SUIT-Scalable, Ultra-fast and Interoperable Interactive Television

The deployment of different types of networks makes available the contents anywhere and anytime. However, in the context of multimedia communications over heterogeneous networks, some interoperability related problems are unsolved so far. This paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of SUIT (European IST project n. 028042), a convergent architecture between two broadband wireless networks, IEEE 802.16e (WiMAX) and DVB-T/H. The main idea is to combine in a fruitful manner DVB-T/H with the broadband wireless access network IEEE802.16e providing a low round- trip delay and robust communications at high mobile speed, above 150 km/h. In this context of network convergence, broadband networks like DVB-T/H and WiMAX will certainly play an important role, delivering multimedia data namely compressed video to fixed and mobile subscribers. SUIT makes use of layered multiple description video coding and therefore promotes video scalability over broadcasting networks.