JVC’S HD MPEG-2 ENCODER PROVIDES “THE MISSING LINK” FOR AFFORDABLE HDTV ELECTRONIC NEWS GATHERING

LAS VEGAS, NV (April 19, 2004) – JVC PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS COMPANY is delivering its revolutionary DM-JV600 high definition (HD) MPEG-2 encoder to broadcasters and news organizations; making it possible, for the first time, to affordably execute live remote broadcasts in HD. WRAL-TV in Raleigh, NC was the first broadcaster to integrate and demonstrate the DM-JV600 encoder in their news van and station using microwave technology. Leading microwave radio manufacturers Broadcast Microwave Services (BMS), Microwave Radio Communications and NuComm, Inc. have also tested their products with JVC’s professional HD MPEG-2 encoder, successfully reducing the HD payload to a level compatible with existing standard definition (SD) microwave and satellite systems while maintaining full-quality HD images. Now broadcasters with remote facilities can perform HD electronic news gathering (ENG) and electronic field production (EFP) from their existing news vans and/or helicopters and go straight to air in HD.

Incorporating advanced MPEG-2 encoding technologies exclusive to JVC, the DM-JV600 is a multi-format HDTV encoder that offers proven compatibility with multiple microwave radio systems – both analog and digital. The DM-JV600 encoder takes SMPTE-292M HD-SDI signals and encodes them into a compressed HD MPEG-2 format and provides a DVB-ASI interface.

With stations looking for cost effective ways to implement HD news gathering, JVC's DM-JV600U becomes an important component in news vans and helicopters. The versatile encoder is also appropriate for satellite backhaul and contribution, giving broadcasters the ability to capture and transmit content from across the street or around the world.

“WRAL, NuComm/Roscor and BMS have successfully shown that the DM-JV600 is a viable solution for analog and digital HD ENG,” stated Lawrence Librach, AVP Business Development Broadcast & Entertainment for JVC PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS COMPANY. “With the majority of broadcasters using analog microwave systems today, the affordable DM-JV600 is something they can implement into their existing systems. And with a government mandate for the implementation of 8VSB digital microwave in the future, broadcaster’s can start using their existing analog systems for remote HD ENG feeds today with the confidence the DM-JV600 will work with the newest digital 8VSB microwave radios in the future.”

WRAL-TV/Microwave Radio Communications

In 1996, WRAL-TV of Raleigh, N.C. was the first commercial television station in the nation to transmit a high definition television signal (HDTV). Building on their history of television innovation, WRAL-TV was also the first broadcaster to recognize the ability to affordably transmit HD ENG with the JVC encoder. While the station previously had encoders that could handle compressing HD material for remote broadcasts, the DM-JV600 performed the ASI encoding faster than anyone else, under three-fourths of a second. With a Microwave Radio Communications digital microwave radio/converter and the DM-JV600 encoder installed in their news van, WRAL successfully delivered live HD remote news using the DM-JV600 without ever leaving the HD domain and for roughly half the cost of their prior system.

Techniciansin the van took true HD output (HD SDI) shot with an HD camera and fed it into the DM-JV600 encoder where the images were compressed using MPEG-2. Once the footage was encoded, it was fitonto the microwave radio carrier and transmitted to the station. The station received the microwave feed, decoded it and went straight to air. The footage suffered extremely negligible loss of quality compared to that of footage requiring down and up conversion, and what aired was true, high quality HD.

“The encoding delay of the DM-JV600 was so short, it offered the ability for HD ENG, which we had yet to see in any other encoder,” s aid Pete Sockett, chief engineer of WRAL-TV. “Based on the success of our testing, we intend to purchase and roll out at least one receiver site and the first three trucks this year.”

NuComm, Inc.

NuComm was the first manufacturer to provide digital transmission on an analog microwave radio as the DM-JV600 made its public debut at the Michigan Association of Broadcasters (MAB) show held in early March. Roscor Corporation, in conjunction with JVC and NuComm, successfully demonstrated the capability of transmitting HD images over an analog link using NuComm’s Analog Coder and the DM-JV600.

Footage from the HD camera was fed into the DM-JV600 encoder and an ASI data stream was transmitted to the Analog Coder modulator, which produced and fed a base- band signal into NuComm’s PT3 analog radio. The signal was transmitted from the PT3 via cable to the NuComm RX3 receiver whose base band output signal fed into the Analog Coder demodulator that yielded the HD ASI stream into the JVC decoder that produced the HD picture.

“The significance of our demonstration is that everyone else has to have a special digital microwave radio, and we’re able to put the signal through a conventional analog radio,” explained Dr. John Payne, Sr., president of NuComm. “Analog radios are what in the field now, so our solution can save broadcasters the expense of having to replace their analog microwaves with digital.”

Broadcast Microwave Services

Poway, CA-based BMS is the latest microwave manufacturer to demonstrate the effectiveness of the DM-JV600 encoder’s ability to generate HD transmissions over digital microwave radios.

Through a JVC BC-D2300 upconverter, BMS generated an HD SDI signal for input to the DM-JV600 encoder. The DM-JV600 encoded the HD SDI signal to a 12Mbs MPEG-2 transport stream then interfaced with the BMS Carry Coder II and transmitted in a 2 GHz range to the Carry Decoder. The MPEG-2 transport stream fed from the Carry Decoder output was then fed to the ASI input on the JVC SR-VDA300U ASI mastering recorder where the transport stream was decoded into an HDTV analog component then fed to a standard HD monitor for viewing.

See the DM-JV600 At NAB

At NAB, JVC and its partners will be demonstrating the DM-JV600 encoder with both NUCOMM and Broadcast Microwave Services digital microwave radios. Information about the live demonstrations will be available in JVC’s NAB booth, #C4728.

ABOUT BROADCAST MICROWAVE SYSTEMS

BMS, a Cohu company and a leader in COFDM microwave transmission, designs, develops, manufactures, and sells microwave transmission systems. BMS has a broad range of products and systems developed for broadcast television, law enforcement, border security, sports and special event venues, unmanned air vehicles, and military applications. Additional information is available on the Web at http://www.bms-inc.com or by emailing sales@bms-inc.com .

ABOUT NUCOMM

Nucomm, Inc. is a worldwide provider of premier digital and analog video microwave systems (including COFDM) for the broadcasting industry’s portable and fixed link applications. Nucomm provides video microwave transmission equipment for the Military, Law Enforcement, Telecom and Cable Television industries. The company’s innovative microwave transmission products have helped to redefine live broadcast coverage of major events including auto racing, marathons, parades and other outdoor events. Nucomm designs, manufactures and markets its products from its factory in Hackettstown, NJ. You can contact Nucomm Sales by phone 908-852-3700 x3011 or via email at sales@nucomm.com.  

ABOUT ROSCOR CORPORATION

Roscor Corporation, a Mount Prospect based ISO9001:2000 certified, systems integrator has provided advanced technology solutions for broadcasters, production, corporate and educational clients for more than 30 years. For more information, visit the Roscor Web site at www.roscor.com.

ABOUT WRAL-TV

WRAL-TV5, one of North Carolina's most awarded television station, is committed to relevant local news segments; local programming and community service; and the latest technology. WRAL-TV has long been known and recognized for its innovative and quality programming, its extraordinary commitment to serving the communities in which they live, and providing its viewers with the best technology available on the market today. These attributes are inherent in their everyday policies and decisions, and help them provide the highest quality media service to our viewing audience. Additional information can be found on the Web at http://www.wral.com.

ABOUT JVC PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS COMPANY

JVC PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS COMPANY, located in Wayne, New Jersey, is a leading manufacturer and distributor of a complete line of broadcast and professional equipment. For more information about this, or any other JVC PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS COMPANY product, contact JVC at (800) 582-5825; or Deirdre Breakenridge or Candace Vadnais at PFS Marketwyse 973-812-8883, or visit JVC’s Web site at http://www.jvc.com/pro .

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