmission server to receive the DVB stream and transmit over multicast, and client software to decode and display the streams.

Uploaded by

Pradeep Patel
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Digital Television via IP Multicast

By

Pradeep Patel & Vidhi Patel

Project Summary
Allow networked PCs in the Department of Computing to receive and display television programmes. Take Television channels from a Digital Terrestrial Television (DVB-T) reception card.

Background Information
MPEG-2 Transport Streams Digital Television (DVB) IP Multicast Existing Solutions

MPEG-2 Transport Streams


Consists of a number of sub-streams, each identified by a number (its PID). Can contain audio, video and other data for a single programme, synchronised to one time base (a Single Programme TS or SPTS). Transport Streams can be multiplexed together to form a Multi-Programme TS (or MPTS). Each Transport Stream contains information about the PIDs and types of each audio, video or data stream.

Digital Television (DVB)


Digital Terrestrial Television in the UK follows the DVB-T standard. Multiple channels are broadcast on a particular frequency, in the form of an MPEG-2 Transport Stream. The entire Transport Stream is processed by the receiver and the required channel extracted. Additional information is included in the Transport Stream to provide channel names, subtitles, digital teletext etc.

Only one copy of the data is sent to the next level down in the tree, reducing network traffic

IP Multicast

Data is only sent where it is required

Existing Solutions
VideoLAN
Streaming of DVB channels, MPEG files, MPEG encoder card feeds.

DigiTV
Streaming of DVB channels.

Digiguide
Provides 2 weeks listings and scheduled reminders on a subscription basis. Co-operates with other programmes to allow scheduled recordings.

Our Solution
Lee Howes

Our Feature List


Distribution of Digital Terrestrial TV channels over IP multicast. Selection of channels to broadcast. Multiple TV cards. Client Programme Guide. Accumulation of usage statistics. Programme recording and pausing of live TV Programme reminders.

Structure of Proposed Solution


Transmission (Slave) Server
Hardware Interface

Config

Master Server Master Configuration Listings Source Listings Server

DVB Mux

DVB

Other Sources

Main Transmission Server

Stats Database

Client Software
MPEG Demux/ Display Main UI Listings Display

Statistics Listings Data

Transmission Server
Ashley Brown

TX Server Architecture

HTTP STORED FILES ,

TRANSMISSION SERVER

NETWORK

DVB Hardware Interface


The server uses a Java wrapper around the C LinuxTV API for DVB devices. The API allows the card to be tuned and MPEG2 data (in particular a full DVB Multiplexed Transport Stream) to be read from a device. Support for hardware acceleration of MPEG-2 TS demultiplexing has been included, although is not used at present. A similar interface could be provided under Windows.

Configuration
James Robinson

Configuration
What configuration?
Schedule Permissions etc.

Required for various modules Publish on web server


Can use Apache authentication and SSL security

XML Files Configuration tool


Creates main configuration files Web based

Configuration - Demo

Listings Server
Lee Howes

Listings Server
XMLTV
XML Source

XMLTV
XML Parser

Schedule Tree
Internal Structure

Web Server

System Config.
XML Source

docTV
XML Parser

Channel Selection

XML Source

MPEG Decoder
Jay Cornwall

MPEG Decoder
Java Media Framework (JMF) provides audio/visual playback support. MPEG 2 video decoding not supported. Lack of documentation and examples. A different approach to audio/visual decoding was taken.

MPEG Decoder
Java Client

Decoding Component (Java AWT widget)


Video Decoder LibMPEG2 (native library)

Audio Decoder

FFMPEG (native library)

MPEG Decoder
720 x 576 x 32 bit: ~30% load on an Athlon XP-M 2400+. Supports MPEG 2 video and MPEG 1 / 2 audio. Potential for further codec support. But a loss of portability. Restrictions on native access prevent aspect ratio correction under Linux.

Client
Lyndon Leggate

Client
Features
Watch live TV (if available & permitted) Pause live feeds & resume from that point Record programmes (scheduled or live) Playback pre-recorded programmes Programme reminders & auto-tune View full TV programme listings Usage statistics

Statistics
Simon Fothergill

Statistics
General reasons and motivation for statistics Within this project: Simply, but extensibly Whens popular? Whats popular?

Client

Stats Manager

Stats Collector

Stats Database

HTTP CGI

PHP SQL

PHP SQL

Putting it Together
Lee Howes

Integration and Testing


Tested interfaces between interacting components Tested and integrated in stages as components developed (using VideoLAN Client initially to test the server) Transmission test to VLC in mid November

Integration and Testing 2


Multiple DVB cards General tests of listings such as behaviour with bad date formats Long distance unicast radio feed to home ADSL from Transmission Server

A Few Problems
Initially IP multicast appeared not to work on all switches. A change of multicast address range solved this. Towards the end of the project, some faulty code resulted in the server saturating its connection. A faulty switch flooded the network with traffic, upsetting other services.

Evaluation
A good start for further progress System is flexible in design allowing for future expansion Substantial problems with Java/Native interface for video could be avoided with a purely native client

Shortcomings
Control channel not encrypted, anyone could refresh server. Java event thread overcrowding causing lack of GUI responsiveness. Current reliance on XML TV radiotimes.com changed website format shortly before the presentation.

General Future Improvements


DVB streaming under Windows Digital Radio streaming (DAB) Streaming from an MPEG encoder Server time-shifting of channels More configuration options Fast, Native client, possibly using GTK to keep cross platform Full use of JMF to make Java client work efficiently not a problem in Windows, more of an issue in Linux

Feature Comparison Matrix (Server)


VideoLAN OS DVB UDP MPEG Encoder Stored MPEG PS TS Audio HTTP Sources Yes No Yes No No No Yes No No Yes Yes Not Yet1 Not Yet2 Yes Not Yet2 No Yes No DigiTV docTV

Yes3 Yes No No

Yes3 Yes No No

Nearly4 Yes No No

Yes3 Yes Yes Yes

Yes3 Yes Yes Yes

Yes3 Yes Yes Yes

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