Well, I don’t know exactly it happened, but I’m now starting a community access channel. I know I’m going to need a modulator to get the SDI signal to the headend but I have a few questions. What are some examples and some expenses that I should know about?
Posted Aug 12, 2019, 10:35 PM UTC
Do you need to do the QAM modulation yourself, for a slice of their RF that will be yours, or can you ship them TransportStream to be multiplexed into their MPTS and then modulated? If you are just shipping them one SPTS, can you do it as UDP?
Hmm good question. All the local gov channels I’ve visited did QAM on site, and the franchise agreement says that I’ll be getting a connection to the return line, but maybe since we’re new they will go digital for us. I’ll ask, but I just assumed I would need to do QAM, and of course when I look at ebay or something for a QAM mod, it’s the Chinese in home trash.
Depends on your franchise agreement, but in California the cable companies provide the headend transport and it’s SDI IP encoders for us.
I’m the words of Monty Python: “Run Away!”
Oh no! What do you know that I dont?
You’ll need playout servers. You’ll need scheduling software. You might need EAS gear. You’ll need to interface with cable providers and guide systems.
You’ll need stuff to air. Soo much stuff. Sooooooo much stuff. 24/7 365 programs.
You couldn’t make me start public access channel, even with a gun to my head.
Oh yea, the broadcast headache shit. We’ve got all that generously from NBC donations. We have a shit modulator for internal tvs but nothing high power to use with the return line to a headend.