Mobile DTV transmission systems are ready for deployment
Nov 2, 2009 12:22 PM, By Michael Grotticelli
The new Rohde & Schwarz AEM100 emission multiplexer includes an IP encapsulator, a signaling generator and an ATSC A/153 mobile DTV multiplexer.
The commercialized Harris ATSC mobile DTV platform includes the software-definable Harris Apex M2X exciter and the Harris NetVX networking platform, which has a mobile video encoder, multiplexer and encapsulator built-in. Harris offers electronic program guide technology from Roundbox and Triveni Digital to generate the required program stream and data information. The company is also providing financing options, available through its alliance with National City Media Finance, a division of National City Commercial Capital Company.
WOWT-DT, NBC affiliate in Omaha, NE, is now on the air with the Harris platform — the only station in its market that is pursuing a mobile video strategy — even though there are few who can actually receive the signal.
Jim Ocon, vice president of technology for Gray Television, said he expects to see the first consumer devices available at stores in early 2010 if not the end of this year.
For its part, Rohde & Schwarz announced the successful installation of an ATSC mobile DTV multiplexer and exciter for the new A/153 mobile DTV standard at WNUV-DT, the local Fox affiliate in Baltimore, MD. Rohde & Schwarz is also a main supplier for Qualcomm's FLO-TV mobile video technology in the United States.
One of the key products used at WNUV-DT for its ATSC mobile DTV operation is the R&S SX800 frequency agile exciter, which can be found in the newest ATSC and NTSC medium power air-cooled and high-power liquid-cooled transmitter systems from Rohde& Schwarz. It is also available for use in transmitters made by other manufacturers. Introduced in 2006, R&S SX800 supports all worldwide TV broadcasting standards, including ATSC, MediaFLO, DVB-T/H, ISDB-Tb, and now, ATSC Mobile DTV. The unit is also single-frequency network (SFN) capable, enabling it to be used among a ring of low-power transmitters to ensure signal strength. Existing ATSC A/53 transmitters that use the R&S SX800 exciter can be updated to ATSC A/153 effortlessly.
The heart of the system is the new R&S AEM100 emission multiplexer, which includes the IP encapsulator, a signaling generator and the mobile DTV multiplexer. This single RU high product fully supports ATSC mobile DTV and SFN operation, and is easily integrated into existing installations, leaving the standard ATSC A/53 multiplexer in place.
The R&S AEM100 comes with the SFN function already integrated. The company said that this function, which can be optionally activated, makes it possible to supply the ATSC mobile DTV transport stream from the multiplexer to several transmitters. It allows simultaneous transmission on the same frequency in SFNs. The advantages for network operators are obvious: They can address coverage problems to serve more viewers without having to apply for additional frequencies.
Mark Aitken, director of advanced technology for the Sinclair Broadcast Group, said engineers at WNUV-DT were able to perform a "flash upgrade" of the station's existing R&S SX800 exciters in the transmitters to the new ATSC mobile DTV standard.
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