ATM and video distribution

This paper examines the application areas for ATM within the TV broadcasting environment. Furthermore, it also looks at some of the problems encountered with video transmission across ATM networks. The TV broadcast application areas can broadly be divided into four groups; programme gathering, contribution/post-production, primary distribution and secondary distribution. Primary distribution is defined as the transmission from the TV studio to the TV transmitter or cable head-end, whereas secondary distribution is defined as the transmission from the TV transmitter to the TV set in the viewer's home. This paper does not include a discussion of secondary distribution. The transmission requirements, in terms of flexibility and quality, for each of these application areas differ in a number of ways. The paper examines some of these requirements.