SMARTCASTER

Feature tour

Comprehensive PSI/SI Table Generation

Effortlessly generate and manage Program Specific Information (PSI) and Service Information (SI) tables with unparalleled accuracy. Our software supports all standard DVB tables, including PAT, PMT, NIT, SDT, EIT, TDT and TOT, ensuring comprehensive compliance with DVB standards.

User-Friendly Interface

Effortlessly generate and manage Program Specific Information (PSI) and Service Information (SI) tables with unparalleled accuracy. Our software supports all standard DVB tables, including PAT, PMT, NIT, SDT, EIT, TDT and TOT, ensuring comprehensive compliance with DVB standards.

Extensive Compatibility

Our DVB PSI/SI Generator Software is designed to work with a wide range of broadcasting equipment and systems. Whether you’re operating a small local station or a large network, our software integrates effortlessly to enhance your workflow.

Real-Time Data Updates

Stay ahead of the game with real-time data updates.Our software ensures that your PSI/SI tables are always current, reflecting the latest program schedules, network changes, and service updates instantaneously.

Why Choose Our DVB PSI/SI Generator Software

  • Reliability: Built on robust architecture to ensure consistent performance and uptime.
  • Expert Support: Our dedicated support team is always on hand to assist with any queries or issues.
  • Scalability: As your broadcasting needs grow, our software scales seamlessly to accommodate increasing demands.

Deployments

Smartcaster is used in several countries, mainly in Central Europe. Some of our customers also resell it as an OEM product under their own brand name.

Roadmap

2024 Q3
  • DAA Aux Video Core with optional Principal feature
  • RPD based parameter override groups (aka. flavors)
2024 Q4
  • RPD telemetry monitoring
  • Network inheritance
2024 Q4
  • To be defined later

Product lifecycle

v1.0
2010
HFC Technics began developing a proprietary PSI/SI generator software in 2010, primarily to simplify the operation of its subsidiary’s DVB headend. Following successful implementation, our company began offering the solution to national television service providers. In 2012, we reached an agreement with an international system integrator, who then sold several systems as an OEM product.

Product lifecycle

v1.5
2018
Over time, the original user interface has become outdated, so we’ve redesigned it using more modern technologies. We also enhanced the processing modules and incorporated many customer-specific requests, as this version was sold to multiple MSOs in Hungary.

Product lifecycle

v2.0
2024
In 2023 and 2024, DAA (Distributed Access Architecture) was a prominent focus. Every large cable operator was considering upgrading their networks to a distributed mode. Since Smartcaster manages all the essential information required to bring up an RPD (Remote PHY Device), we decided to implement a DAA Aux Video Core module within Smartcaster.

No DVB Expertise Required

You don’t need to be a DVB expert to create PSI/SI data. Simply define a high-level structure of the network, and Smartcaster will automatically generate the necessary DVB tables based on your input. Any changes made through the graphical interface are instantly applied to the network, making adjustments easy and efficient.
Program once, use the data everywhere

Compared to other PSI/SI generators, our solution focuses on simplicity. You never have to set up redundant information; Smartcaster always references the necessary datasets.

Reordering channels never been so easy

By the drag-and-drop channel reordering feature, you can update your channel plan in seconds. Simply use your mouse to move a channel, and Smartcaster will handle the rest. Even if your channel plan is not contiguous, you can still use this feature by adding gaps between specific channels.

Always find what You need

Smart searching makes it easy to find any information you need. Simply start typing in the Smart Search bar, and Smartcaster will display all matching elements in the database.

All informations in one place

Manage all network information through a central UI. Smartcaster lets you create, modify, or remove transport streams and services with minimal effort. Stay ahead with real-time data updates—our software ensures that your PSI/SI tables are always current, reflecting the latest state as declared on the UI.

Flexible licensing

Smartcaster’s features are protected by individual licenses, each secured with a hardware key solution. Various types of hardware protection keys are available, offering both trial and perpetual licenses. These keys can be remotely upgraded, making it easy and secure to change license levels.

Create a new DVB network

Creating a new network is just a few click. After setting the mandatory DVB parameters and clicking the Apply button, Your network is ready to configure and stream.

Add a transport stream

On a newly created network do a right-click and select Edit network structure (or simply double-click it) and Smartcaster enters the network edit mode. There You can manage the transportstreams withing a network.

Configure transport stream

After clicking the Add new TS button, You have to set up the parameters of the newly created TS. Physical details must aligh with the multiplexer's / edge-QAM's configuration.

You can also define DAA parameters for the TS in this window, on the DAA details tab.

Configure transport stream

Smartcaster warns You if You try to enter conflicting informations, like overlapping frequencies.

Create a service

To add a new service to the TS, double-click the TS or select Edit TS structure from the right-click context menu. In the TS structure edit window right-click and select Add new service to create a new service in the TS. In the service edit window set the same Service ID as in the multiplexer, customize the service name, select service type and assigned EPG content, then click Apply to persist changes.

Ingest of EPG informations

EPG information can be loaded from:

  • XML files downloaded over HTTP(S) in any of the following formats:
    • MediaPress format
    • Gracenote format
    • Hungarian Telekom XMLTV format
  • Satellite feeds received over MPEG TS (MPTS)
  • Manual input on the GUI

Setting up XML feeds

XML sources can be added/edited easily by using the context menu. In the edit window You can define an internal name, the URL of the XML feed optionally with authentication, select the parser, and click Validate.

Upon a successful validation You can see how many channels are found in the XML source, and after clicking Apply You can one-by-one select the changes You want to make in the system.

EPG Repositories

EPG information is parsed and loaded into an internal data format known as the EPG Repository. This repository is designed to logically store the EPG information for any channel, connected to an input XML file. When an XML file is reloaded, the content is seamlessly integrated into the appropriate repository, ensuring efficient and organized EPG data management.

Distributed Access Architecture

The rise of DAA has steered us in a new development direction.
Although standard DVB features remain essential for operator networks, an increasing number of service providers are migrating to a distributed platform. To efficiently service these systems, a centralized Video Core is needed to program and maintain video services on remote PHY devices.

Since Smartcaster manages all the essential information (transport stream details such as TS IDs, frequencies, modulations and symbol rates) required to bring up an RPD (Remote PHY Device), it is a straightforward decision to use this element as a Video Aux Core.

Benefits of DAA

In a typical distributed access architecture the components of a centralized solution are separated into individual elements, which can be distributed across the operator’s network into remote places. Usually this means that the digital/analog conversion is pushed as close to the customer as possible by utilizing digital optical connections instead of transferring RF signals over AM optical links.
Better signal quality, better service

Utilizing digital optics instead of analog links we achieve better signal qualities on the network, which allows better throughput, and better service for the customers.

Less equipment in the central

No need for a separate edge-QAM: the same remote PHY device can provide DOCSIS and DVB channels. There is also no need for any analog combining in the headends.

Saving power consumption

With less devices operators can save significant cost by migrating to a DAA based technology.

Special elements of DAA

PRINCIPAL CORE

Principal core is a central and most important element of a DAA system. There is always 1 dedicated active principal core in the architecture (backups can be added). Principal core is responsible for initializing a remote PHY device by setting mandatory system parameters such as PTP clocks, and also for optionally receiving logs and telemetry informations from them. A principal core is usually CCAP which also configures DOCSIS services, but this is not q requirement.

VIDEO AUX CORE

All other cores, other than the principal, are called AUX cores, which provide auxiliary functions for a system, such as video services. A video AUX core is responsible to connect to a remote PHY device and provision the necessary RF channels and set up the networks streams which should be forwarded to those channels. The video AUX core does’t do any data stream processing, it is just a control plane entity.

VIDEO PIPE / ENGINE

The video input streams delivered to a remote PHY device must conform with the DOCSIS DEPI specifications. This means that all the widely used MPEG TS multicast UDP streams should be properly encapsulated into L2TPv3 format.. To do this encapsulation operators can use any kind of compatible 3rd party devices (some multiplexers have this functionality), or they can also use Smartcaster’s own video pipe solution which will be available in 2024 Q4.

Principal mode

Smartcaster is able to act as a principal core for remote PHY devices. By this feature operators have the ability to operate an RPD only with video without DOCSIS service, like an Edge-QAM.

DAA Flavors

Sometimes operators have very similar network regions with only slight differences between them. To support their setups Smartcaster supports parameter override groups, aka. flavors which can be assigned to a specific group of RPDs. These flavors can change the default settings read from the network structure database and customize a pre-defined set of details which should be different between the deployed RPDs.

Setting up DAA

Onboarding of a remote PHY device is automatic. Every RPD which tries to communicate with Smartcaster's Video Aux Core module gets enlisted in the RPD database. On this view operators can see the list of known RPDs and the actual operational status of them.

Assigning an RPD to a network

Assigning an RPD to a network is very easy: just right click the network which You want to pair with the RPD, select Edit RPD assignments and add/remove any number of RPDs to Your network.

Assigning an RPD to a network

As soon as the RPD reboots or reaches core connection state, the RPD status is being represented on the GUI along with the actual IP address of the connected RPD.

Questions & Answers

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