RAYMOND, Maine—Dielectric has made a list that it wants broadcasters to check twice when it comes to transitioning to the new ATSC 3.0 standard.
The “RF Systems Considerations for ATSC Change” is meant to check every box as part of a thorough evaluation of RF systems for their readiness for NextGen TV, which Dielectric describes as significantly different from the process of transitioning to ATSC 1.0.
The checklist addresses two major consequences of transitioning to ATSC 3.0: the increase in occupied bandwidth and the increase in peak power. Other elements touched on in the checklist are the removal or replacement of old RF equipment; RF system service, including sweeps performed by Dielectric engineers to improve overall VSWR performance; and compatibility of components, including acceptable filtering levels and the presence of appropriate interlock and RF monitoring points.
Dielectric does acknowledge that many broadcasters may have critical components in place because of RF upgrades made during the repack.
“[W]e will work with transmitter vendors and broadcasters to ensure that their elbows, switches, transmission line and other RF systems inside the shelter are primed and ready for NextGen TV performance,” said Cory Edwards, Dielectric sales manager.
The Dielectric whitepaper checklist is available on the technical resources page of the company’s website.
