TEKTRONIX: Tektronix announces low-risk DTV strategy, outlines
HDTV product roadmap for NAB 98
Presswire - January 06, 1998 14:34
M2 PRESSWIRE-6 January 1998-TEKTRONIX: Tektronix announces low-risk DTV strategy, outlines HDTV product
roadmap for NAB 98 (C)1994-98 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD
Tektronix, Inc. (NYSE:TEK), a digital video systems leader, today announced its digital television (DTV) migration strategy
and unveiled plans to announce Grass Valley HDTV products at NAB 98. Tektronix strategy is structured to smooth the
transition to digital television and limit broadcasters risk by permitting a gradual migration to HDTV and enabling broadcasters
to use existing component digital infrastructure.
The company also made announcements regarding DTV/HDTV support through its test and measurement product lines. See
"Tektronix NAB 98 Lineup to Feature Comprehensive Set of Digital Television Products" and "Tektronix to Feature First
Fully Digital HDTV Waveform Monitor and Signal Generator at NAB."
Tektronix long-term migration strategy and near-term HDTV product deliverables are designed to alleviate market tensions as
November 1998 FCC deadlines for DTV/HDTV transmissions rapidly approach. The strategy provides a logical migration
path from analog NTSC to digital widescreen to full HDTV, with minimal wasted investment in existing capital equipment.
Tektronix DTV strategy actually includes two ways to reuse current equipment. First, the DTV plan includes support for
upconversion of standard-definition material. Second, the DTV plan uses MPEG-2 4:2:2 high level compression to carry full
HDTV resolution on standard-definition TV bandwidth infrastructures.
Reuse of Infrastructure for Lightly Compressed HDTV
Tektronix plans to protect the value of customers component digital infrastructure investment by developing the necessary
tools to reuse this infrastructure for lightly compressed HDTV. Applying standardized compression technology (such as
MPEG-2 4:2:2) to HDTV signals can reduce the 1.5 Gbits/s data transfer rate to 200 or 300 Mbits/s, allowing broadcasters
to use existing 270/360 component digital routing and infrastructure. And because customers require different quality levels at
various stages in the production process (depending on the specific requirements of each application), Tektronix production
and post-production products will be capable of operating with either lightly compressed HDTV inputs or with full bandwidth
1.5 Gbits/s data.
Initially, because of the urgency of the FCC implementation schedule, networks will most likely establish islands of HDTV
equipment within the SDTV plant. Affiliates keen to show local leadership will follow suit as they attempt to combine network
HDTV feeds with local SDTV programming.
These HDTV islands are a necessary first step in the migration process, allowing broadcasters to begin HDTV transmission on
a small scale. In support of this stepand the longer-term migration strategy Tektronix will introduce three new Grass Valley
HDTV products at NAB 98: a master control switcher, a small production switcher, and a family of HDTV routers. These
products will be based on existing platforms, offering familiar formats and compatibility with current Grass Valley systems.
The commitments expressed in Tektronix practical, flexible migration strategy are reinforced by the openness and versatility of
the Digital Media Foundation suite of interoperable digital video technology solutions that addresses the entire scope of
applications in a broadcast facility. The Digital Media Foundation goals are to provide faster access to data; to ensure
interoperability between applications and equipment from different vendors; and to allow customers a gradual migration from
analog to digital, from tape to disk, and from standard to high definition technology.
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