Top Story
FCC rules for DTS should not allow additional interference, says MSTV
Mar 2, 2006 8:00 AM, RF Update e-newsletter
The Association for Maximum Service Television filed comments Feb. 9 with the FCC asking it to avoid establishing rules for Distributed Transmission Systems, DTS, that would allow broadcasters to arbitrarily expand their coverage area or cause additional interference to neighboring stations.
In the petition, MSTV endorsed DTS because of its ability to bring broadcast service to viewers in hilly and underserved areas where there are gaps in coverage; however, it cautioned the commission that these benefits “must be carefully weighed against the risk of DTS in causing harmful interference.”
The MSTV filing favored the commission’s proposal to license DTS on a primary basis. Otherwise, broadcasters and viewers who would benefit from DTS might not because broadcasters would have a regulatory disincentive to set up distributed transmission, which would have to accept interference as a service licensed on a secondary basis.
However, regardless of being licensed as a primary service, DTS service should not be allowed to cause additional harmful interference, the association said.
MSTV also urged the commission to license DTS operations on a linked group basis covered by one construction permit rather than licensing each DTS transmitter separately. The association also recommended that stations be allowed to add DTS transmitters using a minor change application.
The association favored a commission proposal to require one DTS transmitter to cover the station’s community of license, but urged the commission to give the Media Bureau the flexibility to grant waivers to such a rule if an alternative arrangement would provide equal or better coverage of the principal community.
Any rules to establish DTS service should not increase interference to viewer reception by raising the spectral noise floor, MSTV said. Therefore, commission rules should not allow aggregate interference from all of the transmitters in a DTS system to exceed applicable limits for a single transmitter in a conventional broadcast system.
Additionally, the method used to calculate interference from a single transmitter isn’t capable of measuring interference in a DTS system, according to MSTV. OET-69 was not designed for this purpose. It relies on certain assumptions about transmitter placement relative to their channel relationship within a geographic area. OET-69 “did not include a technique to compute interference based on the placement and operation of transmitters anywhere within the service area of adjacent channel DTV stations, or consider the aggregate effect of multiple DTS transmitters in the same area,” the MSTV filing said.
The association proposed a couple of modifications to OET-69 to make it suitable for determining interference from DTS systems. First, a “variable protection ratios (D/U)” component should be included in computing interference. Second, the MSTV proposed a way to account for multiple DTS transmitters in a given “market by aggregating their signal for interference computation.”
For more information, visit www.mstv.org.
Industry News
Could typo derail DTV deadline?
Mar 2, 2006 8:00 AM, RF Update e-newsletter
After months of squabbling, Congress finally passed a controversial budget-reconciliation bill that set a deadline for the 2009 shutdown of analog television. President Bush signed the legislation into law Feb. 8. It’s over now, right?
Well, not quite. It seems that due to a clerical typo the House and Senate bills were not identical, as the law said it must be. The Senate version contained a 13-month subsidy for Medicare patients’ equipment, while the House provided 39 months for equipment. The final bill sent from the House to the president’s desk contained the Senate’s 13-month limit. The error, apparently the fault of a Congressional clerk, resulted in $2 billion spending difference between the two bills.
What does this have to do with DTV? Everything, since the entire DTV legislative package is contained in this $39 billion dollar spending package. If the legislation is found not to be valid, neither is the new DTV policy. In a less contentious time, members of Congress would simply vote to fix the technicality. But since the legislation is highly controversial due to its severe spending cuts for social programs, it barely passed both bodies in the first place. Neither body wants to revisit the issue in fear that a second vote may rip the entire bill apart. Several legislators, feeling pressure from constituents, have indicated they may vote against the measure if the opportunity arises again.
Don’t expect the matter to be ignored. One taxpayer is already suing in an attempt to topple the legislation, which a court is very like to do. Congressional leaders are currently at an impasse.
Mobile DTV Alliance to promote North American DVB-H deployment
Mar 2, 2006 8:00 AM, RF Update e-newsletter
The march to the small screen continues with the formation of the Mobile DTV Alliance to foster the growth of DVB-H mobile digital TV deployment in North America.
Backed by technology giants, Intel, Modeo, Motorola, Nokia and Texas Instruments, the alliance will promote best practices and open standards to deliver DVB-H programming to handsets in North America.
With DVB-H enabled handsets, viewers will be able to receive live television programming directly on their cell phones and other mobile devices. Currently 10 DVB-H network trials are underway in Australia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States and other countries. DVB-H infrastructure is expected to be built out and ready for deployment in major U.S. markets next year.
For more information, visit www.mdtvalliance.org.
National Datacast delivers MovieBeam content
Mar 2, 2006 8:00 AM, RF Update e-newsletter
The rollout of the new MovieBeam service to 29 metropolitan areas in the United States covering about 40 million U.S. television households marks the latest achievement for datacasting.
The new MovieBeam service uses National Datacast’s wireless datacasting network of PBS stations to power the automatic delivery of movies to homes. MovieBeam's content rides on top of existing PBS station program broadcasts.
MovieBeam is backed by The Walt Disney Company, Cisco and Intel.
For more information, visit www.nationaldatacast.com.
Low-cost 3-in-1 TV tuner chip debuts
Mar 2, 2006 8:00 AM, RF Update e-newsletter
 The new MicroTuner MT2131 integrates an ASTC, NTSC and DCR tuner into one chip. |
Microtune unveiled a three-in-one TV tuner Feb. 27 intended to drive digital TV reception into the cost-sensitive consumer TV mass market.
Integrating three tuners — analog, digital and cable — in a chip smaller than a thumbtack, Microtune's new MicroTuner MT2131 tuner delivers performance that exceeds all three existing U.S. TV requirements: ATSC, NTSC and Digital Cable Ready (DCR), according to the company.
Eliminating more than 100 components from the silicon tuner bill of materials, BOM, the MT2131 cuts external BOM cost by 60 percent. By breaking through the sub-$3 cost barrier, it enables manufacturers to deploy a tuner across all TV models, sizes and price points.
Microtune has published its internal benchmark tests of the MT2131 and a comparison of the MT2131 to the measurement test results of the FCC's study.
For more information, visit www.microtune.com.
FCC Actions
SBE petitions commission to begin ULS modification rulemaking
Mar 2, 2006 8:00 AM, RF Update e-newsletter
The SBE urged the commission Feb. 17 to begin a rulemaking proceeding to allow TV Pickup licensees to document the location and height of their ENG receive only, ENG-RO, sites and to allow Remote Pickup, RPU, sites to do the same in the commission’s Universal Licensing system.
The SBE comments were filed in response to an FCC Public Notice released Jan. 23 regarding an earlier petition from the society for such rulemaking.
In its latest comments, the SBE asserted that “highly sensitive” ENG receive only sites are at risk from high-power commercial mobile radio service operator base stations operating on adjacent bands. Without allowing ENG-RO sites to identify their location in the ULS, these mobile radio operators have no “practical means” of locating such sites. Other operators, including the military, broadband radio service Channel 1 licensees, mobile satellite service licensees and “WiFi entities” would benefit from the information as well, according to the comments.
The society also spelled out what it does not wish any modifications to the ULS to do, including making TV Pickup and RPU licensee location and height registration mandatory. Nor does the SBE seek changes to TV broadcast auxiliary service rules or to propose establishing any minimum separation distance between ENG-RO and RPU sites and other operators.
The petition pointed out that amending the system to allow voluntary submission of ENG-RO and RPU locations and antenna heights would “allow interested parties that might not want to risk revealing a planned deployment” to call up the information they required in a way that kept their inquiry “a matter (that’s) solely between the ULS and the interest party.”
For more information, visit www.sbe.org.
FCC Katrina panel to meet in Mississippi
Mar 2, 2006 8:00 AM, RF Update e-newsletter
The Federal Communications Commission’s independent panel reviewing the impact of Hurricane Katrina on communications networks will hold its next meeting March 6, 2006 at 10 a.m. at the Mississippi e-Center at Jackson State University.
If the planned business for this meeting is not completed on March 6, the panel will reconvene the next day at 9:30 a.m.
Oral presentations at the meeting will include:
- the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the telecommunications and media infrastructure including public safety communications;
- the effectiveness of the infrastructure recovery effort
- ways to improve disaster preparedness, network reliability and first responder communications.
For more information, visit www.fcc.gov.
Dateline
Dates and events you need to know
Mar 2, 2006 8:00 AM, RF Update e-newsletter
Meeting of FCC independent Hurricane Katrina panel
Date: March 6, 10 a.m.
Location: Mississippi e-Center at Jackson State University, 1230 Raymond Road, Jackson, MS 39204
The FCC independent panel reviewing the impact of Hurricane Katrina on communications networks will meet to discuss the impact of the hurricane, the effectiveness of infrastructure recovery efforts and ways to improve disaster recovery. The meeting may be extended and resume at 9:30 a.m. March 7 if more time is needed for testimony.
For more information, visit www.fcc.gov.
Great Lakes Broadcasting Conference and EXPO
Date: March 13-14
Location: Lansing, MI
The two-day conference and exposition will sessions on engineering, management, news, programming and sales.
For more information, visit www.michmab.com/conferences/glbcmain.html.
DTV Channel Election — Round Three Conflict Resolution
Date: March 2006
Commission resolves remaining conflicts among third round elections.
For more information, visit www.fcc.gov.
NAB2006
Date: April 22-27
Location: Las Vegas
For more information, visit www.nab.org.
ATSC Annual Meeting
Date: May 9-11
Location: Westfield Marriott, Chantilly, VA
The Advanced Television Systems Committee will hold its annual meeting in Chantilly, VA, near Dulles International Airport.
For more information, visit www.atsc.org.
Texas Association of Broadcasters Convention
Date: Aug. 9-11
Location: Hilton Austin Downtown, Austin, TX
For more information, visit www.tab.org.
New DTV Table of Allotments
Date: August 2006
Commission issues Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposing new DTV Table of Allotments.
For more information, visit www.fcc.gov.
SBE 22 Broadcast & Technology Expo/National Meeting
Date: Sept. 26-27
Location: Event Center at Turning Stone Casio, Verona, NY
This year’s national meeting will be held in conjunction with the SBE 22 Broadcast & Technology Expo.
For more information, visit www.sbe.org.
RF Products & Reviews
Harris announces new functionality for H-Class content delivery platform applications
Mar 2, 2006 8:00 AM, RF Update e-newsletter
Harris has integrated its solutions for digital asset management, air-time sales, scheduling and reporting within its new H-Class Content Delivery Platform.
These new H-Class applications will bring about new platform-based advantages, including content management and sharing, intra-application messaging, increased security and scheduling functionality. The H-Class Application Suite serves the existing needs of media and entertainment customers today and provides a growth path to full enterprise-wide deployment in the future.
By providing management of content assets, associated metadata and content relationships, the H-Class Platform enables the delivery of rich media across multiple distribution channels. Customers of the H-Class Platform will enjoy the benefits of streamlined operations, increased productivity, optimized revenue streams and reduced operational and infrastructure costs.
For more information, visit www.harris.com.
Wireless HD remote camera system captures excitement at Super Bowl XL
Mar 2, 2006 8:00 AM, RF Update e-newsletter
 Aerial Video Systems used the Link HD, a Thomson LDK-6000 camera and its own proprietary fiber optic antenna system to transmit HD wireless shots at Super Bowl XL. |
For Super Bowl XL, ABC Sports contracted Burbank-based Aerial Video Systems (AVS) for two HD wireless camera systems to assist in the coverage of the game.
The HD wireless cameras allowed the cameraman to navigate the heavily congested sidelines without dragging cables and transmit back images to the truck. In addition, an HD wireless camera system was deployed to cover the crowd and up into the catwalks far above the playing surface to capture the excitement of the game.
The video and camera control interfaces were invisible and seamless to the truck. AVS used the Link HD, a Thomson LDK-6000 camera and the AVS proprietary fiber optic antenna system. System-wide latency of the HD system is a little more than 40 milliseconds, well under 1.5 frames, allowing for direct integration without sync issues.
For more information, visit www.aerialvideo.com.
KBDI BroadView Software for multicast rollout
Mar 2, 2006 8:00 AM, RF Update e-newsletter
Colorado Public Television’s KBDI-TV is implementing BroadView Software’s integrated traffic and programming solution as part of its transition to digital multicasting.
The installation marks the penultimate step in KBDI’s six-phase transition-to-digital master plan and will enable a broad range of new programming options.
According to station president and general manager Willard Rowland Jr., BroadView Software will let KBDI effectively mange content and underwriters that the station's multicast is introducing to public broadcasting.
The ultimate aim of leveraging the new multicast streams with Broadview’s managerial capabilities is to enable KBDI to create a new model of programming and financial independence.
For more information, visit www.broadviewsoftware.com.
RFS to introduce slim, light turnstile UHF antenna
Mar 2, 2006 8:00 AM, RF Update e-newsletter
Radio Frequency Systems (RFS) will launch a new slim, lightweight superturnstile UHF broadcast antenna at NAB2006.
Supporting the entire U.S. and European UHF bands (470MHz to 862MHz), the new RFS superturnstile antenna exhibits superior pattern circularity.
The result of rigorous computer modeling and ingenious material selection, the antenna exhibits pattern ripple of more than +/-1.5 dB across the entire UHF band. Its low-drag profile underpins the antenna’s high wind-speed rating and low wind-load characteristics.
The RFS superturnstile antenna family is well-suited for medium-power digital television (DTV) broadcast applications. It is also well-suited for many low-power broadcast applications, such as coverage of small to medium-sized cities, and translator applications. Mounting options include top mount and side mount.
For more information, visit www.rfsworld.com.
Telecast Fiber to rollout G2 CopperHead fiber optic transceiver
Mar 2, 2006 8:00 AM, RF Update e-newsletter
Telecast Fiber Systems will launch its next generation of camera-mounted transceivers, the G2 CopperHead at NAB2006.
Based on the company's CopperHead system, the modular G2 CopperHead is available in, and convertible to, several configurations, including 40-pin SD, 50-pin HD/SDI, component/composite analog ENG and digital "Cine" by simply changing input/output sleds.
The company also will unveil SCAMP, an optical repeater and power amplifier for SMPTE 311 hybrid cables. It can be installed in the middle of a cable run, functioning simply as an optical repeater and taking power from the SMPTE cable, or can be locally powered to boost electrical power.
For more information, visit www.telecast-fiber.com.
