OpenCaster 

==Contact==
Lorenzo Pallara (l.pallara@avalpa.com)
Andrea Venturi (a.venturi@avalpa.com)

==Introduction==
This package is a collection of softwares for Linux system to play out and multiplex MPEG2 transport stream format
Use-cases:
MHP, MHEG5, HbbTv and others interactive tv standards object carousel broadcast
Playout of locally stored, offline encoded audio and video for non-live tv and radio stations
Multiplexing of input multicasted UDP transport stream to output multicasted UDP transport stream
VOD system based on mpeg2 transport stream over IP or over DVB for walled garden network like hotels with coax or ethernet.
DVB-SSU update
Data casting
Teletext generator
IP encapsualtor
PSI/SI generator
EPG generator

==Integration==
OpenCaster output has been successfully integrated with a long list of dvb products, among them there are products by Cisco/Scientific Atlanta, Ericsson/Tandberg, Dektec, Eurotek, Harmonic/Scopus, MainConcept, Mitan, Screen Service, Adtec, Wellav, Arris, Sr-Systems, Deltacast, ...

==Manual==
Avalpa Broadcast Server manual is available here: http://www.avalpa.com/the-key-values/15-free-software/33-opencaster

==Test==
OpenCaster has been tested with Rohde & Schwarz DVM100L, Rohde & Schwarz DVM 400, Dektec StreamXpert and a countless number of set top boxes, digital receivers and television sets

==Technical features==
- PSI generation (PAT, PMT, NIT, SDT, TDT, AIT, TOT, ...)
- EPG/EIT generation
- Object and data carousel generation and receivement (MHP, MHEG5, HbbTv, DVB-SSU, DSMCC, ...)
- third party software AC-3, MPEG2 audio, MPEG2 video and H264 video encoders support
- Audio Description generation support
- IP encapsulation (MPE)
- Teletext generation
- CBR transport stream muxing
- PCR stamping
- Null packet replacement
- PID filtering
- PID remapping
- Null packet insertion
- Video buffer verifier
- PCR timing verifier
- PES headers analyzer
- MPEG2 video and MPEG2/AC-3 audio ES header analyzer
- M2TS file generation from TS file

==Demo==
A demonstration transport stream is available at this address:http://www.avalpa.com/the-key-values/15-free-software/59-opencaster-demo-roll

==Handy tables==

DVB-T modulations:
Modulation 	Coding rate 	Guard interval
				1/4 	1/8 	1/16 	1/32
QPSK 		1/2 		4.976 	5.529 	5.855 	6.032
		2/3 		6.635 	7.373 	7.806 	8.043
		3/4 		7.465 	8.294 	8.782 	9.048
		5/6 		8.294 	9.216 	9.758 	10.053
		7/8 		8.709 	9.676 	10.246 	10.556
16-QAM 		1/2 		9.953 	11.059 	11.709 	12.064
		2/3 		13.271 	14.745 	15.612 	16.086
		3/4 		14.929 	16.588 	17.564 	18.096
		5/6 		16.588 	18.431 	19.516 	20.107
		7/8 		17.418 	19.353 	20.491 	21.112
64-QAM 		1/2 		14.929 	16.588 	17.564 	18.096
		2/3 		19.906 	22.118 	23.419 	24.128
		3/4 		22.394 	24.882 	26.346 	27.144
		5/6 		24.882 	27.647 	29.273 	30.160
		7/8 		26.126 	29.029 	30.737 	31.668

channel to frequency table:
21 	474
22 	482
23 	490
24 	498
25 	506
26 	514
27 	522
28 	530
29 	538
30 	546
31 	554
32 	562
33 	570
34 	578
35 	586
36 	594
37 	602
38 	610
39 	618
40 	626
41 	634
42 	642
43 	650
44 	658
45 	666
46 	674
47 	682
48 	690
49 	698
50 	706
51 	714
52 	722
53 	730
54 	738
55 	746
56 	754
57 	762
58 	770
59 	778
60 	786
61 	794
62 	802
63 	810
64 	818
65 	826
66 	834
67 	842
68 	850
69 	858

mpeg audio layer 2 suggested bit rates:
56 kbps -> 1 pes packet -> 1 ts packet
112 kbps -> 1 pes packet -> 2 ts packets 
160 kbps -> 1 pes packet -> 3 ts packets
224 kbps -> 1 pes packet -> 4 ts packets
all the others fall in the middle and are not a wise choice