Direct TV Now Using MPEG-4 Technology
 

Direct TV Inc. recently started transmitting high-definition MPEG-4 signals in Detroit and plans to bring MPEG-4 technology to each of its markets during the next few years.

 Although the move to MPEG-4 will make no difference, in terms of picture quality, to Direct TV’s customers, it makes a huge difference to the company because MPEG-4 signals eat up far less bandwidth. While a single MPEG-2 HD stream takes up the space of six standard-definition TV channels, MPEG-4 is at least twice as efficient, taking up the equivalent of three channels or less.

Next year, the company plans to launch more MPEG-4 HDTV signals in more markets, culminating in 2007, when it plans to offer 1,500 local and 150 national channels in the format on four new satellites.

In Detroit, Direct TV’s first market, the company is taking the MPEG-2 HD feeds of the ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox affiliates, digitizing and encrypting their signals, then transporting them via its national fiber backbone to its uplink facility in California. Using encoders from Tandberg Television, the signals are converted to MPEG-4, then sent out via one of Direct TVs Ka-band satellites.

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