DVBsystem

DVBsystem refers to the family of digital video broadcasting standards developed by the DVB Project for delivering digital television and related services over multiple networks. It covers satellite, cable, terrestrial, and IP-based delivery, and provides specifications for modulation, error correction, multiplexing, signaling, and conditional access.

A DVB system typically encodes audio and video into a digital stream, packages it into an MPEG-2 Transport Stream, and carries service information in DVB PSI/SI tables such as PAT, PMT, NIT, and EIT. The transport stream is then modulated for the chosen network (satellite, fiber/cable, or terrestrial). Receivers demodulate, decode, and display the content, with optional access control and conditional access systems.

Core standards by domain include DVB-S and DVB-S2 for satellite, DVB-C and DVB-C2 for cable, and DVB-T and DVB-T2 for terrestrial broadcast. DVB-H was developed for mobile handheld reception but has largely been superseded by other delivery methods. The DVB framework is designed to be codec-agnostic, with content often encoded using MPEG-2, H.264/AVC, or HEVC/H.265, while DVB governs transport, signaling, and access mechanisms.

In recent years DVB has expanded to IP-based delivery through DVB-IPTV and DVB-I, which aim to facilitate interoperability and service discovery for internet-delivered DVB content. The DVB Project coordinates development of the standards, with formal specifications typically published by ETSI and several regional implementations worldwide.

DVBsystem remains a foundational model for digital television distribution, supporting a wide range of services from traditional broadcast to hybrid and internet-enabled offerings.