Harris will feature continuous product-oriented demonstrations of the three leading digital radio transmission standards at IBC:

DAB
As one of the market leaders and pioneers in DAB, Harris has a full line of VHF and L-Band DAB transmitters that can be used to deliver mobile TV over DAB. In the Mobile Zone, Harris will demonstrate the receipt of digital radio channels and multichannel TV on a T-DMB handset from a Harris DAB-660 transmitter. The Harris radio team will demonstrate how the standard’s highly efficient audio encoding allows for transmission of multiple digital radio and video channels using the same transmitter — a differentiating factor from the HD Radio and DRM digital radio standards.

DRM
Harris also will demonstrate its new simulcast capability for the DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale) standard. Simulcasting allows DRM broadcasters to produce analog and digital signals simultaneously using the same transmitter, whereas the signals were previously produced and transmitted separately. Visitors can see a Harris DAX AM transmitter outfitted with the company’s DRM On-Air Upgrade Kit, which features a DRM modulator and exciter to create the digital signal.

HD Radio™
IBC2006 marks the company’s first international HD Radio demonstration, which will feature its new low-power ZX transmitter and the entire FlexStar® family of HD Radio products. Visitors can hear an HD Radio signal transmitted by the ZX transmitter and see a complete multicasting demonstration using the FlexStar HDI-100 Importer, HDE-100 Exporter and HDx-FM exciter architecture. Multicasting allows radio broadcasters to transmit two or more digital program streams over the same channel using the HD Radio standard. The same HD Radio demonstration will also include the new Harris DATAplus™ system, which allows for “rich text display” of artist/title information, news, weather, and other information over the HD Radio receiver. The text signal is prepared and transmitted alongside digital audio within the HD Radio signal.

Harris will also present product displays and demonstrations that highlight recent additions to their audio networking and studio product portfolios:

Intraplex® NetXpress™ Audio over IP Platform
Now shipping, the NetXpress audio over IP platform is gaining momentum as a growing number of broadcasters look toward an IP future for audio transport. The NetXpress platform can encode, transport and monitor multiple audio programs over IP and E1 networks simultaneously, while also supporting a wide range of control data and telephony. Features such as echo cancellation, PABX phone system links, E1/T1 circuit emulation over IP, and forward error correction offer attractive new benefits in the transition to IP-based contribution and distribution networks.
The NetXpress™ demo at IBC will show a contribution/distribution model sharing content via IP unicast and multicast streams. It also will highlight the use of the PTR-155 duplex program audio module to monitor the arrival of a stereo or mono feed at a transmitter site and retransmit it back to the studio or other network monitoring center.

Studio Systems and Consoles
IBC2006 will see the European debut of the Harris PR&E VistaMax™ Envoy audio networking system and Harris PR&E NetWave™ on-air consoles. Internationally, the new systems specifically target radio stations seeking the flexibility of Harris PR&E’s on-air consoles and audio networking systems at a far more affordable price point. It is also beneficial for international facilities with limited studio space or working from regionalized studios in a centralized broadcasting network.
NetWave consoles (NetWave-8, NetWave-16 and NetWave-24) offer the most affordable, full-featured, stand-alone console solutions yet from Harris. The design of NetWave™ as a standalone console brings flexibility to broadcasters who may wish to upgrade to a networked studio audio system in the future. NetWave™, as other consoles in the Harris PR&E family, can be configured to use VistaMax™ for sharing on-air and production sources across multiple studios. An active VistaMax™ Link connection allows for an optional network signal source selection that can be added into any Dual Fader panel — a feature previously unavailable on lower-priced consoles.
While the traditional VistaMax™ system can add NetWave™ consoles, VistaMax™ Envoy provides an economical way to achieve simple audio networking. VistaMax™ Envoy can be rack-mounted anyplace where network inputs/outputs are required, including talk, on-air, production, or news studio. VistaMax™ Envoy also is an affordable way to expand inputs and outputs on an existing VistaMax™ system.
The NetWave digital on-air console is RoHS-compliant to abide by European standards for lead-free equipment.

(HD Radio™ is a trademark of iBiquity Digital Corporation)