Digital Terrestrial TV Networks in Practice

Abstract

This chapter is intended to provide the practical engineer with an overview of the configuration of TV transmitting stations and of the structure of single-frequency DVB-T networks, using as examples the DVB-T SFN networks of Southern and Eastern Bavaria with some TV transmitting stations of the Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR) and T-Systems/Deutsche Telekom (now Media Broadcast GmbH). The author has been able to experience the commissioning of both networks at close quarters, both during the initial training of some of the operating personnel, during visits in the installation phase, and when the networks were being switched on. In addition, both networks are located in the region in which the author has grown up and is still living. And all the TV transmitting stations are completely equipped throughout with "Bavarian Technology" by the companies Rohde&Schwarz, Spinner and Kathrein. Beginning with the playout center, the entire feed link of the single-frequency networks (SFN) and especially the transmitting stations themselves, from the mask filter and the combiner to the transmitting antenna will be described in this chapter. The author was even granted the privilege of experiencing the "flight" of the antenna by helicopter at the Olympic Tower, Munich, and at the Mt. Wendelstein transmitter during the installation. This chapter also describes measurements in a single-frequency network and explains how coverage is measured in an SFN. In addition, the practical requirements for an SFN-enabled receiver are discussed and how they can be verified. All this information is derived from practical experience and cannot be found in some standards or documents: information from practical engineer to practical engineer.