Harris shows 3G infrastructure tools and new transmitters at IBC

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Among Harris’ 20 new products on display at IBC, there were new analog and digital transmitters supporting overseas formats like DVB, including the new Maxiva transmitter, with a new power amplifier and high performance in half the rack space.

Tim Thorsteinson, president of Harris’ Broadcast Communications Division, said there’s still massive potential for digital transmission throughout Europe. He also said his overall business in the United States was “flat.”

At its exhibit stand, Harris presented a 3Gb/s zone that included new routers and signal conversion modules that support the high-bandwidth format.

At IBC 2008, the company’s 3Gb/s support included:

• servers, such as the NEXIO AMP, offering 1080p support;
• converters like the NEO XHD-3903, an HD converter available with built-in 3Gb/s 1080p 50/59.94 processing and conversion capabilities;
• processors, such as the X85 1RU converter/synchronizer with optional HD frame rate conversion;
• synchronizers, like the SFS6800+, a 3Gb/s audio/video synchronizer;
• test and measurement, with the new 3Gb/s dual-input module for the Videotek TVM/VTM and AVM-717;
• routers, such as the Platinum MX, a new 5RU version that supports 3Gb/s signals.

The ATSC and Open Mobile Video Coalition are still considering Harris’ MPH transmission protocol as a standard for mobile TV in the United States. Brian Cabeceiras, vice president, strategic marketing and technology at Harris, said the company expects to see stations begin using the MPH scheme Sept. 1, 2009, when LG Electronics’ cell phones with the necessary built-in reception chips should be available and “service will get going quickly.” He said he expects that only one or two stations per station group will participate at first to test the waters for such services.