Prolink Offers First USB Stick Tuner for Brazilian DTV

By Doug Lung
published

Prolink Microsystems Corp. announced its support of Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão Digital (SBTVD) with the release of company’s PixelView PlayTV USB SBTVD stick.

This is the first USB stick I’ve seen for the Brazilian DTV standard, which is a modified version of Japan’s ISDB-T standard. Prolink said it is the “world’s first Brazilian ISDB-TB capable USB stick” for desktop and laptop computers. The USB stick includes a remote control and is the size of a USB flash drive.

Available specifications are limited, but indicate the device is for UHF only. It isn’t clear if the device is one-segment only (the portion of the ISDB-T reserved for portable devices) or, as seems likely, includes one-seg in addition to other DTV services. The supplied software supports electronic program guide and scheduled recording functions.

Doug Lung
Doug Lung

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack.
A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.