Impact of Second-Gen 3DTV on STB

Pay TV operators are the ones who will have to prove the viability of 3DTV to the home and while they are creating a market for the new services, Frame Compatible 3D technology means they can use their existing HDTV infrastructure (particularly encoders and set-top boxes) and avoid significant investments.

However, the wider broadcast industry is openly discussing whether there is a need for a second generation 3DTV transmission technology and what form it should take, with some broadcasters keen on Service Compatible 3D (where the 2D and 3D services are transmitted in a single signal and 2D set-tops can view the content in 2D while any new 3D STBs produce 3DTV content).

We asked a leading video SoC (Silicon on Chip) vendor, Sigma Designs, about the implications of ‘second generation’ 3DTV transmission technologies on the set-top box. Vincent Harradine, Director of Systems Engineering at the company, provides the answers.

What is the impact on customer premise equipment of frame compatible 3DTV services?
One of the main reasons for the existence of such frame compatible formats is their ability to be supported by existing/legacy infrastructure and equipment such as set-top boxes. An existing set-top box can support the decode and output of 3DTV frame compatible formats, e.g. side-by-side or top-and-bottom. Frame compatible formats do not require any additional processing or formatting beyond decoding.

Dependence is upon the display device, e.g. 3D TV, to take care of formatting to typically a frame sequential or page flip format for display. Additionally, the latest HDMI 1.4a specification includes such frame compatible formats as mandatory, plus all 3D TVs currently available are forced to receive and display such frame compatible formats.

All of this can be achieved without any firmware update to the STB but does rely on the customer having a 3D ready TV.

Can existing HD STBs support full 1080p50/60 HD if platform operators wanted to improve the quality of 3D television by increasing the quality of the HD used in frame compatible mode?
Two main issues result in 1080p50/60 support not being readily available with today’s STBs. First, the lack of current video decoder SoC device support for the decoding of 1080p50/60. Second, the HDMI transmitter physical layer being restricted to a maximum pixel clock rate of only 74.25MHz, which is insufficient to support the 1080p50/60 pixel clock rate of 148.5MHz.

What are the key challenges in enabling set-top boxes to support full 3DTV? What is the likely premium for such set-tops? When are we likely to see them?
Support for full 3DTV will require new STB hardware allowing for the support of the appropriate 3D format (e.g. base layer plus enhancement or 2D plus metadata) along with HDMI transmitter support for the necessary data rate increase. Initially there could be a market for such a premium or high-end full resolution STB box. However, over time it will likely become mainstream especially as consumers become aware of the quality difference between BD [Blu-ray disk] (MVC full 3DTV) versus frame compatible (e.g. side-by-side) for the same content.

What challenges would 2D + Delta provide in the STB if operators used this to enable one video stream that could be used for 2D television on 2D STBs and 3DTV on 3D capable STBs?
Typically today’s SoC decoder/media processors are incapable of support for the decoding of 2D + Delta. This means STB upgrades would be necessary; in the absolute best case a firmware upgrade may suffice but in most cases it would require new STB hardware. 3D signalling would also be a necessary requirement, allowing for the appropriate handling of content in 2D versus 3D environments.

Do you think using a single signal for 2D and 3D is realistic - or are 2D and 3D television too different creatively (e.g. camera positions, the way content is shot) for this to work?
For the vast majority of content this will work. Issues could potentially arise over content shot for large screen (movies) versus small screen (TV). But then this is the basis around the selection of MVC as a coding format for Blu-ray (BD) where, in theory, 3D BDs should be capable of playback on existing 2D systems by displaying the single full frame image.

What challenges would 'frame compatible plus enhancement' have for the STB (where frame compatible 3D can be viewed on a normal HD set-top box, as today, but an enhancement layer can also be used to create full 3DTV from the same signal in homes where new, full 3DTV STBs are deployed)?
Today’s STBs are not capable of supporting frame compatible plus enhancement without at least a firmware upgrade. Even a firmware upgrade is a very remote possibility. Almost certainly, new STB hardware will be necessary to allow for such support. Once again, appropriate 3D signalling must be standardized and realized, allowing for hands-free handling of such content.

How realistic is Multiview Video Coding (MVC), as seen in 3D Blu-ray players, for set-top boxes? What cost premium is there compared to standard HD video decoding? When could MVC be supported in STBs?
Sigma Designs will have silicon available in the fall that supports both frame compatible and full 3DTV formats, such as MVC, so it is likely such STBs could become available during 2011. Due to the decoding and subsequent management of two full left and right images, the need for memory bandwidth increases accordingly. This has the potential to increase the BOM [Bill of Materials] cost of STBs. However in the case of the Sigma Designs solution, we have the means for intelligent handling of data for more efficient management of the increased data bandwidth.

By John Moulding, Videonet

3D Motivates Comcast to Think MPEG-4

The FIFA World Cup featured on the ESPN 3D channel is the source of all the recent buzz. Carriers of the new 3D sports channel include Comcast, AT&T's U-verse and DirecTV. Whether a customer’s provider is cable, telco or satellite, viewers must own a 3D TV and glasses, but Comcast customers have an additional hurdle to jump: They also must have an MPEG-4 set-top box.

If a customer calls us and says they have a 3D TV and want to watch the World Cup, we'll provide them with an MPEG-4 set-top, said Mark Francisco, a Comcast Fellow, yesterday at a meeting of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the SCTE in Denver.

Francisco said Comcast has about 10 million MPEG-4 set-tops in the field. "3D is going to be the first MPEG-4 service that Comcast launches," he noted, adding there are some 25 million deployed set-tops capable only of MPEG-2.

According to Francisco, ESPN 3D is now available in MPEG-2 and MPEG-4, but in August, Comcast is planning to "switch the firmware that allows MPEG-4 to work. We can change our broadcast to MPEG-4," adding, "Those (MPEG-4) boxes are always associated with HD households. The vast majority are DVRs."

And the MPEG-4 set-tops are mostly Motorola boxes, he said.

News reports this week say Comcast has chosen U.K.-based Pace for its next major set-top box platform that will incorporate the Intel Media Processor CE 3100 and will be Tru2way-capable. In addition, the Pace boxes will support two HD 1080i video streams in MPEG-4 H.264.

According to Comcast's FAQ page, "Carrying 3D content in MPEG-4 format allows for greater efficiency with our network capacity, and will allow us to add even more 3D content going forward, both for linear channels and OnDemand content."

In addition to MPEG-4 compression, Francisco also mentioned switched digital video (SDV) as a way to more efficiently manage bandwidth resources for more 3D video in the future. Currently, 3D on cable basically is half resolution, and offering full-resolution 3D will require more bandwidth.

By Linda Hardesty, Cable360

Topfield Hits Back at TiVo's First 3D PVR Claim

Topfield has today hit back at TiVo, rejecting Hybrid TV’s claim that it is the first to supply a PVR capable of recording in 3D. Topfield already has seven PVRs with 3D recording capability in the marketplace, according to product manager Robert Bonanno.

In a media release yesterday, Hybrid TV claimed its TiVo device was “the first PVR with the ability to time shift any free-to-air 3D broadcast”. This claim is now in dispute, with Bonanno saying Topfield already had products in the market with that capability.

“Topfield can advise that you can record 3D to the following Topfield PVR models: TF7050, TRF7060, TRF7160, TBF7120, TRF7100PLUS, TRF2400 and TRF2460,” wrote Bonanno in an email to Current.com.au.

Bonanno also emphasised that this can be done without an internet connection.

“When the Topfield PVR records the HD side-by-side image, this signal will be able to be decoded by a true 3D TV at any time in the future. The Topfield PVRs will record the 3D signal as a split screen HD signal. Then the TV will use its 3D engine to overlap and develop the true 3D signal in 16:9.”

By Patrick Avenell, Current

Motorola Premieres First 3D Set-Top

Motorola has announced software enhancements for its DCX line of set-top boxes. The company said that while frame compatible 3D content could be passed through set-tops already in the market, accessing on-screen guides and user menus had given consumers an often unsettling experience.

Motorola has overcome this by integrating 3D signal processing software into the set-top. This is capable of detecting the presence of 3D content and identifying the correct format for its delivery and display on a 3D TV. The set-tops support 3D TV over both MPEG-4 and MPEG-2 and are capable of 1080p24/30 output.

All on-screen text and graphics are then reformatted to match the incoming 3D format, so that they can be correctly displayed by the 3D set. The 3D processing software supports all on-screen displays such as subtitles, application graphics and text overlays, as well as existing EPGs and applications.

Motorola is also working with its customers to add 3D support to set-tops already in the field, an issue of concern in Europe, where operators are keen to use devices already deployed for HD services. The new 3D TV-enabled set-tops will be on display at the Motorola stand at NAB.

By Julian Clover, Broadband TV News

ViXS Delivers the World's Most Advanced Network Multimedia Processor

ViXS Systems announced a new family of advanced networked multimedia SoC solutions. The XCode 4210, the first device of the new family, is a highly integrated processor designed for IPTV set-top boxes. Setting a new benchmark in application and communications processing, the XCode 4210 has the highest application CPU performance and boasts the highest sustained networked data throughput in a single chipset.

Integrating all of ViXS advanced media-processing technology into a new architecture, the ViXS XCode 4210 offers unparalleled performance and feature rich differentiation for best-in-class multimedia user experience. The XCode 4210 is the only set-top box SoC able to encode, decode and transcode multiple HD streams up to 1080p60/50 simultaneously, setting a new industry standard.

The XCode 4210 can transcode up to two HD streams, taking advantage of the Smart XCode technology based on sophisticated algorithms, dynamically switching between a highly efficient smart transcode and a full decode re-encode approach. The XCode 4210 incorporates a dual HD 1080p30/25/24 decoder that supports picture in picture and the latest H.264 Scalable Video Coding (SVC) decoding standard for content transition to 1080p60/50 broadcasting and an additional media processing engine for flexible decoding of multiple Internet formats. The XCode 4210 has the ability to transcrypt and transcode any multimedia content to any multimedia and container formats allowing seamless streaming, downloading and sideloading to a multitude of connected consumer entertainment devices, such as set-top box, PC/laptop, TV, game console, DLNA client, wireless tablet, consumer electronics, and wired or wireless portable or smart phone.

The XCode 4210 delivers user performance in excess of 3,200 DMIPS distributed over a main MIPS 74k applications processor and two ARC 750D offload processors, all simultaneously running their own real time operating systems. This level of performance has set a new benchmark in application and communications processing with the highest sustained networked data throughput over 400 Mbit/s in a single chipset. Moreover, the XCode 4210 architecture produces the best-in-class power consumption for network multimedia processor SoC integrating dual HD transcoding.

An internally architected OpenGL ES 2.0 3D graphics engine provides 1080p graphics rendering on multiple overlays/surfaces as well as on tiled, mosaic and 3D TV content. The 3D graphics performance on the XCode 4210 is currently the only solution that passes the Futuremark benchmark in the set-top box market.

To provide the best image quality to consumers, the XCode 4210 supports advanced video processing including high quality de-interlacing and scaling, edge adaptive sharpening, adaptive contrast enhancement, color management, noise reduction and powerful compositing engines all at 1080p60/50 HD resolution over HDMI and component outputs.

Specifically designed for 3D TV applications, the XCode 4210 includes full 3D TV display formatting capability, 2D/3D graphics rendering, and the latest H.264 Multi-view Codec (MVC) 3D TV decoding standard.

In addition to bringing the next generation of smart network multimedia processor chipsets, ViXS continues to provide its customers with the rich Xtensiv software suite including certified DLNA 1.5 stack developed internally, complete DVR stack, WebKit browser, Qt, Adobe Flash Lite, Java/JavaScript support, Linux DVB, DirectFB and other software tools and applications to accelerate the development of advanced multimedia solutions. The XCode 4210 will also support Adobe embedded Flash 10.1, Android and Win CE 7 that will be announced throughout this year.

Source: ViXS Systems