Hilversum, 11 September 2019

DTA-2132 Takes Satellite Reception to the Next Level

Our new professional satellite receiver features DVB-S2/S2X reception and DVB-CID decoding. The DTA-2132 is ideal for monitoring satellite networks, for high-speed data transmission over satellite, and for contributing TV signals to studios where reliable reception is a determining factor. Various high-quality metrics are available for detailed and precise RF measurements of the received signal.

Demodulation is entirely FPGA-based, meaning that zero CPU cycles are consumed for reception. A wide range of constellations and code rates are supported, including 256APSK, with symbol rates up 72MBd and data rates up to 425Mbit/s. The card has the ability to output I/Q samples, which can be used for spectrum analysis, recording or software demodulation using SDR technology.

DTA-2132 - High-end satellite receiver with DVB-S2/S2X and DVB-CID demodulation.

A special feature of the card is demodulation and analysis of the DVB Carrier ID system (DVB-CID), with a user-friendly GUI integrated in StreamXpert, DekTec's stream analyzer. This makes it possible to identify the carrier of a satellite transmission and to locate the source of interfering broadcasts. The ability of the DTA-2132 to decode multiple CID signals simultaneously, even when the DVB-S2 signal cannot be demodulated (due to interference), is unique in the field.

The card includes an 18V/600mA LNB power inserter with overcurrent protection, removing the need for an external power supply. A DiSEqC-2.0 22-kHz LNB-control signal inserter is also supplied allowing the DTA-2132 to control upstream RF switches and dish motors.

The DTA-2132 is supported on Windows and Linux, with our API that is uniform for all our devices. The card is shipping from stock. Visit DekTec at IBC booth 2.B40 to see the DTA-2132 with real-life DVB-CID analysis in action.

Hilversum, 6 September 2019

New Range of SDI Cards Kicked Off by DTA-2172

At IBC 2019, DekTec introduces a new line of SDI interface adapters for PCIe, with different port counts per card, at very attractive prices. Target users are developers of PC-based broadcast products, e.g. video distribution equipment. All ports support DVB-ASI, enabling mixed compressed/uncompressed applications such as software-based encoders and decoders. First in line is the DTA-2172, featuring two bidirectional 3G-SDI/ASI ports.

The free DekTec Matrix API^® 2.0 handles all SDI formatting details, making life much easier for application developers. Convenient Matrix-API features include working directly with audio and video samples, pixel format conversions, ANC data insertion/extraction and video scaling.

DTA-2172 - Two bidirectional 3G-SDI/ASI ports with genlock.

The DTA-2172 is primarily intended for integration in PC-based products, but it can also be perfectly combined with the renowned test and measurement applications from DekTec. In combination with StreamXpress, test streams can be played out to validate your SDI equipment. With SdEye, the card turns into a waveform analyzer. VF-REC enables the recording and playback of uncompressed full-HD streams. Finally, StreamXpert performs in-depth analysis of ASI streams.

The stylish card is currently in stock and shipping. In the coming months, the range will be expanded with 4-, 8- and 12-port cards, with 12G-SDI capability on selected ports.

Contact us to receive our inviting terms and conditions for integrating DekTec cards in your product.

Hilversum, 2 April 2019

Dolby AC-4 Decoding and Analysis in StreamXpert

AC-4 is Dolby's latest audio compression technology that provides improved bandwidth efficiency, enhanced features and a modern object-based format. Traction in the market is increasing with implementations by several CE manufacturers, inclusion in broadcast standards (ATSC-3, DVB) and many AC-4 broadcast trials being conducted.

StreamXpert decodes AC-4 audio and shows associated metadata in a concise way, both for OTT and transport streams. Broadcasters can use it for confidence monitoring - checking that the audio actually decodes and that all parameters are configured properly. Equipment manufacturers can inspect and verify AC-4 audio and metadata in their product's output.

Dolby AC-4 decoding and metadata analysis in StreamXpert.

Dolby AC-4 uses object-based audio to efficiently carry components - music, sound effects and dialogs, possibly in multiple languages - in separate entities on the same PID. Users select a 'presentation', a particular combination of audio components, for listening in their preferred language or for changing between home/away announcers.

Audio objects on the same PID are known as substreams. A presentation is a combination of substreams. The StreamXpert screenshot on the left shows an example of audio substreams and presentations. The dialog is available in English, Spanish and German, while 'music & effects' is in a seperate substream. When a user changes the presentation, the music & effects substream remains the same but it's combined with a dialog in a different language. This allows AC-4 to send base substreams with a higher bitrate, such as music, only once. With StreamXpert you can examine the details and listen to all presentations.

DekTec has been working closely with Dolby for a long time, so that our tools are instrumented with optimal support for Dolby technologies. Not surprisingly, the decoding- and analysis implementation in StreamXpert is Dolby certified.

Jeff Riedmiller, vice President at Dolby Laboratories comments:

“When launching a next generation audio system like Dolby AC-4, it is critical to have real-time analysis and monitoring tools available not only to ensure compliance with the standard, but to provide the broadcaster with comprehensive visibility into Dolby AC-4’s rich set of metadata – this ensures their next generation audio experiences are optimal when consumed across the wide range of consumer devices and form factors used today. DekTec is a key industry resource helping broadcast services around the world get on air with confidence and we are delighted that StreamXpert now supports Dolby AC-4 with metadata analysis and decoding. This will be a welcome addition to all the broadcasters worldwide who are working to bring Dolby AC-4 enabled experiences to air.”

StreamXpert is DekTec's signature transport-stream analyzer that is standard across the professional broadcast industry. We are constantly updating StreamXpert to keep it current with the latest stream formats. Users with a maintenance arrangement in place have free access to Dolby AC-4 analysis and decoding by upgrading to the latest version.

Hilversum, 28 March 2019

Twelve-Channel Receiver Card Goes Terrestrial

You can now monitor an entire terrestrial or cable network using a single PCIe multi-receiver card. The new DTA-2139B houses twelve (!) receivers to capture any mix of cable (DVB-C, QAM-B/C) and terrestrial (DVB-T, DVB-T2, even ISDB-T) signals. All services in the twelve received transport streams can be simultaneously and continuously monitored in real time, with DekTec's Xpect Mosaic, with a 3^rd party solution or with your own compliancy-checking application.

DTA-2139B - Twelve cable/terrestrial receivers on a single PCIe card.

The main application of the DTA-2139B is simultaneous monitoring of all the transport streams in a cable or terrestrial network. Streams can be monitored for compliancy, they can be recorded (compliance recording) or a mix of services can be decoded and put in a mosaic.

Another application is receiving a bouquet of services and remultiplexing them on another network, e.g. receiving several DVB-T2 transport streams and transcoding them to IP, or remultiplex and modulate the received services on a local cable network. Other creative applications are conceivable, e.g. generating a large number of TS-over-IP services (e.g. for testing purposes) simply by receiving free-to-air DVB-T2 services.

The DTA-2139B is the successor of the DTA-2139. Several improvements have been made using state-of-the-art technology and the latest generation tuner and demodulator chips. The loop-through output of the DTA-2139 has been dropped, leaving more power (=less noise) for the on-board receivers. Together, the combination of several small improvements yields a significant boost in the performance and functionality of the DTA-2139B.

For developers, the product comes with our free and field-proven SDK (DTAPI). Applications have access to the complete transport stream from each of the twelve receivers. Additionally, each receiver provides lock status, RF level, MER and bit error rate.

Hilversum, 1 March 2019

Released: DTA-2175 - HD-SDI/ASI Input+Output with Relay Bypass

The DTA-2175 is a no-nonsense HD-SDI input and an HD-SDI output on a compact PCIe card, with two on-board relays for automatic failover support. Typical applications of the DTA-2175 include SDI generation and/or capturing, and inline processing of SDI signals, e.g. inserting a logo or subtitling, embedding audio or adding ANC data packets.

The new DTA-2175, a cute little PCIe card with HD-SDI/ASI input+output and relay bypass.

Both the input and output port support ASI too. This enables mixed compressed/uncompressed applications like software-based encoders (SDI to ASI) and decoders (ASI to SDI).

The DTA-2175 hardware supports 3G-SDI, but the current firmware of the DTA-2175 supports up to HD-SDI. Firmware support for 3G-SDI will be added later in 2019.

A watchdog-controlled relay can automatically bypass the hardware upon a software- or hardware crash, and even upon a PC power failure. This allows you to create highly-available SDI (or ASI) generators. Both PCs run the same application. Normally, SDI output originates from PC1. If PC1 fails, the relay will automatically fail over to PC2, bypassing PC1.

DekTec Matrix API^® 2.0 enables you to create custom applications on top of the DTA-2175. This API implements all the low-level SDI details, making life much easier for application developers. Convenient Matrix-API features include directly working with audio- and video samples, pixel-format- and bit-width conversion, video scaling and more.

The DTA-2175 is low-profile and extra short, fitting well in small server devices. It's the successor of the DTA-2145, our best-seller product for adding ASI I/O to servers. Stock is available. Please contact your DekTec representative for further information and quotations.