The Challenge
Retirement villages, by nature, usually require low density housing because multiple story dwellings are not suitable for the frail and infirm. This means that distances between residents’ units are large enough to stretch the design capabilities of some TV distribution networks.
Hills Antenna & TV Systems was engaged to design a TV distribution system at Bribie Island Retirement Village that would meet the needs of the local residents. Those needs included distribution of all available free to air digital TV channels, Foxtel pay TV, as well as a video source from the local chapel.
As Bribie Island Village offers unfurnished units, the TV distribution system needs to pass all signals without re-formatting to the residents, so an RF distribution system was chosen. Distributing the five-wire pay TV service as a satellite IF signal allows residents to negotiate separate contracts with Foxtel for the pay TV service, according to their individual requirements.
However, Foxtel has set the maximum distance that is allowable between the LNB and the Foxtel distribution equipment to 45m, in order to limit the voltage drop and ensure that the pay TV box can switch the LNB to the correct polarisation. This distance constraint presents challenges for Hills Antenna & TV Systems, as designers of the network, which needs to distribute signals to 138 units over the spacious grounds of the village.
Technical Solution
Hills designed a system that included a modulator for the camera in the chapel. This signal was then amplified and sent to the free-to-air headend, located approximately 80m away.
The free-to-air TV and chapel signals are basically distributed from this headend to all units on the site. However, a second distribution network was required for the Foxtel pay TV service because of the limitation in distance from the antenna/LNB to the outlets. In order to overcome this constraint, Hills overlaid four satellite sub headends with the free-to-air system. The four satellite sub headends ensured that cable lengths were below the 45m maximum and, by integrating this system with the free-to-air distribution network, residents could enjoy the full suite of TV and video services in each unit.
The Outcome
The residents of the Bribie Island Retirement Village have complete autonomy as far as their TV and video systems are concerned. On moving into an unfurnished unit, they can elect to bring their own TV and Foxtel boxor alternatively, they can make independent arrangements with Foxtel according to their own preferences. Services in the local chapel can be viewed in all units, as can the local digital free to air service. Residents enjoy the latest technology and reliable service from a network that was designed and provided by the industry leaders – Hills Antenna & TV Systems.
