Smart Buildings Systems for Architects, Owners and Builders

Video distribution varies by building type. For residential buildings such as
houses, apartments, condominiums, and dormitories video distribution is fairly
dense because most television viewing takes place at home. In most commercial
and government buildings video distribution is primarily in common areas such
as building entrances, cafeterias, meeting rooms, elevators, assembly rooms,
classrooms, and so forth.

Traditional Video Distribution

Most video within existing buildings is currently being distributed using a tech-
nology developed decades ago, commonly referred to as CATV (community
antenna television) or RF (radio frequency). The technology takes multiple
analog video signals and “modulates” or places them on different radio fre-
quencies carried by a coaxial cable. Many large cable television service provi-
ders and others have moved away from the use of coaxial cable to some hybrid
of fiber optic cable and coaxial cable or, in some areas, just fiber optic cable, to
transmit the video RF signal (Fig. 8.1).

Cable

Television

Provider

System

Headend

Amplifiers

Modulators

Processors Distribution

Network

Coaxial Cable or Coaxial/

Fiber Optic Hybrid RF

Distribution

Combiners

DVD Player

Video Camera

VCR

Satellite

Character

Generator

Figure 8.1 Traditional video distribution.

92 Smart Building Systems for Architects, Owners, and Builders