NAB. The digital dividend has lasting repercussions for broadcasting network operators. Regulatory authorities in the U.S. and other countries force them to release frequencies in the UHF band that will be made available for other applications, such as wireless communication. Therefore, the free channels of the VHF III band begin to be used.
For these frequencies, Rohde & Schwarz offers its new air-cooled R&S TMV9 medium-power VHF transmitters with powers from 350 W to 4.3 kW in a rack. The liquid-cooled R&S THV9 model offers as a high-power variant from 1.3 kW to 15 kW. With two racks, up to 30 kW are therefore achieved. Innovative integrated technologies, such as MultiTX that can accommodate multiple transmitters in one rack, provide high power density.
The transmitters also stand out for their performance in terms of energy efficiency and flexibility. This allows network operators and broadcasting service providers to reduce the costs of high energy prices and the rental of facilities.
The R&S THU9 high-power TV transmitter for the UHF band provides maximum output power of 50 kW with an energy efficiency of up to 42 percent. This makes it ideal for applications that until now were only viable using inductive tube transmitters (IOTs), which are still in use in North America but can now be replaced at any time. Thanks to the most advanced solid state technology, R&S THU9 transmitters offer high redundancy and ensure simple and safe operation.
The R&S THR9 series of high-power FM transmitters incorporates the latest generation of HD RadioTM, the most widespread digital radio standard in North America. R&S THR9 operates with a power of 2.5 kW up to 20 kW in hybrid mode and up to 40 kW in analog FM mode. It is the first FM transmitter on the market to feature widely developed liquid cooling technology, the result of Rohde & Schwarz's long experience, as the company has already installed several thousand liquid-cooled TV transmitters.
Latin America is also on the threshold of this gradual transition from analogue to digital broadcasting networks. Rohde & Schwarz transmitters are suitable for both analogue and digital TV and radio standards, and are therefore the ideal solution for this transition phase. Thus, network operators have a safe investment, since to change analog transmitters to digital standards they only have to press a button.
For broadcasting network operators, the high level of energy efficiency of Rohde & Schwarz transmitters translates into profits, as it significantly influences operating expenses. TV transmitters achieve these high values thanks to Doherty technology. With an efficiency for COFDM standards in the VHF band of up to 46 percent including cooling, it is possible to more than halve energy costs compared to other transmitters. With ATSC, even an efficiency of up to 50 percent is achieved.
On the other hand, the compact structure and a high power density allow to save space in the rack. Thanks to the MultiTX concept, it is possible to house several transmitters in a rack and there is still enough space for other components, such as the pumping unit for liquid cooling or the bandpass filter. You can even incorporate complete n+1 systems. R&S Tx9 transmitters can be configured so flexibly that they are able to meet even the most complex demands. In addition to the various individual transmitter configurations, a transmitter integration kit is also available that allows the customer to continue using their own racks.
The concept of handling transmitters is based on the long experience of users. It has been developed with the utmost practical application orientation and optimized to meet the specific needs of network operators. The operation of the transmitters is intuitive and facilitates quick access to components and parameters for different tasks, not only in the same facilities, but also by remote control. For monitoring and diagnosing performance parameters and data, transmitters can be easily integrated into a network management system.
The R&S THV9 and R&S TMV9 transmitter series support not only SDB-TB and ATSC standards, but also DAB, DAB+, T-DMB, DVB-T/DVB-H, DVB-T2, DTMB as well as analog TV standards. The series' R&S THR9 high-power FM transmitter even offers HD RadioTM. All transmitters can be purchased through Rohde & Schwarz.
