GatesAir and Foccus Digital upgrade ISDB-Tb transmitters for TV Record in Brazil

Foccus Digital will install and commission nine GatesAir ULXTE liquid-cooled transmitters to improve efficiency in performance in key cities, with additional lower power site upgrade expected

CINCINNATI, OH — GatesAir, a global leader in wireless, over-the-air content delivery solutions for TV and radio broadcasters, has closed another large ISDB-Tb digital TV deal in Brazil with Foccus Digital, GatesAir’s in-country partner. Foccus Digital will integrate and commission nine GatesAir ULXTE liquid-cooled transmitters for TV Record, one of Brazil’s largest broadcast networks, in key broadcast markets including Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Deliveries will begin in mid-April, with all nine transmitters on the air by May 1.

TV Record sought to improve operational efficiencies and performance across its ISDB-Tb network — characteristics that are lacking with transmitters from another vendor in use today, according to Cesar Donato, president of Foccus Digital. He adds that GatesAir’s careful design and professional engineering ensures that one attribute is not sacrificed for the other.

“Many transmitter vendors have built efficient transmitters that sacrifice performance, but GatesAir has brought a true convergence of efficiency and performance to market,” he said. “TV Record has been using transmitters from another vendor with a very low-efficiency rating of 13 percent. The ULXTE transmitter delivers a 300 percent improvement in efficiency, which will bring TV Record incredible savings in electricity, and provide a much more robust signal with exceptional MER (modulation error ratio) performance. There is really no comparison.”

The choice of liquid-cooled transmitters will bring additional cost and performance benefits. The medium and high-power transmitters, ranging from 3 kW to 11 kW, will substantially reduce cooling loads and air conditioning bills in Brazil’s high-temperature climate. GatesAir integrates a pump system with the ULXTE architecture to efficiently circulate liquid within the transmitters, and remove heat to the building exterior.

According to Donato, installation and commissioning will move swiftly thanks to the ULXTE’s modular design. This will ensure that Foccus Digital engineers can quickly build and test the transmitters on site, adding that GatesAir’s PowerSmart Plus architecture will significantly reduce weight and footprint.

“These are very compact transmitters compared to the current models installed, which take up four to six racks of space,” he said. “The ULXTE generates the same amount of power in a single chassis while also meeting their MER requirements of 40dB. This equates to exceptionally good over-the-air signal coverage in a very space-efficient package.”

Foccus Digital and GatesAir will also work together on training initiatives for TV Record engineers, with Foccus Digital providing in-depth education on transmitter operation and maintenance. GatesAir’s PowerSmart Plus architecture will minimize maintenance requirements for these engineers, however, thanks to a streamlined, highly redundant architecture with hot-swappable modules and power supplies. Foccus Digital will also assist with a common spare parts supply that be shared across the network, and provide onsite technical service as needed.

“GatesAir and Foccus Digital have developed a very strong partnership that has resulted in a large number of TV and FM radio installations across the country that continues to grow,” said Rich Redmond, President and Managing Director, International, GatesAir. “GatesAir is uniquely equipped to support the demanding technical characteristics of large ISDB-Tb networks, while also ensuring that customers reap the benefits of exceptional efficiency, high performance and low total cost of ownership. TV Record is renowned for their strong technical expertise, and we are grateful to have been selected as their long-term digital TV partner following extensive, competitive evaluations. We look forward to working with Foccus Digital and TV Record to continue upgrading and enhancing their broader ISDB-Tb network.”