Chile. GatesAir was awarded the digital TV transmission (DTV) contract with Chile's public channel TVN. The contract stipulates a three-year deployment of 124 ISDB-Tb DTV transmitters in key cities across Chile, with initial deployments focused on the metropolitan centers of Concepción and the city of Valparaíso.
TVN Chile selected GatesAir, one of 12 streaming providers under evaluation, because of its industry-leading longevity, reliable customer service and support, and positive experiences with GatesAir analog TV transmitters. TVN Chile also pointed to GatesAir's high-efficiency transmitter designs and wide range of power levels as key factors in its decision. The initial launch includes a mix of liquid-cooled Maxiva ULXTE transmitters (1 kW and above) and air-cooled UAXTE (less than 1 kW), with additional phases to follow.
"GatesAir has been in business for nearly 100 years, and has supported many of the largest national DTV transition projects around the world," said Mario Sepulveda, chief engineer at TVN Chile. "Our experience with GatesAir has shown that they can reliably support large transmission networks with technical resources and spare parts, solve problems quickly, and strengthen projects with customer-friendly framework agreements and guarantees. All this speaks to the very high quality of their products and services. The very high efficiency of Maxiva transmitters will also reduce the footprint and air conditioning at all of our transmission sites, reducing our total cost of ownership throughout Chile."
Chile's unusual geography makes DTV broadcasting a unique challenge for broadcasters, with mountainous and coastal regions stretching from north to south in the vicinity of much of the country. The country's long length can also produce dramatic differences in temperature range, making GatesAir's liquid-cooled solutions invaluable in Chile's hot summer climate. GatesAir's ULXTE transmitters are used worldwide to substantially reduce the use of air conditioning for higher power transmission systems in warmer climates.
Sepulveda adds that GatesAir's integrated remux technology will simplify regional content distribution. The content generated at TVN Chile's headquarters in Santiago is distributed to satellites in different regions, with multiplexes of unique programs delivered in the north and south.
