Scientists at a German university have tested broadcasts using the next-generation digital cable TV standard DVB-C2, according to a report by Broadband TV News.

May 7, 2010 — The sweet sound of progress: We’re TV fanatics here at Televisions.com, so any development that helps improve the quality of broadcasts is really quite a big thing for us. But while it might not excite normal TV viewers quite as much, the introduction of a new TV standard affects everyone. We all remember the hazy — or should that be blurry? — days of analogue TV, when even the arrival of DVB-T (Freeview) was a big step up.

The higher bandwidths of the digital cable and digital satellite standards (DVB-C and DVB-S) deliver even better pictures and a wealth of interactive and on-demand content. What’s more, the more-recent satellite platforms Sky HD and freesat use the second-generation DVB-S2 standard — and the quality is definitely something to write home about. Even DVB-T has made the jump to version two — Freeview HD, which began broadcasting last December, claims to be the world’s first service to use DVB-T2.

So now it’s the turn of digital cable to climb the upgrade ladder: In recent weeks, practical demonstrations of DVB-C2 have taken place for the first time. Researchers at the University of Braunschweig’s Institute for Communications Technology have carried out test broadcasts using the new standard and have even demonstrated these at the ANGA Cable trade fair in Cologne. The really good news is that the research team were delighted with the results, according to a report by the website Broadband TV News.

But there’s no indication of when the standard might reach the general public, and these things take time: A year after the final DVB-C2 specification was approved by the DVB consortium, we’re only just hearing of successful test broadcasts. Still, the arrival of 3D TV should keep us all occupied in the meantime!