The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) recently approved a new Recommended Practice - A/111, "Design of Synchronized Multiple Transmitter Networks."
The document provides guidelines for operation and performance to help technicians design specialized transmission facilities that use multiple transmitters to cover a station's service area. The document addresses single frequency networks (SFNs) and multiple frequency networks (MFNs) and how they will handle signal coverage issues.
"The benefits of SFNs described in A/111 include more uniform signal levels throughout the area being served, reduced interference, fewer terrain limitations and more reliable indoor reception," said Merrill Weiss, who was directly involved in the development of the recommended practice.
Technicians can implement networks using digital on-channel repeaters (DOCRs), distributed transmission (DTx) systems or distributed translators (DTxRs).
A/111--a companion document to ATSC Standard A/110--was developed in the ATSC Specialist Group on Transmission (T3/S9). A/110 explains ways to synchronize the emissions of multiple DTV transmitters.
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