Technical Emmys Awarded

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced the winners of the 2003 Technology and Engineering Emmy Awards and the First-Ever Advanced Media Technology Awards during a black-tie dinner ceremony at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.

The Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Advanced Media Technology for the Creation of Non-Traditional Programs or Platforms, which recognizes work developed for delivery and display by non-traditional and or non-linear programming, including: Systems, EPG's, User Interfaces, one-screen or two screen applications, CD-ROM, DVD, computer and video games with broadcast components, etc. was presented to Cablevision for their "Interactive Optimum Digital Cable Service."

Thales Broadcast and Multimedia was awarded an Emmy for "Pioneering Development of Digital Modulator Adaptive Pre-Correction for ATSC 8VSB Digital Transmitter Systems." The system allows DTV transmitters to maintain signal quality and coverage by correcting for distortions in the DTV transmitter's amplifiers. The correction also reduces out-of-band intermodulation products that could interfere with adjacent channels. DTV places greater demands on system linearity than analog transmission and with an adaptive pre-correction system, many hours would be needed to manually optimize the system for best performance.

A Thales press release, Thales Wins Emmy Award for Technical and Engineering Excellence, said "The initial research for a Digital Adaptive Pre-Correction began as early as year 1994 to face technical requirements of various Digital Video and Audio Transmission standards as well as different transmitter technologies (Solid State and Tubes). In April 1996, the concept of the DAP system was displayed and discussed by Thales engineers at the NAB show. Since this early introduction, DAP has been equipping all Digital transmitters from Thales and has become emblematic of the brand in the broadcasting market"

In accepting the award, Jerry Chase, CEO of Thales Broadcast and Multimedia said, "Thales is honored to accept the Emmy award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and its technical committee members. We are grateful to be recognized by such a prestigious body. Thales has a 75-year tradition of commitment to develop new technologies, which deliver value-added benefits to our customers and the broadcast community. A special 'thank-you' goes out to all of Thales' hard-working individuals for the remarkable industry acceptance and success of DAP."