Antenna Technology Communications Inc. (ATCi), a provider of commercial SATCOM services, has successfully designed and implemented a revolutionary digital broadcast system designed for local a channel and/or DMA extension system that could save cable and broadcast companies millions of dollars per year.

Historically, cable companies and broadcasters have transmitted local channels via traditional microwave tower to tower technology. However, with the advent of MPEG-4/DVB-S2 and H.264 technology, ATCi was able to design and implement a custom system enabling cable operators who commonly provide cable television, telephone, and high-speed Internet services to designated market areas (DMA’s) the ability to transmit HD programming via MPEG-4 over satellite. They can then trans-code the signal through their legacy MPEG-2 format, allowing them to ultimately deliver the signal to their existing STBs. By compressing the signal to MPEG-4, cable operators are now able to economically offer HD channels to all of their extended DMA’s by using this leading edge construct which, when coupled with DVB-S2, uses approximately half the bandwidth while providing double the data throughput which translates into a tremendous cost savings

With these broadcast applications, ATCi provides all the RF equipment and installation services for the uplinked channels from a network of uplink facilities. ATCi handles the daily engineering, origination, playout, ad-insertion, automation, customer service and monitoring support to ensure the channels are successfully received by the extended DMA locations. Additionally, ATCi will be exhibiting its products and solutions at NAB in Booth C5343.