OCVOD: Video on demand solution

based on one-way cable television network

        Since the birth of the cable TV network, it has never encountered such a huge challenge as today. Under the double clip of the IPTV and OTT TV, cable TV subscriber churn rate are getting higher and higher. How to retain cable TV subscribers has become a huge challenge for the entire cable TV industry.
        In response to the intensified loss of cable TV subscribers, cable TV operators have implemented two-way network transformation to carry out broadband services and video on demand services. Fundamentally speaking, this strategy is the only way for cable operators to transform and upgrade. However, the cost of this strategy is also huge. At present, the fiber-optic home-based mode commonly used in network transformation is equivalent to rebuilding a network. The investment is very huge. Only a few large-scale network companies with strength can adopt this strategy. The vast number of small and medium-sized network companies, simply unable and impossible to adopt this strategy, can only watch the continuous loss of subscribers without doing anything.
        In fact, the greatest benefit of two-way network reform is interactive TV business such as video on demand. Due to the problem of export bandwidth, broadband network operators are always in a weak position in the competition of telecom operators, the vast majority of the broadband fees charged to users are contributed to telecom operators, and few cable network operators can make money from broadband operations.
        In fact, if you want to provide video on demand services to user, two-way network transformation is not the only way out. Mingmore Digital has more than 10 years of experience in interactive TV research and development and work experience in the broadcasting industry. It has created a video on demand system based on one-way cable TV network for small cable network operators, make small cable network operators do not need to spend a lot of money on two-way network reform, but also can carry out video-on-demand business, break the spell of user loss.

Figure 1: the patent for the project

2. Solution introduction

        Mingmore Digital video on demand solution is based on a one-way cable TV network. The minimum configuration is a server, which outputs 8 frequency RF signals. After mixing the mixer with the existing digital TV signals, it enters the HFC network. At the user end, it receives and decodes through the cable TV HD interactive set-top box, and sends the signal to the TV through HDMI high-definition line, and presents it on the TV. The set-top box's return network adopts the existing broadband network in the user's home, or the WIFI network shared by the user's mobile phone, without any network modification of the cable TV operator. The overall topology of the system is shown in the right figure:

        This scheme utilizes the existing one-way cable television network and adopts external interaction to realize video on demand. Compared with the two-way network transformation, it has the following advantages:
     a) Low investment. There is no need to make any two-way transformation of the one-way network, which saves a lot of network reform costs.
     b) Construction is fast. The scheme is customized for a small network of less than 50,000 households. It can provide VOD service for all users with a construction period of no more than one week, depending on the size of users and on the smallest scale, only one server is needed.

Figure 2: Video on demand system topology

     c) Wide range of applications. The solution can flexibly use the external interactive network for video-on-demand service. If the user has broadband in his home, he can use the existing broadband of the user to carry out on-demand through twisted pair or home WIFI network. If the user does not have broadband in his home, he can share WIFI to set-top box by mobile phone and carry out on-demand through 4G network. Because video is transmitted downward through coaxial cable, only menu and control signals are transmitted through IP network, so the consumption of broadband bandwidth or mobile traffic for users is very small. Users need not worry about the problem of bandwidth or traffic at all.
     d) The network has strong adaptability. Even if you have a 500MHz network, you only need to move out 8 even non-contiguous frequency points to support the on-demand service of all users on the entire network.
     e) Compatible with existing digital TV. The existing digital TV platform is not wasted. On the same set-top box, both live channel viewing and video on-demand services are realized.
     f) HD signal is stable. Because IPTV transmits video over IP network, the signal is easily disturbed, leading to pause and mosaic phenomena. The video signal transmitted through coaxial cable is very stable and supports full HD video transmission without pressure.
       As can be seen from the above analysis, this solution can be applied to all small cable operators, and small cable operators can quickly deploy this system at a very low cost, competing with IPTV and OTT TV, not only to retain existing subscribers, to prevent subscriber churn, can also bring new video-on-demand revenue to network operators.

2.1. Server Introduction

        The server integrates program management, stream pump, EPG navigation, user management, billing management and IPQAM. A single server can support 8 frequency points, pump about 128 concurrent streams and serve about 2000 users. In order to receive the demand of set-top box, the server must access the Internet, so that the demand of set-top box can be transmitted to the server through the Internet. After the server responds to the on-demand request of the set-top box, the video content is modulated by the modulator and sent to the HFC network. The user can receive the on-demand signal at home and receive the demodulation and decoding through the set-top box and then present it to the television for viewing by the user. The system and server parameters are as follows:
     a)   The system adopts DVB-C standard, QAM64 modulation mode, and is fully compatible with existing digital TV signals.
     b)   Support H.264 HD program, single frequency point can support 16 on-demand streams
     c)   Each server can support 8 frequency points, and the QAM modulator is built into the server.
     d)   According to the convergence ratio of 16:1, a single server can support about 2000 users.
     e)   Servers can be stacked to support more users
     f)   Regional control is required when systems with more than 2000 users are deployed (network supports regional transmission)
     g)   When deploying a large-volume system, the QAM modulator can be isolated from the server for easy deployment.

Figure 3: the management page of the server

Figure 4: the management page of movies

2.2. User terminal
        The user terminal adopts DVB-C high-definition two-way set-top box, and the parameters of the set-top box are as follows:

GY3800HD	Platform	Chip	AVL1506T	Dimension：140mmX95mmX28mm
		Flash	8MBytes
		DDR	64MBytes DDRIII
		Video decoder	MPEG-2 ISO/IEC 13818, MPEG-4 ISO/IEC 14496-2, H.264 ISO/IEC 14496-10，AVS/AVS+
		CA	spuuort
		Power consumption	The typical working power consumption of the whole machine is less than 10w.
		Video resolution	1080p/1080i/720p/576p/576i/480p/480i
	Interface	Front panel	Three indicators (power indication, frequency indication, network link indication)
		IR	38KHz (pre-board reserved), rear Mini-USB extended port
		Smart card	ISO 7816 standard slot
		Video	HDMIx1，AVx1
		RF input	1
		USB	1
		WiFi	built-in WiFi module

As you can see from the parameter list, this interactive HD set-top box has the following characteristics:
     a)   Compatible with the original digital TV signal, and even integrate the original Conditional Access to support the original encryption scheme
     b)   Through the built-in WIFI module, you can access the home WIFI router or mobile phone to share WIFI, thereby accessing the internet
     c)   Support H.264 HD television channel and video on demand

The Set-top box on demand interface is as follows: