Motorola Takes C-SPAN All-Digital

Will supply three networks with satellite compression gear

By Glen Dickson -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/31/2009 2:00:00 AM MT

Motorola will announce a major deal Tuesday to convert program distribution for public-affairs programmer C-SPAN from analog to digital, using a range of Motorola’s Digicipher-II video encoding systems. The installation of the digital compression gear will eventually allow C-SPAN to launch high-definition services.

CSPAN will first deploy Motorola’s modular uplink system and commercial receiver/decoders (IRDs) to make all three C-SPAN standard definition (SD) services--- C-SPAN, C-SPAN2 and C-SPAN3--available in a digital format starting this June on one of its two satellite transponders. The other transponder will continue to carry C-SPAN in the legacy analog format to ensure reception by all existing affiliates.

The initial C-SPAN multiplex will be delivered using MPEG-2 compression, says Motorola, but will expand to include MPEG-4 as C-SPAN enhances its line up with three HD channels. C-SPAN will deploy a combination of SE-2000 MPEG-2 SD encoders and DSR-4410 receivers for the initial launch and add SE-5100 MPEG-4 HD encoders and MPEG-4/MPEG-2 transcoding receivers for HD at a later date.

“We’ve been planning to move to digital for some time to help us deliver the high-quality experiences that our affiliates and viewers now expect,” said Rob Kennedy, co-president of C-SPAN Networks, in a statement. “In Motorola, we have a partner that we can rely on to enable us to optimize the bandwidth available to us, and with the breadth of portfolio to give us to provide flexibility as we roll out different services.”

“No two companies will take the same migration path to digital transmission, so we have developed a broad portfolio of products that allow us to deliver the most effective and tailored transition every time,” added Bob Wilson, general manager of Motorola’s Networked Video Solutions business. “This enables C-SPAN to deploy the right IRD for specific services transmitted to specific customers.”

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/190939-Motorola_Takes_C_SPAN_All_Digital.php

Cable Show 2009: C-SPAN To Start All-Digital Move

Public-Affairs Programmer to Use Motorola Gear

By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 3/31/2009 2:01:00 AM MT

C-SPAN Networks this summer will start migrating to all-digital video distribution, using Motorola's Digicipher-II video-encoding systems and satellite receivers.

In June, C-SPAN will begin deploying Motorola's modular uplink system and commercial receiver/decoders (IRDs) to make all three C-SPAN standard-definition services available to affiliates in a digital format.

C-SPAN will continue to operate two satellite transponders: The first will carry C-SPAN in the legacy analog format to ensure reception by all existing affiliates, while the current C-SPAN2 transponder will change from analog to digital to carry C-SPAN, C-SPAN2 and C-SPAN3 digital programming.

The transition will enable C-SPAN to optimize the efficiency of its infrastructure to deliver more compelling opportunities to view government activities, including the future delivery of high-definition services.

"We've been planning to move to digital for some time to help us deliver the high-quality experiences that our affiliates and viewers now expect," C-SPAN co-president Rob Kennedy said in a prepared statement. "In Motorola, we have a partner that we can rely on to enable us to optimize the bandwidth available to us and with the breadth of portfolio to give us to provide flexibility as we roll out different services."

Initially, C-SPAN's digital feed will be carried as MPEG-2 SD video but will expand to include MPEG-4 as the programmer enhances its lineup with three HD channels.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/190948-Cable_Show_2009_C_SPAN_To_Start_All_Digital_Move.php

Does C-SPAN negotiate carriage just like every other cable channel or are there special rules? I'm just wondering what cable company would consider giving up bandwidth to C-SPAN.

They are already taking up analog bandwidth in many areas. (Here on Comcast CSPAN 1 and 2 are analog.) If they dropped the analog for HD they would use less bandwidth. Or they could use bandwith from dropping other analog channels.

I believe that providers are required to devote a certain amount of their channel space to public interest programming. C-SPAN is one of the best options for that, and people actually expect it on their cable systems.

I think the Senate and the House would actually look pretty good in HD, but who knows how long it would take to upgrade the camera and switching equipment in the Capitol.

I think the Senate and the House would actually look pretty good in HD, but who knows how long it would take to upgrade the camera and switching equipment in the Capitol.

Probably why they haven't set a hard date yet, and are switching just to digital for now.

CSPAN HD would be awesome. Seriously.

I don't see a need for CSpan 3 in HD.

I don't see a need for CSpan 3 in HD.
What, you don't want to watch a replay of the September 1998 House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness hearing in HD?!

I used to poke fun at the idea of bringing any of the C Span channel in HD for obvious reasons. But it may actually be interesting to watch the Senate/ House of Representatives bicker or agree to disagree on a variety of items ofn their agenda. I 've seen Andy Rooney on 60 Minutes in crystal clear high definition and have lived to tell about it. Although like the previous post, I don't see musch of a need for Cspan 3 in HD given that most of their content consists of videotaped footage.

Is C-SPAN available in HD now? Sure looks like an HD picture here. (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/01/president-obama-addresses-nation-on-gm-bankruptcy/)

Is C-SPAN available in HD now? Sure looks like an HD picture here. (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/01/president-obama-addresses-nation-on-gm-bankruptcy/)
That's a 4:3 shot.

I think the Senate and the House would actually look pretty good in HD, but who knows how long it would take to upgrade the camera and switching equipment in the Capitol.

I could be wrong but I thought I read in one of the broadcast tech magazines that the capitol facility is already or just recently upgraded to HD.

Any developments on this?

How are the feeds of the House and the Senate produced? Are they done by C-SPAN? Or is there a pool feed onto which C-SPAN then overlays its own graphics?

Whatever video source MSNBC is using (with the voting stats on it) is clearly HD when they switch to fullscreen prior to commercial breaks. Does that mean C-SPAN is producing in HD, they're just not delivering it in HD? I don't know enough of the specifics here.

CNN and MSNBC used the HD feed of House of Representatives coverage Sunday.
FNC's feed was SD.
The press conference after the vote was in HD on all the cable networks.

So there are pretty clearly HD cameras in the House of Representatives now. When can we expect C-SPAN to start passing the feeds to us?

Not sure if this is a precursor to HD, but I noticed this morning that C-SPAN has debuted a new graphics package across all three of their networks. It's very similar to what they were using on C-SPAN 3 during certain hours.

C-SPAN HD and C-SPAN 2 HD will be available to affiliates on June 1. CSPAN 3 HD will launch in July.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/452819-IN_BRIEF.php

C-SPAN3 is apparently already up in running in HD,
There's a clip from the confirmation hearings from C-SPAN3 HD.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFkVwvlpXUk

Is anyone carrying these networks in HD yet? because I would love to see it in HD especially on U-Verse.

C-SPAN3 is apparently already up in running in HD,
There's a clip from the confirmation hearings from C-SPAN3 HD.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFkVwvlpXUkThe live stream is also airing in HD I think

http://cspan.org/Special/Supreme-Court-Kagan-Senate-Confirmation-Hearing.aspx

http://cspan.org/Special/Supreme-Court-Kagan-Senate-Confirmation-Hearing-34886.aspx has an SD feed.

Is anyone carrying these networks in HD yet? because I would love to see it in HD especially on U-Verse.

My cable company( Charter ) just moved C-Span 2 to to digital. C-Span is still analog and we don't even get C-Span 3. We'll get C-Span and C-Span 2 in HD in 10 years probably. You'd think C-Span would also be broadcast OTA. if 10% of the population has OTA only that's a lot of people that are not getting to see the action in the House and Senate and other governemnt related stuff. It seems every other town has its own PBS station yet C-SPAN isn't carried OTA.

Channels should be interesting. I always wanted to see what hot air looked like in HD!!!


:D

This is great news. C-span always has the best coverage of special events such as State of the Unions and Inaugurations because their anchor people know when to speak and when to shut up.

I swear the networks think talking is like keeping the bus at 55mph in the movie "Speed."

They must think 90% of the viewing population is blind....."The President is decending from Air Force One now.....the President is shaking hands now....."

I want to scream "SHUT-UP!!"

C-SPAN HD announced for Time Warner Cable in New York City.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=18989982#post18989982

C-SPAN HD announced for Time Warner Cable in New York City.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=18989982#post18989982


Well at least it is a beginning. By the way, if any of you C-Span junkies remember the series. The Capitol (http://www.c-span.org/capitolhistory/) from a few years ago, it was filmed 16x9 in 1080i. It was just a little experiment they did to get ready for HD broadcasting.

1 and 2 available on BendBroadband in Oregon.

http://www.bendbroadband.com/residential/dc_channel_lineup.asp?pageID=dc&subID=clu

all 3 CSPAN's are coming to TWC NYC on 8/18