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Research and Development
The Technological Strategies Division
worked on guaranteeing a single line of
technological development in the Rai
Group. The action is implemented by
checking the consistency of the
technological decisions made by the
various structures with the Parent
Company's overall strategies and
through the functional coordination of
the various internal technical operating
structures to identify and exploit every
synergy within the Group. Technological
Strategies also comprise the Centre for
Research and Technical Innovation in
Turin, which also addresses Rai research
towards operating projects and the
implementation of new technologies in
the production and dissemination system.
Digital Regulatory Plan
With the expansion and differentiation of
the distribution platforms, the Public
Service broadcaster's role on the
traditional platforms is confirmed and
extended to those of a more innovative
and multimedia nature. With this in mind,
a 'Digital Regulatory Plan' has been
drawn up to guide the Rai Group in its
future technological choices to adapt the
entire production process to the
requirements of flexibility and effectiveness
that convergence imposes and to feed an
efficient multi-platform offering.
Activities in 2009 focused on:
- renewing the system to support the
planning and broadcasting of
programming;
- implementing the system for the
management of content in digital
format (Digital Asset Management);
- checking the advantages to using IT
networks and equipment, also for
audio-video contribution services,
instead of IP-based solutions for
national and international links.
Digital Terrestrial Television
In keeping with the deadlines set by
the Ministry of Economic Development
� Communications for the completion
of the switchover to digital terrestrial
television by 2012, during 2009, Rai
went ahead with the switch-off of the
analogue networks in Val d'Aosta,
Western Piedmont, Trentino Alto
Adige, Lazio and Campania,
simultaneously activating the DTT
multiplexes on the new frequencies
assigned. The commitment to these
issues covered various fronts. At
international level, the 'Report on
Transaction from Analogue to Digital
Broadcasting', which intends to be an
international guide to the conversion
of the broadcasting networks. In terms
of the switchover from analogue to
digital, Rai monitored the technical
quality of the service and supported
users.
High Definition Television (HDTV)
After an initial phase which witnessed, at
EBU level, the Research Centre's
leading role in experimentation and
research with particular regard to the
perception of HDTV in the various
formats, Rai made a commitment to
high definition, offering several
proposals.
The switch-off of the analogue network
made it possible to broadcast a RaiTest
HD channel using one of the
multiplexes. For the 2010 Vancouver
Winter Olympics and the World Cup in
South Africa, Rai will broadcast live in
HD in the 1080i format (resolution of
1920x1080).
Rai also contributed to the drafting of
technical specifications for the
acquisition of HD products and pursued
experiments on the HD Demo Channel,
a satellite channel dedicated to
technicians and fitters, in cooperation
with Ses Astra.
Significant work was also carried out in
2009 of the 4K standard, which allows
viewing 4 times more defined than
current HD and reaches the quality of
35 mm film for the first time. Torino 4k
is the first television broadcast in very
high definition created using this
standard.
The Technological Strategies Division
also ensures the participation of Rai in
HDForum Italia, the association between
the main institutional or industrial
parties in the television and audiovisual
sector, which promotes the use of high
definition content and technologies.
Technical quality
Technological Strategies, with its sector
dedicated to technical quality, is
committed to coordinating activities
carried out in relation to this subject in
all company sectors and to the
promotion of attention to quality on all
Rai Group products/processes.
Technical operating tables have been
activated among editorial, productive,
marketing and technical structures to
increase the quality perceived by users
on all genres.
An example of collaboration between
company structures for quality, is the
work team set up by the Technological
Strategies Division together with NewCo
Rai International to examine the
technical problems lined with
production, transport and dissemination
of the Raitalia signal in Africa, Asia, the
Americas, Australia and Europe. A
system for the remote control of radio
and television signals distributed via
satellite in the various regions of the
world has also been designed. Work is
continuing in Milan, within the Rai CPTV,
on the laboratory to improve the
technical quality of theatre in TV and
Radio, which collaborates with the main
education institutions in the Milan area
(Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore,
IULM and Statale, Scuole Civiche di Milano), and with some of Milan's
important theatres (CRT, Franco Parenti,
Teatro I), in order to test the use of new
technologies to improve the use of
theatre in TV and Radio.
The commitment to quality was also
aimed at constant monitoring to
improve and maintain company quality
standards. Activities include:
- the project to enhance the RadioRai
service on MW and relative
assessment of the perceived
improvement;
- a new monitoring, data collection and
broadcasting disservice analysis
system with the preparation of reports
for Company management;
- direct interfacing with users and with
the Authorities following specific
indications;
- the relationship with the Regional
Communication Committees
(Co.Re.Com.) to check and improve
the quality perceived by users;
- a competition reserved for the fitters
of aerials to improve the quality of Rai
programming.
Glocal net-thinking: a local, national
and international network
Rai is at the centre of initiatives and
projects of national and international
breadth to support a policy of
exchanged collaboration to renew
company functions. European
institutions, leading companies and
Universities are still the preferred
partners of Technological Strategies and
the Centre for Research.
Relationships have been developed with
local interlocutors (e.g.: Corecom,
territorial inspectorates), national
interlocutors (eg.: FUB, DGTVi,
HDForum Italia, CEI) and international
interlocutors (e.g.: BBC, NHK, EBU,
UIT). The Division also made
agreements with the worlds of industry, standards boards and research (with
organisations including Telecom Italia
Lab, Microsoft, Alcatel-Lucent, Selex
Communications, Vodafone, Radio
Vaticana, San Marino RTV Ses Astra and
Eutelsat), as well as with the academic
world (Politecnico di Torino, Università
La Sapienza di Roma).
Joint activities have concerned all the
aspects of production and broadcasting,
paying particular attention to the
technological aspects which are best
able to support the company's
commitment to quality, innovation and
the use of the service, with a few to
improved efficiency and attention to the
end user. The aspects focused on in
2009 were: mobile television (DVB-H
and DVB-SH), Wi-Max, Open Internet
TV and Web TV, infomobility, digital
radio (DRM: Digital Radio Mondiale).
The strategic front of research
Rai's Centre for Research, Innovation
and Tecnology (CRIT) is responsible for
the on-site experimentation of new
platforms and supports the Rai Group's
engineering in the launch of new
services, particularly for:
- High definition (HDTV), actively
participating in the development of
the DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting)-
T2 system, capable of disseminating
up to 3-4 HDTV programmes
encoded in MPEG-4 for every
television frequency (multiplex), thus
improving the performances of first
generation DVB-T. The on-site tests of
the new system continued with the
validation of the transmission systems
and receiving equipment.
- Mobile TV and Digital Radio, with
experimental services in relation to
infomobility for use in mobile
television systems (DVB-H and DVBSH)
and those more specific linked to
the world of radiophony based on the
DAB/DMB family. In both cases, experiments in the Turin area and
collaborations with the FIAT Research
Centre are in progress.
- Archives, cooperating with Rai Teche
and ICT for a multimedia
documentation system of the
company archives and an automated
digitalisation system of Betacam
cassettes.
- TV 'on demand', cooperating with the
Company Divisions and technical
standardisation organisations.
Moreover a prototype system of 'Dayafter
TV' capable of making the
content broadcast on air by the
networks available on broadband by
request of uses is being set up.
- Basic research, often made possible
by international cooperation and
funds for European and national
researches, such as super-high
definition television, known by
technicians as '4K', 3D television and
the development of innovative and
patented audio recording systems,
based on multi capsule microphones.
- Services for the disabled, to simplify
access to information services.
- DTT, participating within the sphere of
DGTVi/HDForum Italia in the
definition of the specifications of the
various types of receivers and relative
names (SD, HD, Broadband) and
supplying support for the validation
and update via ether of the receiver
SW on the market.
The international network
The CRIT holds prestigious assignment
within the following international
organisations:
- the Presidency of the Technical
Committee and the Broadcasting
Committee of the EBU (European
Broadcasters Union);
- the leading of the DVB committee for
the DVB-S2 satellite platform;
- participation in the DVB-T2, C2 and
NGH technical groups.
It is also involved in various projects
funded by the European Union.
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