Transmitter manufacturer Larcan and Triveni Digital, a subsidiary of LG Electronics, have teamed up to create a packaged system to enable low power television broadcasters to enter the world of digital transmission.
The system is called "Larcan Plus," and pairs that company's Pulse Digital LPTV exciter and digital transmitter with Triveni's Guidebuilder PSIP generator.
"This is a tough time for low-power television," said Ralph Bachofen, Triveni's senior director of product management and marketing. "These stations play a critical role by providing a wide range of educational, community service, and spiritual programming; yet, many lack the means to invest in the expensive equipment required for digital transmissions. As a result, they're feeling strong pressure from the upcoming U.S. mandate for digital conversion."
In many cases, LPTV stations don't have someone on staff to put together a DTV transmission system that would meet all FCC requirements. The Larcan Plus was designed to address this and to make the transition path easier.
"In many cases, these stations will need technical expertise, so we aimed to design a compact, preconfigured system that would not only be affordable and simple to operate, but would also meet all FCC requirements for a compliant ATSC signal," said Scott Barella, Larcan's vice president of business development and technology. "It was important that this product provide the same levels of performance as comparable solutions offered to high-power broadcasters."
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