RF CURRENT

Welcome to RF Current, a weekly electronic newsletter focusing on Broadcast technical and F.C.C. related issues. This newsletter is part of The RF Page @ www.transmitter.com, a web site devoted to TV Broadcast RF engineering. For more information see the What is... guide to the R.F. Page site.

Issues are dated each Monday, although recently I've needed an extra day(week) or two to complete each issue. Articles may be posted earlier if time permits or if there is a major, breaking story.

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November 13, 2000 - Issue 240 Final Edition

DTV - Motorola MCT5100 DTV module eases SDTV set design (Nov. 13)

Motorola said it was using Wind River Systems' VxWorks operating system to control its MCT5100 DTV module. The MCT5100 module includes an 8-VSB demodulator and decoding circuitry allowing display of all ATSC DTV formats on a standard definition display. (See RF Current - October 4, 1999 and RF Current - October 11, 1999 for more information on the MCT5100.)

The VxWorks Real Time Operating System (RTOS) controls the drivers and application programs in the Motorola module. Motorola and Wind River plan to offer a development system for the operating system, graphics and Java libraries in the first quarter of 2001. Gerry Kaufhold, principal analyst at In-Stat's Converging Markets and Technologies Group commented, "Motorola has taken a bold initiative, to enable the design and production of low-cost standard definition TV sets that can take advantage of the capabilities of local DTV broadcasts. The announcement with Wind River sets the stage for a lot of innovation to begin."

The Motorola Press Release said the MCT5100 was available now with a suggested resale price of $150 in quantities of 100,000. See the MCT5100 catalog page for more information on the module and links to a block diagram and data sheets.

DTV - ATSC and ITS Co-sponsor ATSC Standard Seminar (Nov. 13)

The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) and the Association of Imaging Technology and Sound (ITS) are co-sponsoring a seminar on the ATSC standards for Program and Systems Information Protocol (PSIP) and data broadcast. The seminar will also include an Introduction to the DTV Application Software Environment (DASE). ATSC standard A/65A on PSIP and A/90 on data transmission are covered. DASE is currently under development at the ATSC.

The seminar will be held February 21 in conjunction with the ITS Technology Retreat February 22-25 in Palm Springs, California. Registration information is avialable from ITS at www.itsnet.org. Also see the ATSC Press Release - ATSC & ITS to Co-Sponsir Seminar on ATSC Standards.

DTV - Hauppauge Introduces New PC-DTV Card Using NXT2000 (Nov. 10)

A PC DTV tuner card that includes one of the more robust second generation 8-VSB demodulators is now available from Hauppauge Digital, Inc. The WinTV-HD uses the NxtWave NXT2000 VSB/QAM demodulator and is able to receive off-air, terrestrial ATSC HDTV signals and in-the-clear digital cable programming. NxtWave claims the NXT2000 solves most of multipath problems with indoor DTV reception.

Hauppauge has set the price for the WinTV-HD at $399, one hundred dollars more than the cost of the earlier WinTV-D. It can be ordered at the Hauppauge store. This information is from the NxtWave Press Release NxtWave Communications' NXT2000 receiver chip selected for Hauppauge Digital's PC HDTV Card.

OTHER Items of Interest

FCC to Hold Public Forum On Improving the Commission's Preparation Process for the Next World Radiocommunication Conference - Public Notice announces December 1 afternoon forum on WRC-2003 in the Commission Meeting Room.
Filing of FCC Form 317 - Public Notice reminds DTV broadcast licensees they are required for annually report whether its stations provided ancillary or supplementary services at any time between September 30, 1999 and September 30, 2000. Form 317 must be filed by December 1, 2000. Commercial DTV licensees must include the required fee based on gross revenues from ancilliary/supplementary services.
Zenith Ships Industry's First TFT-LCD Computer Monitor/TV HD Display - Press release says the $2,000 ZLD15A1 LCD TV/Monitor has 1024x768 pixel display and comes with built-in analog tuner. RGB, Y/Pb/Pr, S-Video, and baseband inputs are included.
EE Times article - Motorola DTV module includes Wind River OS - story by Charles J. Murray provides additional details on Wind River and Motorola effort.

>>>>Next November 22 - Issue 241

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