Experimental digital television transmissions through the OTS

Digital television using satellites was studied. A 60 Mbit/sec signal, including 2.048 Mbit/sec for sound and other data, was used. The bit error rate (BER) of the satellite link was measured for a range of Eb/No values (Eb = Energy/bit, No = noise power unit bandwith) at ground stations for various operating conditions, e.g., saturated or with interference. Results show that cycle skips occur, but can be eliminated by filters. Digital systems show significantly reduced interference potential to other systems sharing the same frequency band, compared to analog television. In a power limited satellite system, impairment due to BER limits performance, but subjective impairments are very small.