digitalanalog
Active Member
END OF TALL TOWER ERA?
As DTS technology can provide coverage into areas totally unserved by conventional tall transmitting towers and high-power transmitters, Weiss was asked if he thought it might eventually spell the end of the tall tower era of broadcasting.
"No, certainly not in the near-term," Weiss said. "There's too much investment in tall towers right now. I see most stations using gap fullers where they have areas [to service] that are obstructed from tall towers, or where they have a lower power operation and can use the technology as a service extender. Either way, it keeps high-power tall tower operations going. In some situations, broadcasters could save money and provide more reliable service, but I think that this will take a long time."
For stations wishing to implement DTS, at minimum, a new transmitter, antenna and methodology for obtaining a signal to transmit must be provided. Weiss estimates that putting a "gap filler" on the air could run between $50,000 and $150,000.
"It depends a lot on the size of the facility," Weiss said. "Some of the cost will depend on how the facility gets the signal."
Some DTS installations may be able to get by with off-air pickup of the broadcast signal from the station's primary transmitter. Others may require fiber interconnection or the use of microwave radio facilities for receiving a signal for transmission. If the area to be covered is large and a station has multiple secondary transmission sites in areas not easily served by fiber or microwave, then satellite distribution is a possibility.
Weiss said that it was too early to know if the commission would allow stations that will no longer be able to cover their original service area to expand their reach with DTS.
"I can't answer that at this point," he said. "We probably won't know until the full Report and Order is released."
Wilson said that single frequency networks make more sense than going with traditional translator technology for filling such coverage gaps.
"Certainly DTS is the most spectrally efficient solution when broadcasters complete the buildout of their coverage area," he said. "DTS is operationally a better solution than rebroadcasting on different channels."
SOURCE: http://www.tvtechnology.com/article/70712
As DTS technology can provide coverage into areas totally unserved by conventional tall transmitting towers and high-power transmitters, Weiss was asked if he thought it might eventually spell the end of the tall tower era of broadcasting.
"No, certainly not in the near-term," Weiss said. "There's too much investment in tall towers right now. I see most stations using gap fullers where they have areas [to service] that are obstructed from tall towers, or where they have a lower power operation and can use the technology as a service extender. Either way, it keeps high-power tall tower operations going. In some situations, broadcasters could save money and provide more reliable service, but I think that this will take a long time."
For stations wishing to implement DTS, at minimum, a new transmitter, antenna and methodology for obtaining a signal to transmit must be provided. Weiss estimates that putting a "gap filler" on the air could run between $50,000 and $150,000.
"It depends a lot on the size of the facility," Weiss said. "Some of the cost will depend on how the facility gets the signal."
Some DTS installations may be able to get by with off-air pickup of the broadcast signal from the station's primary transmitter. Others may require fiber interconnection or the use of microwave radio facilities for receiving a signal for transmission. If the area to be covered is large and a station has multiple secondary transmission sites in areas not easily served by fiber or microwave, then satellite distribution is a possibility.
Weiss said that it was too early to know if the commission would allow stations that will no longer be able to cover their original service area to expand their reach with DTS.
"I can't answer that at this point," he said. "We probably won't know until the full Report and Order is released."
Wilson said that single frequency networks make more sense than going with traditional translator technology for filling such coverage gaps.
"Certainly DTS is the most spectrally efficient solution when broadcasters complete the buildout of their coverage area," he said. "DTS is operationally a better solution than rebroadcasting on different channels."
SOURCE: http://www.tvtechnology.com/article/70712
