SOUTHWICK, MA–Hitachi Kokusai Electric Comark LLC, a manufacturer and supplier of DTV transmitters, encoding systems, and associated field services, has signed a partnership agreement with ENENSYS for ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0 technology and products.

The agreement appoints COMARK as an authorized reseller and service provider of the ENENSYS hardware and software product line. COMARK will focus on the North American broadcast DTV market for ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0 solutions.

Comark Digital Services (CDS) was originally formed back in 1997 during the transition from analog to DTV, delivering a multitude of solutions to DTV customers. Earlier this year CDS was relaunched to assist customers with navigating the FCC repack and migrating to ATSC 3.0. CDS currently operates a full laboratory for equipment testing, integration, and customer demonstrations.

CDS has delivered systems to key ATSC 3.0 trials in the U.S., all of which included ENENSYS products, including:

• ATSCheduler, an ATSC3.0 Broadcast Gateway that encapsulates MMT, ROUTE, ALP or any IP streams into an ATSC multiplex, inserts synchronization data from Single Frequency Network (SFN) Broadcasting, allocates data into the different Sub-Frame and Physical Layer Pipes (PLP) and generates STL output packets;

• IPGuardV2, which enables 1+1 Automatic IP switching with bypass mechanism. Designed for IP architectures, it allows to switch between main & backup IP sources based on a set of configurable criteria in order to provide reliable IP transport and error-free streams, and

• ATSCaster: As ATSC3.0 compression is based on DASH or MPU segment generation, ATSCaster is designed to create the ROUTE or MMT packaging and generation over IP multicast streams for live services, including the signaling of these services.

“This agreement formalizes a long-standing relationship between ENENSYS and COMARK. ENENSYS complements our current product portfolio with key technologies for both ATSC 1.0 and 3.0 systems,” says Dick Fiore, President and CEO of Hitachi Kokusai Electric Comark LLC. “The ENENSYS IPGuard, ATSCscheduler, and ATSCaster products provide our customers with a future-proof upgrade path for Next Gen Broadcast Television deployments.”

“As an already accepted industry leader in the emerging ATSC 3.0 deployments as well as ATSC 1.0 solutions, ENENSYS Technologies is proud to be partnered with CDS. Their reputation as a customer focused, technologically sound, and innovative company is exactly what we and the broadcast industry need for both today and into the future.” states Phil Whitebloom, Director of Sales – North America.

RENNES, FRANCE—The ATSC 3.0 testing station in Cleveland is getting some international help with the deployment of France-based Enensys’ ATSCheduler – ATSC 3.0 Broadcast Gateway.

WJW-TV tower

The ATSCheduler runs at a station or central headend to encapsulate the IP streams stemming from various HEVC encoders that deliver the compressed audio-visual content over ROUTE or MMTP protocols and from the non-real-time server generating the signaling information and the interactive applications. The system outputs the resulting ATSC-compliant multiplex using the Studio to Transmitter Link protocol through IP. The use of ATSCheduler enables the creation of advanced on-air architecture, including MultiPLP and Layered Division Multiplexing, which gives it the ability to target different receivers and provide levels of service like mobile and 4K/UHD fixed reception.

Enensys runs the ATSCheduler in its HDc chassis, which can embed up to 6x ATSCheduler modules in 1U; the same chassis can output up to six STL streams over IP.

The real-world test station, which is owned by Tribune Broadcasting’s WJW-TV, is testing ATSC 3.0 broadcasting under an experimental FCC broadcast license.

For a comprehensive list of TV Technology’s ATSC 3.0 coverage, see our ATSC3 silo.