RF Shorts for Nov. 8, 2012

Doug Lung

Reviewer Finds Simple.TV Not So Simple 

It appears the Simple.TV box may not be as simple to use as some hoped. Ben Drawbaugh posted a review, Simple.TV review: a set-top box that streams broadcast TV to mobile devices on Engadget.com.

Drawbaugh writes, “America's favorite pastime is certainly under attack from all angles, and while we suspect someone will eventually come along and flip the television industry on its head, we don't think Simple.TV is the device to do it. For starters, it's saddled with numerous hardware requirements, along with buggy software. But even when the software matures and proper tablet and phone apps are released, there's the matter of the subscription. That $59 a year essentially amounts to location services and guide data.”

The device does not include storage and the only output is wired IP, so if you don't already have something like a Roku box you will only be able to watch it on your computer. If you want to watch video from Simple.TV via the Internet, you’ll need to subscribe to their Premier Service for $59 per year.

Drawbaugh suggests the Hauppauge Broadway as a possible alternative. It's more expensive, but uses broadcast PSIP data, so no guide subscription is required.

e2v Posts Latest Financial Results

Many UHF TV stations use e2v IOTs in their transmitters, so I thought readers would be interested in the e2v half year results. There is no mention of broadcast tubes in the report, but for the entire RF power solutions divisions the report says that sales for RF power devices were down five percent.

According to the report: “This reflects lower demand in our commercial and industrial business, partly offset by growth in electronic countermeasures, with radiotherapy being steady.”

It’s also interesting to observe that their high-power tubes are seeing increasing use in the industrial processing of bulk materials.

“In industrial processing systems, we have signed a development agreement with Rio Tinto, covering the design and supply of large-scale ProWaveTM microwave and radio frequency generators for use in projects to improve the efficiency of mineral recovery. The agreement follows on from the signing of a memorandum of understanding earlier this year and forms a framework under which e2v will scale up microwave generation to that required by Rio Tinto. Successful completion of the development phase, anticipated at around two years, could then lead to the supply of mine-ready microwave equipment.”


Comments and RF related news items are welcome. Email me at dlung@transmitter.com.

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.