TV Azteca prepares for HDTV transmission in nine cities in Mexico


TV Azteca will use Harris DiamondCD DHD8P1 transmitters to bring HD transmission to Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey by the third quarter of this year.

Harris announced that TV Azteca, S.A. de C.V., one of the two largest producers of Spanish language television programming in the world, will use its digital television transmitters and HD encoding equipment for HDTV in nine cities in Mexico.

TV Azteca’s new equipment places will allow for HDTV transmission in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey by the third quarter of this year. Phase two of the national rollout will bring HDTV services to six additional cities (Matamoros, Reynosa, Nuevo Laredo, Ciudad Juarez, Mexicali and Tijuana) through the first half of 2006.

The initial TV Azteca order includes six Harris DiamondCD DHD8P1 transmitters operating at 1.8 kW. TV Azteca can readily expand the transmitters for additional power output by adding power amplifiers and power supplies. The transmitter includes the Apex advanced digital TV exciter.

Viewers with HDTV sets will receive picture resolution six times sharper than standard definition analog sets. Viewers without HDTV sets will continue to receive their television programming through analog transmission approaches.