ETSI TS 101 574 V1.1.1 (2011-11)

Technical Specification
Access, Terminals, Transmission and Multiplexing (ATTM);
System characteristics of receiver equipment installed in
headends of integrated broadband cable and television
networks intended to receive broadcast signals in the
frequency range 470 MHz to 790 MHz

2 ETSI TS 101 574 V1.1.1 (2011-11)

Reference
DTS/ATTM-003017
Keywords
cable, CRS
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3 ETSI TS 101 574 V1.1.1 (2011-11)
Contents
Intellectual Property Rights . 4
Foreword . 4
1 Scope . 5
2 References . 5
2.1 Normative references . 5
2.2 Informative references . 5
3 Definitions, symbols and abbreviations . 5
3.1 Definitions . 5
3.2 Symbols . 6
3.3 Abbreviations . 6
4 Background . 6
4.1 Cable System Architecture . 6
4.2 Frequency Allocations & Usage . 6
4.3 Purpose of Cable Headend Receivers . 7
4.4 Methods for Primary Distribution of Television Programming to Cable Headends . 7
5 Headend Receiver Characteristics . 7
5.1 Antenna Characteristics . 8
5.1.1 Parameters for Antenna Installations . 8
5.1.2 Directional Patterns. 8
5.2 Receiver Characteristics . 9
5.3 Resulting Receiver System Characteristics . 9
6 Deployment Scenarios . 9
Annex A (informative): Protection of Cable Headend Receivers . 11
Annex B (informative): Example Link Budget Calculation . 13
History . 14

ETSI
4 ETSI TS 101 574 V1.1.1 (2011-11)
Intellectual Property Rights
IPRs essential or potentially essential to the present document may have been declared to ETSI. The information
pertaining to these essential IPRs, if any, is publicly available for ETSI members and non-members, and can be found
in ETSI SR 000 314: "Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs); Essential, or potentially Essential, IPRs notified to ETSI in
respect of ETSI standards", which is available from the ETSI Secretariat. Latest updates are available on the ETSI Web
server (http://ipr.etsi.org).
Pursuant to the ETSI IPR Policy, no investigation, including IPR searches, has been carried out by ETSI. No guarantee
can be given as to the existence of other IPRs not referenced in ETSI SR 000 314 (or the updates on the ETSI Web
server) which are, or may be, or may become, essential to the present document.
Foreword
This Technical Specification (TS) has been produced by ETSI Technical Committee Access, Terminals, Transmission
and Multiplexing (ATTM).
ETSI
5 ETSI TS 101 574 V1.1.1 (2011-11)
1 Scope
The present document defines system characteristics of the receiving equipment used in cable headends including but
not limited to receiver noise figure, antenna gain, signal-to-noise ratio, etc.
2 References
References are either specific (identified by date of publication and/or edition number or version number) or
non-specific. For specific references, only the cited version applies. For non-specific references, the latest version of the
reference document (including any amendments) applies.
Referenced documents which are not found to be publicly available in the expected location might be found at
http://docbox.etsi.org/Reference.
NOTE: While any hyperlinks included in this clause were valid at the time of publication, ETSI cannot guarantee
their long term validity.
2.1 Normative references
The following referenced documents are necessary for the application of the present document.
Not applicable.
2.2 Informative references
The following referenced documents are not necessary for the application of the present document but they assist the
user with regard to a particular subject area.
[i.1] ETSI TR 102 881 (V1.1.1): "Access, Terminals, Transmission and Multiplexing (ATTM); Cable
Network Handbook".
[i.2] ETSI EN 300 744: "Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB); Framing structure, channel coding and
modulation for digital terrestrial television".
[i.3] United States Code of Federal Regulations, Title 47, Part 15, Subpart H: "Television Band
Devices".
[i.4] FCC 10-174: "Second Memorandum Opinion and Order in the Matter of Unlicensed Operation in
the TV Broadcast Bands", September 23, 2010.
[i.5] ETSI TS 102 639 (April 2009): "Access and Terminals, Transmission and Multiplexing
(ATTM);Third Generation Transmission Systems for Interactive Cable Television Services - IP
Cable Modems".
3 Definitions, symbols and abbreviations
3.1 Definitions
For the purposes of the present document, the following terms and definitions apply:
cable drop: small gauge coaxial cable that connects the customer premises to a tap
NOTE: This may contain additional information.
fibre node: device which performs a media conversion between a fibre link and a coaxial link in an HFC network
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6 ETSI TS 101 574 V1.1.1 (2011-11)
headend: cable operator facility where video signals are received and launched into the cable access network
tap: device having coaxial cable connections that splits downstream input RF signals among various output connections
3.2 Symbols
For the purposes of the present document, the following symbols apply:
MHz megahertz
dB decibel(s)
m meter(s)
km kilometer(s)
dBm decibel referenced to 1 milliwatt
kW kilowatt
3.3 Abbreviations
For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:
COFDM Coded Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing
DVB-T Digital Video Broadcast - Terrestrial
FCC United States Federal Communications Commission
HFC Hybrid Fibre/Coax
MVPD Multi-channel Video Programming Distributor
NCTA National Cable & Telecommunications Association
OOB Out-Of-Band
RF Radio Frequency
TV television
TVBD Television Bands Device
4 Background
4.1 Cable System Architecture
Integrated broadband cable and television networks support delivery of a wide range of digital entertainment and
informational programming via the use of a hybrid fibre/coaxial network. As described more fully in [i.1], the typical
cable system consists of a "headend" facility and a distribution network. The headend facility is where the cable system
interconnects with video content distribution sources, the public switched telephone network, and the Internet. The
distribution network (plant) typically consists of optical fibre connectivity to "fibre nodes" located in proximity to
residential neighborhoods, followed by coaxial cable connecting the fibre nodes to customer premises equipment. The
coaxial portion of the plant is a tree and branch structure, often with a main coaxial line (having signal-boosting
amplifiers spaced periodically) and individual cable drops that connect to the main line via "taps". Once the cable drop
reaches the customer premises, it is often split to reach multiple customer premises devices.
4.2 Frequency Allocations & Usage
Digital television signals are carried on the cable plant using similar channelization (though different modulation) and
similar spectrum as is used for terrestrial broadcast. Due to the physically contained nature of the spectrum in the cable
plant, there is no need to have gaps (white spaces) between programme channels, and as a result all of the channels are
occupied in carrying content.
Whilst there are country-by-country, operator-by-operator, and even system-by-system differences in plant operations,
for carrying programming content from the headend to the customer, the contiguous block of spectrum beginning
typically at 80,6 MHz and running up to 862 MHz (with equipment capable of supporting operation up to 1 GHz as
defined by ETSI and CENELEC standards, including [i.5]) is utilized. This results in more than 90 channels, each of
8 MHz, all of which are utilized continuously to provide a wide variety of services including linear television
programming, video on demand, broadband Internet and telephony.
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7 ETSI TS 101 574 V1.1.1 (2011-11)
4.3 Purpose of Cable Headend Receivers
The cable operator provides a variety of television programme channels to its customers. In some cases the channels are
selected in order to appeal to customer interests, in other cases local and/or national regulations may require the cable
operator to carry certain channels.
In order for the cable operator to provide television channels to its customers, the cable headend needs to have means to
receive television programming content from a variety of sources, some may be international television channels, others
may be
...