In Broadcast - January 2014 - 52

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

WWW.INBROADCAST.COM | ISSUE 27 - JANUARY 2014

N E W S

InTECH

ETL Release New Dextra RF Range
E

TL Systems has released a
new range of web-enabled
p r o fe s s i o n a l s p l i t te r s a n d
combiners to cover the L-band
frequency range.
The Dextra series includes 4-way
and 8-way splitters and combiners in
both single and dual conﬁgurations
and 16-way splitters and combiners,
available as single units. The range
offers consistently excellent RF
performance, including high linearity
and low noise ﬁgure, and is said
to outperform some of the more
expensive models available.
Users can control and monitor the
LNB current, ampliﬁers and power
supplies on the unit remotely by
using the web browser interface and
all units also feature ﬂexible and
conﬁgurable LNB power at the input
ports of the splitters. Meanwhile
relay contact alarms allow direct
and simple control of external
redundancy systems. Simple LED
status is displayed on the front panel
for ease of setup and diagnosis,
backed up by comprehensive
information available over the Fast
Ethernet port and a front mounted

Professional RF splitters and combiners cover the L-band frequency range

RF monitor port.
"The new Dextra range offers a
good mix of reasonable pricing and
high performance," said Bill Liberty,
Head of Mechanical Design at ETL
Systems. "It does outperform some
of the more expensive units on the
market and within its price range is
the best performing model available.
Usually you get good fundamental
RF parameters with some
connectors but with Dextra we've
done a lot of work to make sure it
gives a good level across all types."
All Dextra splitters come with LNB
power ﬁtted as standard, providing
13V or 18V DC, as well as a 22kHz
tone option. The supply is currently

limited to 800mA to prevent damage
to any external equipment and
both high and low current alarms
may be configured as the user
desires. Remote configuration
and monitoring of the LNB supply
is simple with the 100base-TX
Ethernet port offering a web browser
interface and SNMP.
A comprehensive range of
connectors is available, making
Dextra easy to ﬁt into new or existing
systems. The new range can even
offer 75/50Ω or 50/75Ω impedance
transformation with no extra
attenuation or loss of performance.
It operates over 850-2450 MHz
allowing future proof systems to

be configured.
Users also have the option of
upgrading their unit to include 1:1
redundant ampliﬁcation. All units
are supplied in a 1RU case.
"The ampliﬁer chain is classically
the weakest point in any unit,"
said Liberty. "Giving the option of
having two in each device makes the
product even more reliable because
if the ﬁrst ampliﬁer does fail the
machine automatically switches to
the second and prevents a complete
blackout. This means customers
can use it conﬁdently across a large
range of applications."
ETL Systems expect that its ﬁrst
Dextra units will be available Q4.

S2 Extensions: A New Standard In Broadcasting
By Steven Soenens
VP Product Management, Newtec

ince the DVB-S2 standard was
published in 2005, the satellite
industry has changed remarkably.
The ever increasing volumes of
data, video and voice carried
over satellite have been drivers for
high power and high throughput
satellites, wideband transponders
and Ka-band deployment.
In addition to new satellite
technology, the industry also
came to a consensus that a
more efficient successor to the
DVB-S2 standard was required
to accommodate increased
profitability, interoperability and
growth in the professional satellite
communications market.
Back in 2012, Newtec teamed
up with other DVB members to
initiate the development and
standardisation of a more efﬁcient
satellite transmission technology,
a successor to DVB-S2. Prior to
this Newtec already developed and
deployed technologies such as the
Clean Channel Technology and
S2 Extensions.
Those technologies have largely
contributed to the deﬁnition of a

new DVB standard due in Feb 2014.
The improved modulation
technology beneﬁts from smaller
carrier Roll-Offs, advanced ﬁlter
technologies, MODCOD's with
higher bits-per-hertz efficiency,
ﬁne-grained MODCOD selection
ﬁne-tuned for linear and non-linear
operation, higher modulations
(up to 256 APSK) and wideband
operation (72 Mbaud).
These technologies lead to
increased efﬁciency, much greater
than the previous DVB-S2. Satellite
link efﬁciency gains are achievable
in the order of 10% to 20% in
broadcast distribution networks,
and 37% in other professional
applications compared to DVB-S2
- even up to 64% when saturating
72Mhz transponders.
Our engineers have demonstrated
these to various global satellite
operators and, thanks to live
tests over satellite, confidence
has grown that the anticipated
improvements are real.
In a survey, we surveyed more
than 700 respondents representing
nearly 500 companies. The ﬁndings

suggest more than half (51%)
This technology has already
will switch to a more efficient
been deployed on Newtec's
transmission standard for new
M6100 Broadcast Modulator,
networks within one year of release.
MDM6100 Broadcast Satellite
This underscores the need for more
Modem, HUB6000 Satellite Hub and
efﬁcient transmissions. The majority
MDM6000 Satellite Modem.
On top of the new S2 Extensions,
will use the efﬁciency gains to push
more content over our satellite. A
Newtec has developed and added
minority of respondents will switch
technologies such as Adaptive
to save opex.
Coding & Modulation (ACM),
We expect to see immediate takeadvanced pre-distortion, and crossup in applications that require
layer optimisation, all of which further
increase transmission efficiency.
high throughput over satellite
for professional use and in
applications which suffer for
bandwidth or need better
vremain proﬁtable.
New broadcast primary
distribution networks feeding
headends and towers also
have the opportunity to
beneﬁt from the more efﬁcient
modulation schemes. And,
while the transition to HD
is still on-going, new and
higher resolution broadcast
like UDHTV are likely to
hit the DTH market in the
foreseeable future, and
will go hand in hand with
deployments of S2 extensions
and HEVC compression.
Our contribution to the new
S2 Extensions, which includes
signiﬁcant investment, has
resulted in the technology that
will drive the next generation
S2 Extensions Key Beneﬁts
DVB standard.

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