SFN Tests Showed 'Dramatically' Better OTA Reception: Pearl

ATSC 3.0's single frequency network capability can help stations “greatly enhance robust reception” of broadcast TV signals, reported the Pearl TV-led Phoenix Model Market project Tuesday. “Technical coordination” between two transmitters situated miles apart in metropolitan Phoenix was shown in tests “to dramatically enhance what a consumer would be expected to receive,” said Pearl Chief Technical Officer Dave Folsom. Transmission antenna patterns from the two locations were designed intentionally to “overlap each other,” he said. “The improvement in signal level and service margin translates into a marked improvement in the additive signal's signal-to-noise component. That means we can either improve reception or increase carriage bandwidth for more data.”