ORS develops 5G Broadcast receiver for TV, radio and streaming
The first prototype: the ORS develops the world's smallest 5G Broadcast receiver with OBECA. Photo: ORS
Next step in the ecosystem research
5G Broadcast distributes linear broadcast content directly to mobile end devices such as smartphones or tablets. The tests are promising and the first mobile measurements for 5G Broadcast have been performed successfully by the ORS in Vienna.
However, a lack of mobile end devices is an obstacle to the introduction of the new transmission standard, as ORS managing director Michael Wagenhofer recently reported at the "EBU Forecast 2020" seminar of the European Broadcasting Union.
For this reason, at the start of September 2020, the ORS began developing its own open source 5G Broadcast receiver “OBECA” (Open Broadcast Edge Cache Appliance). The receiver will serve as an intermediate step for the investigation of future broadcasting applications with 5G Broadcast on mobile end devices and will drive the development forward.
Small receiver, big technology, open to all
One key criterion is that the receiver the ORS has designed is completely open source to enable third parties to contribute further developments in the future and support the ecosystem in the long term.
"OBECA consists of three levels: the receiver, the gateway and the test application. We are currently developing and adapting the receiver", says project manager Dr Johann Mika, commenting on the current status of the project. "The development is going well and we're optimistic that we can provide the 5G Broadcast community with a first release of the receiver by as early as the end of March."
Invitation to engineers for further, international development
When the source code is released at the end of March, the ORS will also publish further details about the development. "The 5G Broadcast receiver box brings us one huge step nearer to the goal of achieving discrimination-free and high-quality television and radio transmission in the future. Engineers around the world can now actively contribute to the further development of 5G Broadcast thanks to this open source box", says Norbert Grill, technical director at ORS, inviting interested parties to participate. Questions about OBECA can be submitted to obeca(at)ors.at.