MUMBAI: The BES Expo 2009 - 15th  International Conference and Exhibition on Terrestrial and Satellite Broadcasting began in New Delhi on Monday.

The Expo will be held from 23 to 25 February at halls 12 and 12A, of Pragati Maidan expo centre.

Broadcast Engineering Society (India), the society of broadcast professionals organises this International Conference and Exhibition on Terrestrial and Satellite broadcasting every year. All the previous expos had a large participation of major broadcast equipment manufacturers and service providers.

Over 350 highly reputed organisations, service providers and major broadcast equipment manufacturers from all over the world are displaying their latest state-of-art technologies and services at the event. The event is approved by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, and is supported by Prasar Bharati, The Society of Broadcast Engineers,USA, Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union and endorsed by International Association of Broadcasting Manufacturers.

A range of international players are showcasing their products, facilities and services. On display are whole range of products like Amplifiers, Antenna Systems(Broadcast, FM and TV), Attenuators, Inductors, Antenna testers, Audio measuring and test equipments, Audio mixers, Audio processors, Automation systems and softwares, Broadcast equipments and softwares, Broadband access products, Cables and accessories, Channel automation systems, Compact and digital disc production systems, DTH Systems, DAB Systems, Digital Audio and Video recording systems, Digital storage,archival and retrieval systems, DVB-T
Transmitters, Earth stations/systems, Fibre optic solutions/services, Filters and splitters, Frequency monitoring systems, FM Exciters, HD Radio, HDTV, Headphones, Microphones, Mixers, Network management systems, Radio data systems, Radio automation softwares, Scheduling softwares, Satellite receivers, Switchers, Transmitters (AM,FM,TV), Test and Measuring equipments,
Virtual Studio, VSAT systems, Wireless systems.

The BES EXPO 2009 broadly focussed on the following :

· DTH

· DTT

· DRM

· DVM

· FM

· Cable

· Video

· Audio

· Multimedia

· Broadband

· Networking

· News Automation/Newsroom integration

· Video Streaming

· Satellite & Microwave

· Graphics & Animation

· Production/ Post Production equipments

· Test & measuring equipments

· MPEG2/MPEG4 Encoders

· Portable recorders

· Low cost radio broadcasting solutions

· Radio studio design

· Archiving and much more

The event was inaugrated by information and broadcasting Minister of State Anand Sharma on Monday. Guests of  honour were I and B secretary Sushma Singh, Prasar Bharati CEO B S Lalli and DVB chairman Philip Laven.

The key note address was delivered by Ruxandra Obreja, Controller, Business Development, BBC & Chairperson, DRM.

In her keynote address Ruxandra Obreja said, " I  suggest that digitisation is vital for the  21st century interdependent world. Against all this I propose a vision that I  could sum up as "globalization with local relevance". "FM is replacing AM,mobile phones are replacing fixed linephones, digital technologies are replacing analog ones. And what would
have warmed my DRM chairperson's heart more than your is the DRM transmissions to Europe and the UK on your 250 kW SW transmitter at Khampur," Obreja said.

Ruxandra Obreja summed up with " Digital  technologies are here to stay. Digital Radio,  DRM specifically, has an opportunity to play a part in the future to help build our relationship with audiences".

A workshop on DRM was organized by DRM consortium,UK in which presentations were made by Julian Cable, SeniorProject Manager, BBC, Lindsay Cornell, Principal Systems Architect, Future Media & Technology Division, BBC & Chairman World DMB & DRM Technical Committee, Thomas Feustel, Head of Terrestrial Transmission, DW, Joseph Troxler, Managing Director,  Thomson
Broadcast   & Multimedia AG, T.V.B.Subramanyam, Senior Programme Manager, Analog Devices. Most of the All India Radio officials and engineers were present at the workshop. Julian Cable spoke about Content & Planning, Coding &
Multiplexing, Distribution , DRM  modes & coding rates & MW experiences. Joseph Troxler emphasized on DRM transmitter conversions, DRM features, Advance possibilities & Multi Program structure   T.V.B.Subramanyam spoke about DRM receivers using  programmable DSP chips.

Prasar Bharati ( Broadcasting Corp. of India ) put up a huge stall (A 1-6) in which latest technical innovations from All India radio & Doordarshan were exhibited.

Among the systems displayed by AIR were :

a) DRM

b) SMS Based Remote Monitoring System for Unmanned VLPTs.

c) EWBS - Emergency Warning Broadcast System.

d) Telemetry System for MW Transmitters.

e) Remote Monitoring and Control System for FM Transmitters.

All India Radio Research Department carried out extensive propagation measurements at Delhi, Moradabad, Mathura,Gwalior, Agra, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Aligarh, Lucknow, Bangalore, Patna, Kolkata for the following investigations

· Near Vertical Incidence Skywave(NVIS) propagation for planning of DRM Regional SW transmitters of AIR.

· Long distance reception of DRM SW signals for external services.

· Simulcasting of analogue & DRM signals in SW band.

· Simulcasting of analogue & DRM signals in MW band.

The R&D propagation studies will help in choosing the optimum DRM parameters for example: Robustness mode, Modulation, Code Rate, Interlever, Bit rate, Power of transmitter, required difference between analogue & DRM powers
during simulcast operation etc.

DRM Future Plans :

· Existing 25 MW transmitters will be replaced by DRM transmitters.

· Existing 10 MW transmitters will be modified to DRM transmitters.

· 40 New DRM + FM transmitters will be installed.

· Existing 43 FM/MW transmitters will be replaced by DRM+ FM transmitters.

Transmitter manufacturer & provider of technology,services & systems, Thomson also participated in this years expo, they displayed their latest DRM solution equipments & also some DRM receivers. Among some of the prominent exhibitors were Autodesk India, Autoscript Broadcast BECIL(Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Ltd.), Broadcast & Cablesat, Broadcast Tecnologies, Falcon Technologies, Harris Broadcast Comm., HCL, NDTV Labs, Qualcomm India Pvt. Ltd., Radio Frequency System, Radio Systems Inc., Royal Broadcasting, Samsung, Sony, Rohde & Schwarz, Sun Broadcast & Wide Orbit,USA.

A conference was also held for which theme was "Broadcasting Technologies :

Integrating the World" at Pragati Maidan,New Delhi. Some of the prominent speakers were - Philip Laven,Chairman, DVB, A.K.Bhatnagar, Chief Engineer, Doordarshan, Vineeta Dwivedi,Project Director, DRM, Lindsay Cornell, Principal System Architect,BBC,Joseph Troxler, MD, Thomson, T.V.B.Subramanyam, Sr.Programme Manager, Analog Devices,  S.R.Aggarwal,
Chief Engineer AIR & DD, Thomas Feustel,DW, Mr.R.N.Choubey,TRAI,New Delhi, Sharad Sadhu,Technical Director, ABU,Malaysia, Hal Kneller, Broadcast Business development, Ibiquity Digital Corp., USA, Tim Bealor,  Broadcast Electronics, Bharat Bhatia, Regional Director, Motorola, ManavSinghal, Sr. Project Manager, Infosys, Arnaud Elnecave, Dalet, Charles W.Kelly, Director
of sales, Nautel  etc........