Digital Video Broadcasting
The term Digital Video Broadcasting (short DVB) is originally a synonym for Digital TV (short DTV), and refers to telecommunication systems that send TV signals by way of digital transmission schemes, in contrast to the older, traditional, methods of signal transmission employed by Analog TV systems.
In general, Digital TV, or if you prefer Digital Video Broadcasting, consists of the transmission of data packets which carry encoded video/audio, and other payload data (such as EPG information), that has been combined and encapsulated within MPEG-2 Transport Streams. Digital TV signals will adhere to a particular standard which will, suiting to the type of transmission pathway involved, define the specific way the digital video streams used in transmissions are encoded. Specifically, for each standard, the Modulation Scheme, frequencies, transmission parameters and other factors are outlined and optimized for different transmission networks and target devices. On the technical side, the acronym "DVB" is a synonym for the DVB Standards, which include the following specific Digital TV standards:
- DVB-S - used for Digital Broadcasting over Satellite
- DVB-S2 - Digital Broadcasting over Satellite Version 2,
- DVB-C - used for Digital Broadcasting over Cable Networks
- DVB-T - Digital Broadcasting over Terrestrial RF - i.e. Over/off-the-air ("OTA") signals received with a normal TV antenna
While much of the world utilises the above mentioned DVB standards, other regions have opted for other Digital TV systems instead. For example:
- ATSC - The standards used in North America and S.Korea for Digital Broadcasting over Terrestrial RF Networks (OTA)
- ITUJ. 83B (ITU-T J.83, Annex B) / ANSI/SCTE 07 (formerly SCTE DVS-031) / OpenCable™ / DOCSISTM -- defining the standard for digital cable networks in North America
- ISDB (Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting) - Japan's standard for Digital Broadcasting