At NAB2009, Rohde & Schwarz unveiled its new end-to-end ATSC M/H system that includes ATSC Mobile DTV-capable test equipment. "We build the chicken and the egg," is how Eddy Vanderkerken, R&S director of sales and marketing for the broadcast division, describes this strategy.

"We saw early on that there would be a need for a TV signal generator and, even more important, a signal analyzer. People who develop receivers need a signal to test," Vanderkerken said. "When new technology pops up, it's not enough to add a few parts. You're obligated to create the tools to make sure it all works. We went farther for mobile, beyond the transmitter and added the headend, encoders, IP encapsulator, multiplexer — all the tools to deploy single-frequency networks.”

The ATSC Mobile DTV Candidate Standard A/153 for mobile and handheld services is also known as “ATSC Mobile DTV.” The product family includes R&S':

• SX800 software-definable exciter
• AEM100 emission multiplexer
• AVE264 audio/video encoder
• SFU TV signal generator
• ETL TV test receiver

R&S offers the solution with third-party headend products in a complete “one-stop” solution for new installations or for retrofitting the existing transmission systems of any manufacturer. The ATSC Mobile DTV product family employing ATSC-M/H technology began shipping in April.

Read the Rohde &Schwarz ATSC mobile TV white paper, “Mobile TV in the United States: Capitalizing on the Opportunities.”

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