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GatesAir to Showcase Efficiency and Performance Gains for the Future RF Plant at the 2016 NAB Show
New PowerSmart Plus transmitter architecture, software-defined exciters will accelerate return on investment for broadcasters adapting to TV repack, ATSC 3.0-driven changes
Cincinnati, OH, February 17, 2016
In anticipation of the TV spectrum repack and ATSC 3.0, GatesAir, a global leader in wireless, over-the-air content delivery solutions for radio and TV broadcasters, will unveil its next-generation solutions for the RF plant at the 2016 NAB Show. The demonstration will showcase advances in transmitter and exciter technology, as well as multichannel signal monitoring that help drive efficiency and performance in the RF plant to powerful new heights.
GatesAir’s innovations in RF plant efficiency go back decades, but made an especially big leap with the integration of 50-volt LDMOS technology in its PowerSmart® transmitter architecture, introduced nearly 10 years ago. The company has continued to make annual advances in transmitter efficiency, with the latest big leap three years ago via PowerSmart 3D. Powered by true broadband amplification, PowerSmart 3D can increase AC to RF efficiencies for ATSC operations from nearly 30 percent to approximately 40 percent, and reduced power consumption by up to 50 percent.
At NAB, GatesAir unveils PowerSmart Plus, the next-generation of GatesAir’s PowerSmart innovations. Designed for the green economy, PowerSmart Plus can raise AC to RF efficiencies up to industry-high levels of 50 percent ATSC. At this level, GatesAir Maxiva™ ULXT liquid-cooled and UAXT air-cooled TV UHF transmitters can operate with 20 percent more efficiency than the leading competitive offerings; and 170 percent more than legacy air-cooled UHF transmitters in operation today, without performance compromises.
PowerSmart Plus achieves its latest efficiency gains through newly available, next-generation LDMOS power amplifiers that additionally further reduce power consumption and transmitter footprint. GatesAir customers can order new Maxiva UHF transmitters with either PowerSmart Plus or PowerSmart 3D. Both design architectures provide the benefits of wideband amplification (fewer spare parts, simplified maintenance and modulation adjustments) that can further lower overall total cost of ownership, and accelerate ROI.
“PowerSmart Plus goes above and beyond the efficiency attained by GatesAir’s previous energy-saving technologies,” said Rich Redmond, chief product officer, GatesAir. “This higher level of efficiency translates directly into less energy consumption, resulting in much lower power bills for our customers. Along with our software-defined Maxiva exciters, TV broadcasters now have the industry’s highest-efficiency, highest-performance over-the-air solution for today and tomorrow’s opportunities.” These opportunities include ATSC 3.0, which continues to gain steam as a next-generation TV standard in the US and some international regions.
Further boosting performance is Maxiva StreamAssure, a first-of-its-kind QoS and QoE solution for the RF plant. Based on software from cloud monitoring visionary Qligent, StreamAssure gives broadcasters a way to visualize multiple transport layers and streams coming in and out of the transmitter, giving users a clear picture of signal quality and compliance from the time they leave the studio. Scalable from single transmitter deployments to large-scale, national over-the-air networks, StreamAssure is built to help RF engineers quickly identify and address the source of the problem, which more often than not originates outside the transmitter. The end benefit is improved visibility and quality control across the air chain.
GatesAir will showcase these advanced technologies for the RF plant, and provide insight on managing the challenges and opportunities associated with TV spectrum repack and ATSC 3.0, at the 2016 NAB Show, taking place April 18-21 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. GatesAir will exhibit at Booth N2512.
About GatesAir
GatesAir, Inc. provides complete solutions for over-the-air radio and television broadcasting, leveraging wireless spectrum to maximize performance for multichannel, mission-critical services. Powering over-the-air networks worldwide with unparalleled reliability for nearly 100 years, GatesAir’s turnkey solutions enable broadcasters to create, transport and transmit radio and TV content. With customers in more than 185 countries, the company leads the industry in innovation and design breakthroughs, improving efficiency and reducing total cost of ownership. Visit www.gatesair.com for more information, Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/gatesair, and follow us on Twitter at @GatesAir.
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