Transmission of 4:2:2 formatted video on SDH/PDH networks

In various stages of the processes in the broadcast industry and in high-quality contribution, the questions of transparency and room for further processing, are of utmost importance. In this environment, the 4:2:2 video format plays an important role, and the increased need for networking calls for special attention to 4:2:2 compatible video codecs. The data rate of the 4:2:2 format is 270 Mbit/s, and a 4:2:2 signal may therefore not be transmitted on the widespread 140 Mbit/s PDH or on the increasingly important 155 Mbit/s SDH/SONET networks without bit rate reduction (BRR). However, by means of a moderate BRR of about 2.1, it is considered possible to keep a codec nearly transparent, even with multiple cascadings. The paper demonstrates a video codec based on DCT processing which allows transmission of 4:2:2 formatted video on SDH, SONET and PDH networks, and discusses the results of development at RE Technology.