PHILIPPINE CABLE TELEVISION ASSOCIATION, INC...

PHILIPPINE CABLE TELEVISION ASSOCIATION, INC.

CABLE LINEHEAdLINE: PCTA UNVEILS 21ST CONVENTION AT SMX CONVENTION CENTER MAR - APR 2013

INSIdE: IECEP ANd PCTA MOA SIGNING vOLUME 13ISSUE 2

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The Official Newsletter of thePHILIPPINE CABLE TELEVISION ASSOCIATION, INC.

5

Editor’s NoteAmelita G. Ledesma

Howtimefliesandit’sconventiontimeagain!Goodnewsandfunawaitthedelegates,exhibitors

andguestsof the2013 PCTAannual convention.The importantmilestone for theyear is thepassage

intolawofthemuch-awaitedcabletheftbillwhichaimstoarresttheproliferationofillegalconnections

andsignaltheft.Withthis,cableoperatorscan confront andresolvetheproblemwiththeforceof law

without fear. Ina showofappreciation,wewillhaveno less than the twocommitteechairmen inboth

housesofCongressasourhonouredguests.ACSRprojectwhichisdeemedtobeextremelyvaluabletoan

operator’sdesiretobeofservicetoitscommunitywillbehighlightedwiththesigningofamemorandum

ofagreementbetweentheDepartmentofScienceandTechnologyandthePCTAonProjectNOAH.The

technicalcommitteewillhavetheirmomenttootoshowcasetheirachievements-theMOAagreements

withTESDAandwiththeIECEP-andthetechnicalssessions.Thisdemonstratesourcontinuousefforts

tofurtherenhancetheknowledgeandcapabilityofourtechnicalpeopletocopewiththefast-changing

technology.

Additional highlightswill be our keynote speaker in the person ofMr. Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez,

interactionwiththeNTCCommissionerGamalielCordobaandthevariouspresentationsoftheirproductsby

thedifferentprogramandequipmentsuppliers.Managementsessionsonhowtocopewiththeseemingly

insurmountable requirements of a shift from the current analog system todigitalwill be conducted.

Programmerswillhaveachancetointeracttoowithourmembers.

Andofcourse,whateveryonealwayslookforwardtooforfunandday-endfrolicaretheexhibits,

thepartiespreparedbytheprogrammersandthePCTAFellowshipNight.

WELCOMEANDENJOY!

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ALJ_PCTA_LETTERSIZE_ADVERT_AW.indd 1 22/02/2013 19:11


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The Philippine Cable Television Association (PCTA)brings back to Metro Manila the most-awaited cable television event of the year as it unveils the 21steditionofPCTAConventiononWednesday,March 20, 2013 at Function Room 3 of SMXConventionCenterinPasayCity.

Mr. Eugenio Lopez III, Chairman of ABS-CBNBroadcasting Corporation, is the Keynote speaker during theOpening Ceremony which will take place at 9 o’clock in the morning.AlsoinvitedtogracetheeventareSenatorGregorioHonasan, Representative Sigfrido Tinga, former Senator andPCTA FoundingChairmanRamonMagsaysay Jr., andNationalTelecommunicationsCommission(NTC)CommissionerGamalielA.Cordoba.

TheExhibition, locatedatFunctionRoom4, formallyopens to all the delegates and guests with a Ribbon-cuttingCeremonyrightafter.Thirty-eight (38)companies ledbyGoldSponsors Fox International Channels (FIC), Cable Box OfficeShowsandSystems(CableBoss),AsianCableCommunications,Inc. (ACCION), SES, and Trinity Broadcasting Networks (TBN),areallsetto impresstheattendeeswithadazzlingdisplayofthe latest programs, equipment, and technology available to thecableTVindustry.TheeventalsohasFrance24,HBO,SolarEntertainment,SolarTV,Euronews,andChannelNewsAsiaandasSilverSponsors.

One of the highlights of the event during lunchtimeis the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between the association and the Department of Science and Technology(DOST). PCTA president, Mr. Allan Dungao, and the DOSTSecretary, Dr.MarioMontejo,will affirm the PCTAmembers’commitment to assist the DOST by hosting weather sensorsin their respective area of operation that would provide on-timeandaccurateweatherinformationtothepublicthrutheagency’sProjectNOAH.

NTCCommissionerCordobaalsoleadsthediscussionsduring the NTC Forum to address the regulatory issues andconcernsofthecableindustry.

In theafternoon,PCTAmembersgather inaGeneral

MembershipAssemblywhereassociationmattersareaddressedandthenewmembersoftheBoardareelected.

On the second day, the conference features two simultaneous sessions – one for Management and another one forTechnical-thatwillstartat9o’clockinthemorning.

The Management session starts off with a paneldiscussion, Digital Transition is Here and Now! where key industrystakeholderswilldiscusstheirexperienceswhentheymigratedtothedigitalplatform.Nextafter,selectedtechnologyandequipmentsupplierswillpresenttheirrespectivecompany’sofferingsthatwouldmakethedigital transitionaffordableforcable operators in a panel discussion entitled, Cost Effective Ways to Go Digital.Apanelcomposedofprogramexecutiveswill then take center stage to discuss Programming Trends in the Digital Age.Anotherissuethathaspotentialadverseeffecton pay television is Satellite Interference which will be discussed by a panel of experts from Cable and Satellite BroadcastAssociationofAsia(CASBAA).

The Technical session will have local and foreign technologyexpertswhowilldiscussthebroadaspectofdigitaltechnology to separate the facts from the myth, as well new technologiessuchasOvertheTop(OTT),TVEverywhere,MultiScreen,IPV4preservationandIPV6migration,businessservicesoverDOCSIS,andbroadcastmonitoringplatform.TheTechnicalCommittee will also discuss the recent MOA signed by thePCTAand IECEP,aswellasprovideupdateontheTESDANCIIassessmentbeingundertakenbythePCTA.

In theeveningofMarch21, themuch-awaitedPCTAFellowshipNightwillbeheldatOneEsplanadewithanArabianNights theme. The event is co-sponsored by SES, the dinnersponsor,andCreativeProgramsInc.(CPI)forthebaranddrinks.

Cablelympics,a technicalquizandskillscompetition,willtakeplaceinthemorningofMarch22.Technicalpersonnelfrom different cable companies will pit skills and knowledgetowinthegrandprizeofP5,000whilesecondandthirdplacewinners will receive P3,000 and P2,000, respectively, plus amedalandasetoftoolsforeachwinner.

A new addition in this year’s convention is a pre-conventionmanagementseminarintheafternoonofTuesday,March 19, which features topics such as Media Marketing,Leadership, Strategies for Personal Financial Success, and aProfileoftheDigitalFilipino.

PCTAConvention2013willbeheldfromMarch19-22,2013withthetheme,“DigitalNow”.

PCTA UNVEILS 21ST CONVENTION AT SMX CONVENTION CENTER

by Anne B. Manalansan

Mr.EugenioLopezIII Sen.GregorioHonasanII Rep.SigfridoTinga

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 24/7

COME AND VISIT US AT PCTA CONVENTION 2013

CONTACT: BRICE BERTRAND ([email protected])

OFFER YOUR SUBSCRIBERSTHE WORLD SEEN FROM PARIS

AD ARTWORK.indd 1 25/02/2013 17:09:34


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President’s Annual Report

Dear colleagues and fellow PCTA members,

The PCTA fiscal year 2012-2013 will soon be over and at this point, allow me to report to you what your PCTA Board had done for the past three quarters.

Our association’s biggest achievement this year and which we can all be proud of, is the passage into law of the Cable Theft Bill. All of us can now sigh with relief. I remember that we started working and pushing for this law in 2006 on my first term as president of PCTA because I believed then, and I still do now, that the cable industry will grow and revenues will increase once we have this law. The salient provisions of the Cable Theft Bill actually came from the all-encompassing Cable TV Bill which, sadly, has not progressed in both Houses. At that time during the 13th Congress, then Rep. Simeon Kintanar passed the Cable Theft Bill at the Lower House but unfortunately, it got stalled at the Senate. The Bill was again re-filed, and then passed, during the 14th Congress through the efforts of Rep. Joseph Santiago and Sen. Allan Peter Cayetano. The Bill was unsuccessful again as it failed to be ratified on the last day of that Congress. This time around, at the 15th Congress, our diligence and persistence paid off. With the help of Rep. Sigfrido Tinga at the House of Representatives and Sen. Gregorio Honasan III at the Senate, the Bill finally passed and at present, is just awaiting the President’s signature. Ready as ever, our association is now preparing the Implementing Rules and Regulations which we will present to the NTC when the agency convenes the Technical Working Group. The Cable Theft Law is very significant for all of us at the cable TV industry – not only do we finally have the protection of the law, but equally important, is the recognition of our cable TV industry’s important role and contribution to our nation’s progress.

The year 2012 is a milestone for our association because this is our Silver Anniversary year. Last October 23, our association celebrated this landmark event with a grand get-together at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel. The affair was attended by our past and present leaders, led by our founding chairman, former Senator Ramon Magsaysay Jr., our fellow members, and our fellow stakeholders from companies providing technology, equipment, and programs to the cable industry. This succesful event was made possible by the hardworking chair, Director Lorlyn Velarde.

In conjunction with our Silver Anniversary celebration, the PCTA embarked on a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project by providing relief goods to places that were vastly affected by natural calamities in August and September last year. The relief goods were coursed thru PCTA cable operator members in areas such as Laguna, Pampanga, and Bulacan.

Recognizing the need for an accurate and timely weather advisory in our country, our association, thru our chairman, Engr. Elpidio Paras, has initiated talks with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). We proposed to help the agency by hosting weather data gathering sensors that could provide immediate and accurate weather information to the people in our service areas through a dedicated channel in our cable TV system. We are hopeful that thru this initiative, we could help save lives and mitigate the effects of natural disasters.

Also this year, our Technical Committee led by its Co-Chairmen, Engr. Romy Zerrudo and Engr. Jules Ventura, finally launched another landmark project that will benefit our technical personnel and this is the nationwide conduct of NCII Competency and Assessment activity held jointly with TESDA. The participants of this activity will be given recognition and accreditation by TESDA upon completion of the requirements. The activity was held so far in Butuan City last August and Lucena City in February this year. The next one will be held in Cebu City soon.

At the same time, our annual Technical Seminars were also held in major areas of our country, such as Cagayan de Oro City in August 2012; Kalibo, Aklan in September 2012; Tagaytay City in November 2012;

FromJune01,2012-May31,2013

Continued on Page 12

CABLE LINE

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and Clark, Pampanga in January 2013.

On November 24, 2013, the PCTA also signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Institute of Electronics Engineers of the Philippines (IECEP) for the accreditation of PCTA Technical Seminars in order for these activities to be authorized to grant CPE credit units to participating members of IECEP.

Our biggest project every year, the PCTA Convention, also returns to Metro Manila this year. It will be held on March 19-22 at the SMX Convention Center, which will also serve as the event’s venue for the next two years. This annual event never fails to impress all the participants composed of the major players and stakeholders of the cable TV industry.

Our newsletter, Cable Line, continues to enjoy the support of advertisers, enabling us to come out with issues every two months.

Presently, our association has 319 regular members and 26 affiliate members, and the PCTA continues to be in a good and healthy fiscal position.

Aside from the above projects and activities, our association also addressed the following issues and concerns in the past year:1. We requested the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to suspend further issuance of C-TVRO licenses which some entities and companies have been illegally using to provide pay TV service to condominiums, hotels, and hospitals around the countries. The NTC has responded positively to our request and came out with Memorandum Circular No. 04-12-2012 suspending the issuance of C-TVRO licenses.2. The association participated in the NTC Technical Working Group tasked to discuss concerns regarding Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT). We presented our position that broadcast companies should not be allowed to offer pay television as a result of their migration to digital platform.3. Our association also gave our inputs and recommendations during Congressional hearings on proposed laws regarding closed captioning on TV programs.4. Our association also took part in the discussions during consultative meetings spearheaded by the Information and Communications Technology Office (ICTO) regarding ICT Industry Mapping of the Philippines and Philippine TV White Space. 5. The PCTA continues to monitor programs on cable TV to ensure that the advertising load does not exceed the acceptable limit and to avoid complaints from the subscribers.

Your PCTA Board continues to look for ways to significantly help our fellow cable operators and to uplift our cable television industry. This is the reason behind our Convention’s theme, Digital Now! As new technology develops, we strongly urge you, our fellow members, to seriously consider and plan on digitizing your systems and take advantage of the world of possibilities that you can offer to your subscribers.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for the trust and confidence that you have given us at the PCTA Board. That alone made our tasks less daunting and our goals more attainable. Let’s continue to work together for a more united, progressive, and stronger PCTA!

Very truly yours,

ALLAN P. DUNGAOPresident

From Page 9


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After seven years and three Congresses, the Anti-Cable Television and Cable Internet Tapping Act of 2013 or the Cable Theft Bill, as the cable industry calls it, finally passed into law.

The legislation was greeted by rejoicing by the stakeholders of the cable television industry, especially by the members of the Philippine Cable Television Association (PCTA) which initiated it all.

It was in 2006 when the PCTA Board decided to seek the support of the Legislature for a Bill that will provide protection to the cable TV operators against rampant illegal connections in their service areas. The nefarious act was tolerated at times by legal subscribers but most often, it was done by unscrupulous people who connect illegally to the legal subscribers’ cable line with the help of people who may be connected with a cable company.

Recognizing the important need of the industry for a legal protection and to ensure its easy passage, the PCTA took the salient provisions from the more comprehensive but controversial Cable TV Bill and presented it to the Lower House. Fortunately, former Rep. Simeon Kintanar took the cudgel for the industry and filed the Bill in the 13th Congress. The counterpart Bill in the Senate, however, failed to pass due to lack of time.

Undaunted, the PCTA continued working on the Cable Theft Bill during the 14th Congress. House Bill no. 3007 was introduced by Representatives Rufus Rodriguez and Maximo Rodriguez Jr. In February 2008, the Bill was approved by the Committee on Information Communications Technology as substitute House Bill no. 1409 and after it passed on 3rd and final reading in May 2008, the Bill was transmitted to the Senate. With the help of Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Miguel Zubiri, and Allan Peter Cayetano, the Bill passed on 3rd and final reading in January 2010 at the Senate. But due to lack of quorum, the House failed to ratify it in time.

Still it did not deter the Association from its pursuit so that with its continued persistence, at the start of the 15th Congress in June 2010, Representatives Rufus Rodriguez and Maximo Rodriguez Jr. re-filed the Bill as House Bill no. 709 at the Committee on Information and Communications Technology chaired by Representative Sigfrido Tinga. On March 5, 2012, the Bill passed on 3rd and final reading and was immediately transmitted to the Senate. At the Senate, three Cable Theft Bills were sponsored by Senators Manny Villar, Francis Escudero, and Juan Ponce Enrile. The Committee on Public Information and Mass Media, chaired by Sen. Gregorio Honasan, together with the Justice and Human Rights Committee, consolidated the three Senate Bills with those of Senators Miriam Defensor-

Santiago and Gregorio Honasan and came out with Senate Bill no. 3345, which was finally passed on 3rd and final reading on January 28, 2013. The House Committee on Information and Communications Technology manifested the adaption of the Senate version of the Cable Theft Bill and was approved by the House on January 30, 2013. This time, the bill was passed in both Houses, beating the deadline by a hairline. It is then sent to the President for his signature into law.

The Cable Theft law declared it unlawful to:

1. intercept or receive, or assist in intercepting or receiving, any service offered over a cable television or a cable internet system by tapping, making or causing to be made, any connection to an existing CATV System/Network or Cable Internet System/Network without the authority of the concerned CATV Service Provider or Cable Internet Service Provider;

2. record, reproduce, distribute, import or sell, any intercepted or received CATV System/Network signals without the authority of the concerned CATV Service Provider or Cable Internet Service Provider;

3. use or receive any direct or indirect benefit from any CATV System/Network or Cable Internet System/Network with knowledge that it is a result of any of acts enumerated in paragraphs 1 or 2 above; or

4. wantonly, maliciously or wilfully damage, destroy or remove CATV and/or Cable Internet facilities and accessories of authorized CATV and/or Cable Internet Service Providers.

Penalties for committing any of the unlawful acts are imprisonment of not less than two (2) years but not more than five (5) years, or a fine of not less than Fifty Thousand (P50,000) pesos nor more than One Hundred Thousand (P100,000) pesos or both, at the discretion of the court.

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), as the regulatory agency, is tasked to provide the Implementing Rules and Regulations as required. PCTA President Allan Dungao, Chairman Elpidio Paras, and Vice Chairman Jose Lobregat with the assistance of lawyers will be assisting the NTC in crafting the IRR. Public hearings will be conducted to gather inputs. Likewise, the PCTA is soon coming out with a public information campaign. •

CONGRESS PASSES ANTI-CABLE TELEVISION AND CABLE INTERNET TAPPING ACT OF 2013

by Anne B. Manalansan

CABLE LINE

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March 19, 2013 – Tuesday

01:30PM Invocation

NationalAnthem01:45PM OpeningRemarks

Mr.CedricM.Sazon

02:00PM MarketingintheModernMediaMilieu Mr.HowellMabalot03:00PM Money101:StrategiesforPersonalFinancial Success Dr.FranciscoJ.Colayco–ColaycoFoundation04:00PM ProfileoftheDigitalFilipinoandCurrent LocalMarketLandscape

Mr.JoseManuelFernando–President/CEO, MegaMobileInquirer05:00PM HarnessingthePowerofSocialMediain One’slifeorBusiness

Mr.TJManotoc

05:30PM SessionClosingRemarks

Atty.GoeringGeorgePaderangaJr.

–Director,PCTA

March 20, 2013 – Wednesday

09:00AM Invocation

NationalAnthem09:15AM WelcomeRemarks

Mr.AllanP.Dungao–President,PCTA09:30AM SpecialMessage

SenatorGregorioHonasanII –SenateofthePhilippines09:45AM IntroductionofKeynoteSpeaker

Engr.ElpidioM.Paras–Chairman,PCTA09:55AM KeynoteAddress

Mr.EugenioLopezIII–Chairman,ABS-CBN10:15AM ExhibitOpeningRemarks

Mr.CedricM.Sazon –Over-allChair,PCTAConvention201310:20AM Ribbon-CuttingCeremony10:30AM ViewingofExhibits12:00NN LuncheonandLuncheonSponsor Presentation(FoxInternationalChannels)

12:30PM DOST/PCTAMemorandumofAgreement PresentationandSigning

Hon.MarioG.Montejo–Secretary,DOST

Mr.AllanP.Dungao–President,PCTA01:00PM TheNTCForum

Hon.GamalielCordoba–Commissioner,NTC01:45PM PresentationofAwardsto PCTATechnicalCommittee02:00PM LoyaltyAwards02:30PM GeneralMembershipAssembly03:30PM RegionalElections/CoffeeBreak04:30PM NationalElection05:30PM Announcementofnewly-elected

membersofthePCTABoard

March 21, 2013 – Thursday

MANAGEMENTSESSION

09:00AM DigitalTransitionisHereandNow!

Engr.ElpidioM.Paras

–President/CEO,ParasatCableTVInc.

Mr.RodrigoA.P.Montinola

–COO,SkyCableInc.

Mr.CedricM.Sazon–President,KaliboCable

Mr.AllanP.Dungao–President,Satellite CableNetwork,Inc. Moderator:Engr.JosephArguelles 10:30AM CoffeeBreak/SponsorVideoPresentation

10:40AM CostEffectiveWaystoGoDigital

Mr.ThomasGo–GeneralManager,AmitySatelliteSystems

Ms.CynthiaYujuico–CEO,CYOInternational

Mr.PeteDifuntorum–President,MRMRTradingEnterprisesModerators:Dr.VenancioLoandMr.VictorianoT.Sy,Sr.

12:00AM Luncheon12:30PM SponsorVideoPresentation(4)01:30PM ProgrammingTrendsintheDigitalAge

Mr.JudeTurcuato–TerritoryDirector,FIC

Mr.MarkYambot–GeneralManager,CPI

Ms.TheresaOng–VPAffiliateSales, DiscoveryNetworksAsia-Pacific

Moderators:Atty.GoeringG.Paderangaand

PCTA CONVENTION 2013 PROGRAMME


15

Ms.LorlynG.Velarde02:30PM SatelliteInterference

Dr.JornChristensen–Consultant,J. ChristensenConsultants,Ltd.

Mr.JohnMedeiros–ChiefPolicyOfficer, CASBAA

Engr.ElpidioM.Paras–President/CEO, ParasatCableTVInc.

Mr.GariePimentel–ManagingDirector, AsiaBroadcastSatellite Mr.GlenTindall–VicePresidentSalesof AsiaPacific,SES03:30PM CoffeeBreak/SponsorVideoPresentation03:45PM ConaxPresentation

Mr.RogerSiow-Conax

04:15PM TechnologyUpdateonBroadbandServices Mr.PatrickLee–RegionalSalesManager, ARRIS

04:45PM ReinventingtheTVexperience

Mr.TedChan,CISCO05:15PM SessionClosingRemarks

Dr.VenancioLo–Director,PCTA

TECHNICALSESSION

09:00AM UnderstandingDigitalTechnology

Engr.AllanMundina–TechnicalManager, SatelliteCableNetwork,Inc.

Engr.NeilTagabi–EngineeringManager, AsianVisionCableHoldings,Inc.

09:30AM DigitalDemystified:FactsvsMyths

Engr.LitoMapolon–HeadofEngineering, SkycableCorporation

10:00AM OpenForum/Q&A10:15AM CoffeeBreak

10:30AM OvertheTop(OTT)TrendsandTechnology

Mr.EricPatterson–Director,Salesand Marketing(US),WELLAV

Mr.EdwinKo–RegionalSalesDirector, Harmonic,Inc.11:45AM OpenForum/Q&A12:00NN Luncheon01:30PM PCTA-IECEPMOAPresentation

Engr.MelvinAcosta–NationalPresident,

IECEP02:00PM TESDANCIIAssessment

Sec.EmmanuelJoelVillanueva–Director General,TESDA02:30PM DigitalTerrestrialTelevision(DTT)

Engr.AlvinBlanco–Head,NTC-Broadcast03:00PM CoffeeBreak03:15PM IPV4PreservationandIPV6Migration

Mr.SooKiatTee–SeniorSE,A10Networks03:45PM BusinessServicesoverDOCSIS(BSoD)

Mr.MarL.Apuhin–SE-ServiveProvider, CISCO04:15PM BroadcastMonitoringPlatform

Mr.EricPatterson–Director,Salesand Marketing(US),WELLAV

4:45PM SessionClosingRemarks:

Engr.RomeoZerrudo–Director,PCTA

March 22, 2013 - Friday

MANAGEMENTSESSION

09:00AM DigitalMonetizationSystem(DMS)

Mr.RahulNehra–Exset09:30AM TransitionfromAnalogtoDigital

Mr.PatrickLee–RegionalSalesManager, ARRIS10:30AM CoffeeBreak10:35AM PCTProductPresentationonLTEtechnology11:35AM SamsungPresentation12:05PM SessionClosingRemarks Mr.CedricM.Sazon–Over-allChair,PCTA Convention12:15NN Luncheon

TECHNICAL SESSION

09:00AM CABLELYMPICS

PCTATechnicalCommittee11:00 AM Awarding of Winners12:00NN SessionClosingRemarks Engr.JulianVentura–Co-chairman,PCTA TechnicalCommittee

12:15PM Luncheon

PCTA CONVENTION 2013 PROGRAMME

*This programme is accurate until the printing deadline of March 01, 2013.

CABLE LINE

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Last February 15, 2013, just a month away before

the PCTA Convention, the Convention Organizing Committee

conductedanExhibitors’BriefingattheSMXConventionCenter

inPasayCity.Theactivitywasheldtofamiliarizetheexhibitors

with the venue layout and with the rules and regulations

that have to be followed from the organizers, venue, booth

contractor,andfreightforwarder.

The participants were welcomed and acknowledged

by Convention Vice-Chair, Ms. Lorlyn Garcia-Velarde, while

the Secretary General, Ms. AnneManalansan, discussed the

important rules and regulations of PCTA. Specific rules and

reminders were also discussed by representatives from the

venue,SMXConventionCenter,Ms.RanilleBalbuena;Official

Booth Contractor, Centrex Corporation, Ms. Eena Mendoza;

and Official Freight Forwarder, Agility Fairs & Logistics, Ms.

AnnaRodriguez.Theyalsoaddressedquestionsandconcerns

fromtheexhibitors.

TheingressonMarch18(Monday)willstartat10:00

AM for booths with special design and 2:00 PM for those who

availedtheshellboothscheme.Theingresswillcontinueuntil

March19(Tuesday)from6:00AM–9:00PM.Theexhibitwill

openonMarch20(Wednesday)andwillbeopentothepublic

at1:00PMonMarch22(Friday).

Theexhibitors’briefingwasattendedbyrepresentatives

fromthefollowingcompanies:HBO(ONGROUNDACTIVATION);

CYO INTERNATIONAL; VIVA COMMUNICATIONS; SAMSUNG/

INTELTECH; PCTGOODBRIDGE; CABLEBOSS;OMNICONTENT

MANAGEMENT, INC.; CREATIVE PROGRAMS, INC.; SKY

CABLE CORPORATION; EWTN; AMITY SYTEMS SATELLITE;

HOME SHOPPING NEWTORK; RICKLEE ENTERPRISES; JC

ELECTROFIELDS/LS CABLE; MRMR TRADING ENTERPRISES;

GNN/GSAT; FIBERNET; RTL ASIA; TRINITY BROADCASTING

NETWORK; INTERLITE CORPORATION; UNTV; COAST CATV;

ITOCHU CABLE; SOLAR ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION; and

ACCION.

Exhibitors’ Briefing for PCTA Convention 2013 heldby Sam L. Lanuza


17

JustDoIt.

NoPain.NoGain.

There’snothingtofear,butfearitself.

Weareallprobablyawareofthesefamousphrases,eachofthemexhortingaction,allofthemeschewingindecision.Howmanytimeshavewebeeninspiredbythesewords,totakethefewextrastepstofinishthelongestdistancewe’ve run despite knees about to give way, or maybe even to encourage our child to try that new unfamiliar sport or club in school, because we know it prepares him well for an uncertain future?

Well,toprepareourselvesforanexciting,dynamic,andyes,still-uncertainpresentwheretelephonecompaniesalsooffertelevisionservicesandFilipinosavidlywatchKoreanteleseryesevenwithoutEnglishsubtitles,Icanthinkofnobetterwordstoo.

Thefutureistrulyhereandit’smostlygoodforcableTVoperators.Inagrowingeconomy,theviewingneedsofoursubscribersalsoexpandandbecomemoresophisticated.Importantly,thereisalsosomuchprogrammingcontentavailabletoservethediverseneedsofdifferentsegmentsofthemarket,fromfansofEuropeanorindependentfilms,toenthusiastsofthegreatoutdoors.Oftentheproblemischannelcapacity.Butwhenyouconsiderthatoneanalogchannelisequivalenttosixdigitalchannels,thengoingdigitalmakesthisanon-issue.

MoreandmoreFilipinosnowhaveLCDTVsets,aspricescontinuetogodowndramatically.Andastheysay,“SayangnamanyungLCDsetmo,kungwalakangHD.”Followingtheexplosionofcontent,fromless-then10channelstwoyearsago,therewillbeover30HDchannelsavailablelocallyby1stquarter2013.Andthisisexpectedtogrowevenmoreinthecomingyears,aspeoplewho’veseenHDprefertostayonit.

Youmightask“,Thisisallgreat,butisthegainfromsubscribersbetterthanthepainoftheinvestment?”Well,thereisgoodnewsonthattoo.PricesofdigitalandHDboxeshavegonedownby50%inthelast5years.Similarly,digitalheadendcostshavebeenreducedby50%inthelastthreeyears.AsmorepopulouscountrieslikeIndiaconverttodigitalcable,imaginethecontinueddownwardeffectoninfrastructureandCPEcosts.

Andsoit’sagreattimetounleashourinnerMichaelJordanandJustGoDigital!Theonlythingwehavetofear,isnotgivingourbelovedsubscriberswhattheywantanddeserve.

No Better Timeby Rodrigo A.P. Montinola

CABLE LINE

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Strictly Technical. Strictly Technical. Strictly Technical

CATV headends throughout the country are now seriously considering the addition of digital TVchannels. Digital headend has the advantages ofbetterpicture clarity,multi-channel sound, aswellas the potential to deliver HDTV (High DefinitionTelevision). The key factor to shift to digital is theintegrationofmore channelswhichwas limited intheanalogspectrumtoabout116analogchannelsfora750MHzsystem.InDigitalCATV,singleanalog6MHzbandwidthcanaccommodate6to12digitalchannels.Hence,if10analogchannelsarevacated,thatbandwidthcancarry60to120digitalprogramswithoutupgradingthesystem.Thisarticleprovidesa simple overview of the basic structure of a digital CATV headend. The aim is to provide techniciansand engineers of an overview and understanding of abasicdigitalheadend.

LOCAL ENCODING - ANALOG TO DIGITAL CONVERSIONSignals from pay or Free-To-Air (FTA) satellitechannels are typically available at the headend throughanIRD(IntegratedReceiver-Decoder)whichprovides a composite video (analog) output signalalongwithseparatemonoorstereosoundsignals.Both,thevideoandaudiosignalsofananalogsignalneed to be converted to a digital signal for use in a digitalheadend.Thisconversionoftheanalogvideoand audio signals to a digital data stream is done by aMPEG-2Encoder.TheMPEG-2encoderprovidesasignal stream of digital data that contains both, the video and audio digital signals. One encoder isrequired per analog TV channel.

MPEGEncoder

Composite Video

Audio(Mono or Stereo)

Digital Output

1.5 Mbps to 6 Mbps

Analog Input

Fig. 1 Local Encoding at the Headend

Therefore, if 20 analog TV channels are to be carried as digital channels, the digital headend will require 20 separate encoders to convert the analog signals todigitalsignals.Encodersformacrucialcomponentinthequalityofthedigitalsignal.Iftheconversionof

analog to digital is not done well, the picture quality willcertainlysuffer.Thecostofdigitalencodersusedfor local encoding is still high and would typicallyaccount for a major part of the headend cost.MPEG-2 encoderswill typically cost depending onthebrand,qualityandfeaturesoffered.

BIT RATE ALLOCATIONMPEG-2alsopermitstheusertosetthemaximumdigitalbitrateofthedigitaloutputsignal.Ananalogchannel can be converted into a digital channel with bitratesvaryingfrom1.5Mbpsto5Mbpsorevenhigher. The larger thebit allocated toeachanalogchannel, the better the picture quality. However,larger bit rates will imply fewer digital channels that canbesqueezedintothebandwidthofoneanalogchannel. On the other hand, a low bit rate of 1.5Mbps may result in a visibly poor digital picture quality. As technology marches on, it has beenpossible to achieve good picture quality with lower bitratesusingMPEG-2compression.

TYPICAL BIT RATESLargerbitratesarerequiredforchannelswherethepicture changes rapidly, such as in a sports channel coveringafootballgame.Thecameracontinuouslyfollows the ball and the entire picture changesrapidly. Such channels will require a bit rate of 3Mbpsto5Mbps.Ontheotherhand,aNewschanneloftenhasverylittlechangeinpicturecontentfromTVframetoTVframe.Thenewsreader's faceandbackgroundremainsalmostconstant.Suchchannelsrequireamuchlowerbitrate.Itisgenerallyperceivedthat news channels can be adequately encoded by allocatingthemabitrateof1.5Mbpsto2.5Mbps.

STATISTICAL MULTIPLEXINGOf course, there will be certain period when the sportschannelfocusesonlyontheCommentator'sface.Atthesedurations,thelowerbitrateapplicablefor News channels would be adequate for theSportschannel.SimilarlyiftheNewschannelshowsan outdoor clip, it would require a much higher bandwidth.ItwouldbeextremelywastefulifNewschannelsandSportschannelswereallocatedfixeddatarate.Thishasledtotheadvanceddevelopmentof-"StatisticalMultiplexing".Thisexaminesthepicturecontentof

by Engr. Allan C. Mundina

THE BASIC ARCHITECTURE OF A DIGITAL CATV HEADEND (Part I)

Continued on Page 19


19

eachchannelapproximately20timesevery secondand continuously allocates different bit rates fordifferentchannels,dependingontheinstantaneouspicture requirement for each channel. If fixeddataratesencodingaccommodates6digitalchannelsperanalog channel, statistical multiplexing practicallyincreases it to 10 or 12 digital channels compressed intoananalogchannelbandwidth.

MPEG-4 COMPRESSIONInsteadofMPEG-2,theMPEG-4standardcanalsobeused fordigitizingananalog signal.MPEG-4offersalmost 40% better compressions and that is 40%moredigitalchannelsinthesameanalogbandwidth.AdetaileddiscussionontheMPEG-4 isbeyondthescope of this article. The MPEG-4 encoders anddecoders (STBs) are currently very expensive andrarelydeployedoncableTVnetworks,currently.

dIGITAL INTEGRATIONAs indicated above, the cost of digital encoder is typicallyveryhigh.Adigitalheadendcan thereforesave a substantial amount of money if the digitalsatellite receiver provides for a digital (ASI) outputrather than the audio video analog outputs.Manyprofessional digital satellite receivers offer such afacilitythoughtypically,thedigitalIRDsdistributedbypayTVchannelsdonotofferanASI(Digital)output.Furthermore, since pay channels "pair" their IRDsand smart cards, it is also not possible for the cable operator to use an authorized smart card with anindependently procured digital satellite receiver with ASIoutput.IfthesatellitereceiverdirectlyprovidesanASIoutput,noencoderisrequiredandthedigitalsignals can be directly fed into the digital combiner (MultiplexerorMUX,SeeFigure2).

THE MULTIPLEXEREncodersprovideseparatedigitaloutputforeachTVchannelasindicatedinFig.1.Inananalogheadend,a channel combiner combines multiple analogchannels.Similarly,inadigitalheadendamultiplexer(MUX) combines multiple digital channels andcreates a "Transport Stream" (TS). The TransportStreamnot only combines the digital channels butalso creates a summary of the digital data contained in the Transport Stream similar to the index pageof abookwhich lists thedifferent content and thelocation of each content.Multiplexers are typicallyavailabletocombineeither12or20digitalchannels.SuchmultiplexersacceptASIinputsupto200Mbpsandofferbetween1to4outputs.TheblockdiagraminFig.2shows(forsimplicity)asingleASIoutputfromthemultiplexer.

MPEGEncoder

MPEGEncoder

MPEGEncoder

MPEGEncoder

Dig

ital C

hann

el M

ultip

lexe

r

Channel 1

Channel 2

Channel 3

Channel N

Video

Video

Video

Video

Audio

Audio

Audio

Audio

Single DigitalOutput

MULTIPLE OUTPUTSAmultiplexer combines several digital channels toform a single transport stream that will be carried in the bandwidth of a single analog channel.Depending on the capability of the encoders andwhetherstatisticalmultiplexingisused,thenumberof channels that can be compressed into the space of asingleanalogCATVchannel(6MHzforNTSC)variesfrom7channelstoashighas12channels(256QAM,MPEG-2MP/MLstreamsof3-5Mbps).However,theamountofdigitalcontent(Mbps)thatcanbecarriedon a single analog channel will also depend on the typeofmodulationusedbythecableTVnetwork.

QAM MOdULATIONQAM is in many radio communications and datadeliveryapplications.HoweversomespecificvariantsofQAMareused in somespecificapplicationsandstandards.

For domestic broadcast applications for example,64 QAM and 256 QAM are often used in digitalcable television and cable modem applications. IntheUK,16QAMand64QAMarecurrentlyusedfordigitalterrestrialtelevisionusingDVB-DigitalVideoBroadcasting.IntheUS,64QAMand256QAMarethemandatedmodulationschemesfordigitalcableas standardized by the SCTE in the standard ANSI/SCTE072000.

Inadditiontothis,variantsofQAMarealsousedformanywirelessandcellular technologyapplications.QAM 64 offers the least compression and is mosttoleranttoexternalnoiseinjectedintothenetworkduetopoorqualitycables,connectorsorfeedertaps.On the other hand QAM 256 provides the largestnumber of digital channels within a single analog channel but requires very good networks to transmit digitalpicturestotheconsumerwithoutfreezingorpixelizing(picturebreakingupintosmallsquaresordots).

To be continued on next issue...

From Page 18


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Cable BOSS is known for its power-packedprogram line-up and its commitment towards the enhancement of entertainment in many households alloverthecountryinpartnershipwithitsaffiliates.These,alongwithanimpeccableafter-salesservice,has sustained Cable BOSS' dominance in thePhilippinePay-TV industryand inconstanteffortofraisingthebarofPay-TVEntertainment,CableBOSSlaunches three additional channels: Hyper, ColoursandMotorvision.

Colours is a female-skewed channel that understands its viewers and knows what they want and what they enjoy. It showcases awide array of programsfrom Health and Wellness to Cuisine to Leisureto Entertainment and Hobbies This channel has itall for every Filipina out there seeking for quality entertainment and informative programs! It's keyprogramsincludeEllen,TheChew,Dr.Oz,ThingstoTryBeforeYouDieandmanymanymore!

A serious sports channel for the serious sports fans, Hyper features high-performance local and international sporting events. It is a 24/7 sportschannel dedicated to satisfying the hunger foradrenaline of every Filipino Sports Enthusiast. ForFootball fans, Hyper features 2 live games every weekfromLaLigaorSpanishLeagueandGermany'sBundes Liga. It also features live coverageofpurevolleyball action in Asian Volleyball Confederationandthesport'sbiggesttournamentoftheyear,FIVB

WorldGrandChampionsCup.Finally,youdon'thavetodon'tworryaboutmissingout thegamesof thePhilippine Basketball Association (PBA), the UnitedFootbal League (UFL) and the National CollegiateAthletic Association (NCAA) because Hyper playsencorerunsoftheseleagues!

Get ready for the ride of your life as Cable BOSSbrings youMotorvision TV! It is theworld's expertin producing automotive-themed content and isdedicatedtocarsandmotoringlifestyle.Fromspecialfeaturesonrareandexoticcars,luxurymarques,toexclusivepreviewsofthelatestmodelsofMercedesbenz,BMX,BugattiandFerrari,MotorvisionTVisthechannel fitting to Asia's growing number ofMotorenthusiasts. It features over 3000hours of originaland exclusive productions and a clearly definedproposition.

Goahead, signupnowforthesenewandexcitingprograms call Cable BOSS now! (+632)636 3521/(+632) 633 7361. One Great Source. All GreatNetworks.

Do you want more information about Cable BOSSand its channels? Like our Facebook fanpage: /CableBOSSPhil and follow us on Twitter: @CableBOSSPhil.

Cable BOSS Launches Colours, Hyper and Motorvision

by Billy G. Salcedo

2400 Ogden Ave. Suite 180 • Lisle, IL 60532 • phone: 630-281-3000 www.arrisi.com

To: Ricklee Enterprises From: ARRIS Group, Inc. Date: December 19, 2012 Subject: Support of C4® CMTS Purchased from Non-ARRIS Authorized Sources

ARRIS strives to maintain the highest quality for all of our products and services, and these efforts have

resulted in a consistent reputation for high quality for the ARRIS C4 CMTS product line. Customers that

purchase C4 hardware and software from ARRIS authorized resellers can trust that the ARRIS products

have been built to ARRIS quality standards, tested by ARRIS prior to shipment, and packaged correctly

to ensure high-reliability in the field.

Unfortunately, the testing and handling of hardware and software purchased from non-ARRIS authorized

sources cannot be trusted in this same manner. The original source and condition of such hardware and

software as well as the factory test status will be unknown. Software received from a non-authorized

source will not be licensed from ARRIS. In addition, the non-authorized personnel will lack the ARRIS

training and best practices for packaging, handling, and other services.

As a result, ARRIS cannot provide support for hardware or software purchased from non-ARRIS

authorized sources without additional actions including fees. To provide support on such hardware and

software, ARRIS must inspect and test such hardware and software for an additional fee(s) to ensure it is

fully compliant to ARRIS specifications and free from damage. End customers wishing to purchase

support for hardware obtained from non-ARRIS authorized sources should contact their ARRIS reseller

to arrange for a quote.

Sincerely,

Todd Kessler Vice President, CMTS Product Line Management ARRIS Group, Inc.


23

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Advisory to PCTA MembersTo allow us to better serve our members:

1. Please update your official authorized representative, address, contact number(s) and email with the secretariat to facilitate better communication.

2. In an agreement entered into by PCTA with TV5Monde, France24, Al Jazeera, Euronews, and Channel NewsAsia, these channels are giving free carriage to PCTA members.

Members are therefore encouraged to carry the FTA signal and advise the channel assignment to facilitate authorization documentation.

3. Assistance in processing MTRCB permits.

4. Use of the comments/suggestions box by members is highly appreciated.

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