ATSC Publishes PSIP Recommendation

Broadcasters who need to make the most of their DTV signal and services have some guidance from the Advanced Systems Television Committee (ATSC), which has approved a new recommended Program and System Information Protocol (PSIP) implementation guideline.

ATSC Document A/69 provides specific recommendations for the use of ATSC PSIP Standard A/65A that will help broadcasters correctly set DTV system information.

"The Recommended Practice explains the operator-oriented elements of PSIP and provides practical examples of typical station operation, as well as guidelines for designers of PSIP-related hardware and software to optimize user interface information for such equipment," said Art Allison, NAB's director of advanced engineering, science and technology. "Although proper implementation of PSIP at the television-station level is not particularly complex, the optimal choice of parameters is not obvious. Implementation issues and concerns at the station level needed to be addressed in a simplified form relative to PSIP Standard A/65A."

ATSC Document A/69 and all other ATSC DTV standards are available at the ATSC Web site, www.atsc.org/standards.