Crossing the digital CATV network boundary

The introduction of digital television into a wide variety of broadcast delivery media requires an analytical framework to assist the construction of such complex systems. This paper introduces a classification of digital television functional building blocks, which can be connected using the MPEG-2 transport stream. The functional diagram can then be mapped onto actual equipment. The analytical framework is demonstrated in the context of a digital CATV system. The paper also proposes a control structure which allows a single management and control system to drive a complex multivendor system