Public Station KLVX and COMARK "On-The-Air" with HDTV at CES
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- PBS member station KLVX, with support
from COMARK Communications, Inc. is providing HDTV (High Definition
Television) "over-the-air" digital broadcast content for reception at the
largest Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in the U.S. This activity is
demonstrating that DTV (Digital Television) can provide a bright future for
public television, and HDTV will be part of the valuable program mix provided
to its viewing public.
KLVX is "on-the-air" with HDTV programming of the Nature and NOVA series,
as well as other arts and drama segments. HDTV is one of the many services
that DTV will support. The new ATSC (Advanced Television System Committee)
broadcast standard is more than just video and audio. DTV means multiple
services such as high definition television (HDTV), standard definition
television (SDTV), multiple audio services, or broadcast data. In the future,
demonstrations of multi-program broadcasting (multicasting), EPG (Electronic
Program Guide), data and other related services will be delivered as well.
COMARK has provided a Solid State transmitter for the public debut of its
"All Digital" 8-VSB ATSC modulator, and Comark Digital Services (CDS) has
provided support for the digital integration services. COMARK's "All Digital"
modulator technology is part of its "Future Tested and Ready" line of DTV
products. The ATSC digital television terrestrial "over-the-air" broadcast
standard will be bringing DTV into most every home in the U.S. over the next
several years.
KLVX and COMARK will maintain a complete "pass-through" facility providing
DTV broadcasting up to and through the upcoming NAB'98 convention in April.
In this "pass-through" arrangement, PBS headquarters in Alexandria, VA
provides a server based feed of ATSC compressed 19.4Mb/s program content and
feed to the GE-3 satellite. At KLVX in Las Vegas, the received compressed
feed is then re-transmitted on DTV assigned UHF channel 55 from the KLVX
studios through the COMARK "All Digital" transmission system. A second server
located at KLVX can provide local origination of mixed programs with a similar
compressed ATSC 19.4Mb/s signal. The Consumer Electronics Manufacturers
Association (CEMA) is a sponsor of this event and activity.
Speaking on behalf of KLVX, Tom Axtell, General Manager stated "We are
proud to be part of this pioneering activity with COMARK. We have promised
our viewers that we will bring into their homes the best available
programming. HDTV and the variety of other services supported by the new DTV
standard allow us to do that, and more. It is our intent to be one of the
leaders in this DTV activity."
For COMARK, President and Chief Executive Officer Navroze S. Mehta stated
"COMARK's pioneering work in DTV has yielded unique technology like our all
digital 8-VSB modulator which will allow broadcasters to take full advantage
of applications such as HDTV and multicasting. We believe COMARK is in the
best position to help broadcasters profit in the digital age".
COMARK Communications, Inc. is an Emmy award winner and recognized leader
in high power UHF terrestrial broadcasting. CDS is a division of COMARK and
is helping broadcasters develop and implement successful strategies for
digital television. CDS offers broadcasters a variety of services including
strategic planning, consulting, systems design and complete turnkey systems
integration. COMARK is a member of the Thomcast organization, which ranks as
the largest terrestrial broadcasting product and service organization in the
world.
KLVX Channel 10, with facilities in Las Vegas, is the PBS affiliate for
Southern Nevada. PBS is a private, nonprofit corporation owned and operated
by the nation's 345 public television stations. A trusted community resource,
public television uses the power of noncommercial television, the Internet and
other media to enrich the lives of all Americans through quality programs and
educational services that inform, inspire and delight. Available to 99
percent of American households with televisions and an increasing number of
digital multimedia households, PBS serves nearly 100 million people each week.
SOURCE COMARK Communications, Inc. |
