COLUMBIA, MD. The latest in a continuing series of ATSC 3.0 compatibility testing sessions, or Plugfests, took place in Columbia the week of March 5-9, with a focus on making sure all the pieces fit together in the portion of the transmission standard covering studio-to-transmitter links (STL) and single frequency networks (SFN).
Rhode & Schwarz USA hosted the latest ATSC 3.0 Plugfest at their Columbia, Md.
As explained by testing leader, S. Merrill Weiss, chair of the ATSC's STL and SFN Small Group and president of the Merrill Weiss Group LLC engineering consultancy, this round of testing is necessary to ensure everything fits together and functions properly as U.S. 3.0 deployment begins.
The part of the system we're testing is pretty much from the Physical Layer all the way up to the top, said Weiss, noting that a complete end-to-end ATSC 3.0 system had been set up for the testing work.
[Putting Next Gen TV to the [Full] Test]
We're using the latest versions of some of the standards, so all of the standards from the Transport Layer, at least, and probably parts of the Application Layer down through the Physical Layer, are included.
Weiss explained that evaluation of the STL standard (A/324) was essential to ensure successful ATSC 3.0 performance at TV stations with remotely located transmission facilities.
What makes the STL standard different from some of the others is that we're trying to pass signals to transmitters over real-world, long-distance circuits many of which may be less than perfectly reliable and the [ATSC 3.0] transmission system more or less expects the delivery to be perfectly reliable; otherwise, the transmitters may have to mute for a brief period of time until [uncorrupted] data starts up again.
WHAT GOES ON AT A PLUGFEST'?
A Plugfest has several purposes, said Weiss. One is to prove that the standard works. Another is to find either errors in the standard or to identify places that could be written better because people may interpret them differently. It's also to prove that the various equipment that is being built to operate with the standard works correctly.
S. Merrill Weiss
"In the early development of the equipment there can be either mistakes made or there can be things that are obvious to the people who wrote the standard, but not obvious to the people who come at it independently and perhaps were not part of writing of the standard, he added. You end up with equipment that should connect together through a protocol, but something gets missed and the protocol doesn't quite work as intended. Plugfests help find such things long before equipment gets anywhere near a broadcast operation.
[Test We Must!]
IT'S NOT OVER UNTIL IT'S ALL OVER'
In light of the FCC's decision last November to allow broadcasters to begin broadcasting in ATSC 3.0, coupled with the champagne toast at the January Consumer Electronics Show by ATSC, NAB and CTA heads celebrating the completion of the
standard, will this latest Plugfest ring down the final curtain on such events?
No; not at all, Weiss said. All that [the FCC's decision and CES ceremony] said was that the standard was ready to be released; it didn't say it's finished. We hope it never will be finished, so it can continue to be developed over time and keep broadcasting current with the ongoing development of technology.
He observed that the overall standard encompasses some 20 documents, with each of those laying down a great deal of technical information and, as nothing is perfect, especially early in its existence, mistakes or problems of one sort or another are bound to be encountered.
There have already been a number of updates to some of the standards, said Weiss. For instance, when A/324 was published earlier this year it had some changes in it from the candidate standard and some of the systems were built to the candidate standard and didn't include those updates.
Multiple closed-circuit UHF television channel RF paths were necessary for the testing. Theyre shown here on a spectrum analyzer that was part of the test gear deployed for the five-day Plugfest event.
He noted that the week's Plugfest testing had identified some equipment falling into this category and much of it already had been updated for further testing during the event.
You have to understand, too, that there was a need to get systems on the air in time for the Olympics in South Korea before certain parts of the standard were completed, added Weiss. The updates that have happened since then are now getting folded back into that equipment. One of the things we're trying to accomplish is to help find where changes need to be made.
THE TESTING FACILITY
Physical space at Plugfests such as this one is typically divided into two areas or sides, with one portion allocated to exciters, schedulers and other transmission gear, and the other area containing demodulators and monitoring gear. Computers, prototyping setups, programmable logic arrays and a wide variety of test and measurement equipment are spread across both sides. The facility is reminiscent of a well-equipped university computer lab. A hushed stillness prevails within the room, interrupted only by an occasional instruction from the event coordinator when it's time to enter another testing mode.
In addition to the participants from ATSC 3.0 equipment development and manufacturing entities, the guest list at this latest Plugfest also included representatives from two major supporters of the new DTV transmission standard, the Sinclair Broadcast Group, with headquarters in nearby Hunt Valley, Md., and Capitol Broadcasting Company, owner and operator of WRAL-TV in Raleigh, N.C., which has been airing ATSC 3.0 signals on an experimental basis since June 2016.
WRAL-TVs Matt Brandes
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Riedel Communications today announced the expansion of its leadership structure as part of a strategic initiative to strengthen both its operational management ...
06/05/2026
For nearly three decades, Veteran Production Sound Mixer and Five-time Emmy Award Winner Dirk Sciarrotta has helped define the sonic identity of the long-runnin...
06/05/2026
ZEISS CinCraft LensCore: Cinema Lens Looks for Compositing
Brie Clayton May 6, 2026
0 Comments
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a nove...
06/05/2026
Wisycom Solves Extreme RF Challenges Across Miles of Live Action for Gravity Med...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Narrative Entertainment has partnered with Encompass to deliver high-quality subtitling of its Great! network content using the Altitude Intelligence AI assiste...
06/05/2026
SipRadius, widely recognized for making content processing and connectivity secure and seamless, is proud to launch a dramatic new approach to AI content creati...
06/05/2026
When the broadband and media industry gathers at ANGA COM in Cologne from May 19 to 21, Big Blue Marble will be at the forefront. The international broadcast an...
06/05/2026
Cinegy GmbH, a leading developer of software-defined television technology, is proud to exhibit at MPTS for the first time. Visitors to the stand will discover ...
06/05/2026
Val Jeanty Receives 2026 Doris Duke Artist Award Jeanty, a composer, percussionist, and turntablist, is the fourth Berklee recipient of the prestigious award ...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
When live cycling races and international marathons stretch for miles across cities and countryside, there is no margin for RF failure in live broadcast. As Chi...
06/05/2026
Oberkochen/Germany, May 5, 2026
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a novel solution for creating physically based cinematic lens looks for visual...
06/05/2026
SAN JOSE, Calif. - May 6, 2026 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced its latest broadband innovations for ANGA COM 2026, highlighting its vision for a new e...
06/05/2026
Statement from Rupert Murdoch, Chairman Emeritus, Fox Corporation on Ted Turner&...
06/05/2026
Friday 8 May on RT One and RT Player
Meet the NSPCA team caring for and protecting animals in need in this six-part series
Fly on the wall, six-part series...
06/05/2026
The race to build the world's most powerful AI factories demands networking ...
06/05/2026
How changes to proteins can alter drug interactions for new precision therapies Scripps Research team maps how chemical modifications to proteins affect drug bi...
05/05/2026
Experts from the world of academia, tech, business, politics and media convened for a Thomson Talks at the Cambridge Disinformation Summit in April. It's th...
05/05/2026
Three phones were hardwired for power and transmission to the truck; camera feat...
05/05/2026
The creative studio behind campaigns for the NBA, Fanatics Sportsbook & Casino, ...
05/05/2026
Nielsen has announced results from a co-viewing pilot program covering February&...
05/05/2026
viztrick AiDi, an on-device AI solution developed by Nippon TV, delivered global...
05/05/2026
ARRI has announced Omnibar, a battery-powered, IP65-rated multi-color LED linear...
05/05/2026
Imagine Communications has announced that France T l visions is the first broadc...
05/05/2026
The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Bell Media today announced a multiyear agreement to broadcast and stream WNBA games in Canada beginni...
05/05/2026
SVG is proud to announce Warner Bros. Discovery's Techwood Studios in Atlant...
05/05/2026
With no operator required, AutoMic workflow automates talent identification on U...
05/05/2026
A crash in 2015 set the industry back, but this winter proved that drones are he...
05/05/2026
Another year, and more proof that Asia continues to shape some of the world's most exciting new sounds. This year's RADAR artists draw from deep local r...
05/05/2026
The Austin City Limits Music Fest 2026 lineup just dropped, and this year, Spoti...
05/05/2026
New drum machine book campaign incoming
Bjooks have announced that during Superbooth 2026, they will be launching a Kickstarter campaign to fund the product...
05/05/2026
Flagship all-in-one production bundle updated
The latest version of Native Instruments' flagship virtual instrument and plug-in bundle has just been ann...
05/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to host RF Testing Innovations Forum 2026, helping design engine...
05/05/2026
L3Harris provides communications, electronic warfare, sensors and mission systems that enable Virginia-class submarine crews to operate with confidence in conte...
05/05/2026
The company grew by 7.6% in net revenue and 16.3% in EBITDA, achieving a 33% inc...
05/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
05/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
05/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
05/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
COLUMBIA, MD. The latest in a continuing series of ATSC 3.0 compatibility testing sessions, or Plugfests, took place in Columbia the week of March 5-9, with a focus on making sure all the pieces fit together in the portion of the transmission standard covering studio-to-transmitter links (STL) and single frequency networks (SFN).
