The broadband segment consists of coaxial cables, fiber optic cables, and conduit for cable television system operators. With the signals being send with 3GB and higher data rates, fiber is becoming a critical part of the infrastructure of modern facilities.

The utility of cables has diversified with evolving technology and various modes of information transfer. The broadband segment consists of coaxial cables, fiber optic cables, and conduit for cable television system operators. These products support multi-channel video, voice, and high-speed data services for residential and commercial customers, using hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) architecture. The coaxial and fiber-optic cables and supporting apparatus are used by the cable television industry. The DTH service providers also deploy coaxial and fiber-optic cables.

First analog and then digital techniques were developed to use optical transmission media. The hugely higher frequency of light as compared to the electromagnetic spectrum used over wire allows modulation with much higher frequency content. Over short distances, wire works well into the GHz range, but light allows transmission orders of magnitude higher in data rate. Optical techniques require glass or material with similar optical properties. Over the last several decades, both the medium (fiber-optic cables) and the connectors as well as systems used to install fiber optics have made possible simple and reliable systems with extremely high bandwidth and very long distances.

Using Fiber

With the signals being send with 3GB and higher data rates, fiber is becoming a critical part of the infrastructure of modern facilities. The physical priciple is that of total internal reflection within the fiber due to the difference in the index of refraction between the fiber and the  surrounding cladding.

Coax would limit the ability to send 3G video (SMPTE 424) over long distances within the plant, while fiber would extend the available data rate beyond 3GB to perhaps double the standard developed for 1080p 60 signals, which extends the life of the facility far into the future.

Just as properly maintaining a high-bandwidth digital video facility on copper interconnections requires the right test equipment, there is also need for specialized fiber-optic test equipment to adequately install and maintain fiber plants. A well-equipped video facility will have‚ time domain reflectometer to allow troubleshooting coax and twisted pair cabling. Networks wired with copper require right test instruments for their infrastructure.

With optical systems, equipment, that can launch known power levels into the fiber, power meters to measure the transmission loss and optical TDRs to find return loss problems with connections, splices, and poorly installed trunks, is needed. At one time, these instruments were hugely expensive. While generally more costly than test instruments for copper systems, optical instrumentation has come down in cost to practical levels.

One of the advantages of fiber is that it can be used as a bidirectional medium. Launching one wavelength in the forward direction and a second one in the reverse direction allows a single fiber to be used for more than one signal.

Similarly, using wave division multiplexing (WDM) can allow multiple signals on one fiber in one direction. Launching multiple signals requires an optical splitter, which can also allow monitoring test points to be created or passive splits of a signal to be created, allowing delivery to multiple locations without duplicating the electrical-to-optical hardware.

SMPTE standardized both fiber cable and fiber connectors for cameras and now a substantial portion of HD cameras installed use SMPTE fiber. It has two optical fibers, and twisted pairs suitable to carry power and intercom that is active before power is applied to the 
camera head. Mechanically, the connectors can be built with shutters that protect the inside portion of the connector from dirt and moisture when they are not plugged into a socket.

Fiber camera cable can be used for several kilometers, where triax would require repeaters at much shorter distances. Fiber is generally lighter and not more expensive in bulk, though connections often cost more than copper connections in terms of labor needed for termination.

Like copper systems, fiber-optic installations need to be maintained over time. But unlike copper, fiber generally ages much more slowly and exhibits very low error rates for many years longer than copper installation.

When compared to coax, optical fiber has many inherent beneficial properties: low loss ratios, virtually unlimited bandwidth, and reduced sensitivity to electrical interference.

For the provision of DTH services, the set-top box is connected to the LNB (low noise blocks) via 75 ohm coaxial cables, which tune radio frequencies to receive and display each channel.

For years, globally, cable operators have deployed services using a hybrid fiber-coaxial network. This network primarily uses a fiber-optic network from the head-end, which connects to distribution hubs. From the hubs, the network optical fiber connects to optical nodes. The downstream signal is a radio frequency modulated signal ranging from 50 MHz to 1000 MHz. Coaxial cable runs from the node through a neighborhood, and into homes. As we shift to digital transmission, these systems are capable of being upgraded to support transmissions up to 750 MHz or even 860 MHz. As cable network offerings expand, MSOs are using this spectrum to deliver digital TV signals.

Many cable companies in India have started replacing coaxial cables with fiber optics to offer quality services to consumers and hundreds of channels like DTH systems.

Maximizing Multiplexing with DWDM

Once electrical signals are converted to optical, there are options for transport back to the OB van or production site. With dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM,) up to 80 separate wavelengths can be multiplexed and transported on a single fiber.

For ease of set-up, environmental stability and cost, coarse wavelength division multiplexing (CWDM) is used to combine multiple optical signals onto a single fiber. With CWDM, multiple wavelengths, or frequencies, are wavelength-division multiplexed on one fiber, a process similar to RF multiplexing on coaxial cable. Multiplexing takes place inside the remote box, so only one connection runs from the box back to the production truck; all bidirectional optical signals are carried on one fiber-optic cable.

HDMI Cabling

While single- and dual-link HD-SDI is the professional serial digital interface, supporting 16 or 32 channels of embedded audio and time code on a single piece of coaxial cable, a rapidly growing number of products likely to encounter includes a HDMI interface. With more than 1000 licensed HDMI adopters and a worldwide installed base of more than 1.5 billion HDMI products, it is clearly the de facto standard in most consumer electronics applications, including HDTV displays and many computer video cards.

HDMI is not a true serial interface like HD-SDI; rather, it is a parallel format consisting of three color signals with embedded audio on three individually shielded cable pairs and a timing signal on a fourth shielded pair, with each pair at 100 ohm impedance. It is the consumer industry-supported, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface, and is electrically backward-compatible with DVI. So while there is no audio on a DVI signal, the quality of the digital video signal is untouched when converted by a connector adaptor from HDMI to DVI or vice versa. However, since there is no Line 21 in the HDTV format, it does not pass traditional Line 21 closed-captioning, even though it does support many forms of digital closed-captioning, which is often performed at the source device instead of the display. HDMI also does not support traditional time code.

HDMI cables are not defined by HDMI versions; rather, they are defined by bit rates. The HDMI bit rate is the sum of the bit rate of all three video channels, so a 10.2 GB cable, for example, actually carries 3.4 GB per video channel. All cables showing the trademarked HDMI logo are required to be certified by the manufacturer to comply with the HDMI Compliance Test Specification. When cable length is not specified, better cables can pass the test up to 30 ft.

Generally, HDMI cables are categorized at two performance levels. Standard cables, or Cat 1, are certified 2.25 GB and recommended for up to 720p or 1080i applications. Cat 2 or High-Speed HDMI, is certified to 10.2 GB and recommended for 1080p, 4K, 3D and deep color applications. Cat 1 and 2 cables are available with or without an Ethernet channel, which only works when devices on each end are HDMI Ethernet channel enabled.

With new and advanced technologies such as internet protocol (IP) and Ethernet taking over the market, coaxial cables might be slowly moving toward an exit. However, due to its vast usage within the last few years, it can still be a considerable market for the present. Fiber may eventually replace coax due to its superior quality and features, but coax is still in use.

Major Players

Commscope coaxial cables are based on a time-tested design and are engineered to meet or exceed industry standards. The quad shield construction provides a low-loss environment, designed to deliver optimum electrical and mechanical performance under real-world conditions. It is the world's largest manufacturer of coaxial cable for cable TV and other video applications. Their coaxial and fiber optic cables are primarily used in hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) networks that are deployed throughout the world. HFC networks are widely recognized as one of the most cost-effective ways to offer multi-channel video, voice, and data services. Their broadband coaxial cables and zero-water peak optical fiber cables provide bandwidth connectivity for services such as cable television, video on demand, high-speed Internet access, and cable telephony. CommScope's broadcast cables transmit high quality pictures, either from the stage, field, court, or course.

Finolex coaxial cables are ideal for use in VSAT and cable TV networks. They have a center conductor of solid stranded, bare electrolytic grade, 99.97 percent pure copper. The secondary conductor is specially designed with poly-aluminum tape, applied longitudinally, which is overlapped and bonded on the foam dielectric. Aluminum alloy wires with high tensile strength are braided and applied over the aluminum tape with specified coverage. The cable is then jacketed with a special long-lasting UV-resistant PVC compound that is formulated and manufactured in-house.

Belden coaxial cables are engineered in a wide selection of sizes and materials, with each offering the benefits needed for physical, electrical, and cost-requirement applications. Cable choices include broadband, standard analog, precision video for analog and digital, bundled RGB, high-flex SVHS, video triax, conformable coax, and more. The cable's shielding is a very important aspect in the cable's design. To meet the various needs of the customers, Belden's coax line features a wide range of shielding options - Duofoil, Duobond, Duobond II (foil/braid), Duobond III (tri-shield), Duobond IV (quad shield), and Duobond Plus.

Belden has recently launched a range of video coax cables: Belden Brilliance 1794A precision video coax cable, Brilliance 1694WB precision digital video cable, Brilliance 1694D precision digital video cable, and Brilliance low loss precision video coax cables (1694A).

Industry Speak Demand for High Quality Content Drives Market

On factors driving the market

The increasing demand for the high quality content drives today's cable market. India as a market has the highest consumer segment that is growing in awareness and will continue to demand more from the industry to keep themselves entertained and make full use of the advancement in the viewing equipment that they now have access to.

On market and technology trends

The industry has to move toward 'full digital' performance, so that it can be considered amongst the top in the world. This will create need for products that have higher headroom to perform, and durability in high-load environments will become critical. Price should not play a defining role in a market that wants to be amongst the top - if we want to have the best for our customer (viewer) than a slightly higher cost at initial investment is a small price to pay for the final deliverable of long-term satisfaction.

On sales trends

The year has seen slowdown in the market, but that is linked to the overall slowdown in the economic condition - the AV sector may not have been directly impacted but the related markets tend to bear burden on it.

On USP of your products

For many years, the professional broadcast and production industry has resoundingly preferred Belden products for their brilliant performance and total reliability. In fact, perhaps no other market segment values a product's performance as highly since a lack of reliability can have immediate and far-reaching implications. As radio and television broadcasters migrated to digital transmission technology, Belden has been the brand they have counted on the most.

In broadcast industry, top performance and reliability means a high quality product, absolute signal integrity and no system downtime. Belden provides performance for both critical field applications (where cable is dragged, crunched, and tread upon) and permanent studio installations (where the long run is all important). These products are also an important link in major network and cable TV broadcasts, film studios and corporate broadcasting. This is why the broadcast industry strongly prefers Belden audio/visual solutions over any other cable brand.

The western markets have all migrated to compression connectors and it would be a great platform for India to surge ahead in the APAC region - if the company made this switch over faster.

Belden's recent acquisition of Thomas & Betts solutions for broadband applications has expanded its line of broadband products to include compression connectors, trunk and distribution connectors, telephony pair splicing connectors, hardware and repair systems for cable TV, satellite TV, and telephony applications.