Rohde & Schwarz facilitates Australian DVB-T2 trials

In cooperation with Free TV, ABC and SBS, Broadcast Australia recently conducted trials of next generation broadcast technology in the Sydney area. The trial assessed the performance of next generation DVB-T2 technologies in Australia. German manufacturer Rohde & Schwarz supplied transmitters, retransmitters and test equipment for the testing phase, including an R&S TLU9 50 W transmitter, an R&S ETL TV analyzer and an R&S BTC broadcast test center.

The trial successfully assessed the performance of next generation DVB-T2 technologies in Australia. Every effort was made to ensure that the trial did not impact existing television services. DVB-T2 is being considered as a technology to replace the current DVB-T standard for television delivery in the medium term. When combined with new compression technologies, DVB-T2 will have the potential to allow 4K TV reception, which provides four times the picture quality of the current high definition standard.

DVB-T2 is essential for the distribution of broadcast content, especially for a country such as Australia, which is densely populated only on its coastline and has vast sparsely inhabited inland areas. "Terrestrial free-to-air television delivers its service to 99 percent of the population, and over 20 million Australians tune in every week," remarks Peter Lambourne, CEO of Broadcast Australia. "This trial has been an important part of ensuring that when the time is right, the terrestrial television platform will be ready for the next stage of its evolution and can deliver the best possible viewing experience."