Advanced digital HDTV transmission system for terrestrial video simulcasting

Transmission aspects of the advanced digital high definition television (AD-HDTV) system, for terrestrial simulcast delivery of HDTV are described. In AD-HDTV, two quadrature-amplitude-modulated (QAM) carriers, with different power spectral densities, are employed in a frequency division multiplex (FDM) mode within the standard 6-MHz channel. The resulting spectral shaping allows a larger power to be transmitted, compared to that for a single QAM carrier, for the same level of perceptual interference into cochannel NTSC. The coded video data are split into high-priority (HP) data and standard-priority (SP) data, and the vital information is sent on the appropriate QAM carrier, resulting in a robust audio and video transmission system. The availability is higher in scenarios where the carrier-to-noise ratio (CNR) is above the threshold for HP reception but below the threshold for SP reception; this is important in fringe areas. The NTSC planning factors, suitably modified for HDTV delivery, are used to estimate the coverage area for AD-HDTV. The calculated AD-HDTV coverage area of 54.5 miles is comparable to that for NTSC transmission.<
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