INSIDE THE ISSUE

1 Special Guest

2 Inside the screen

3 More than products

4 Show-Time    

"To describe your toolsets – amazingly simple and extremely high quality"

"High Linearity of transmitter and QAM modulation schemes, assures superb spectral efficiency, and performs 99.999% link availability"

Special Guest

Interview with Bill With, Chief Engineer at Better Life TV 

Hi Bill,

Bill, how long have you been working with Screen Service products? Would you please tell us what made you selected us as your partner and what made you happy while using our equipment?

Our station has been working with Screen Service products now since 1999 – they are in some really extreme environments, and are proven champions in the field. What made me select you as my partner, is the technology – plain and simple. Screen Service equipment is hands down the best as far as foot print. Your digital signal is rock solid – no drifting – GUI interface is remarkable for the amount of control that one can do with the equipment. To describe your toolsets – amazingly simple and extremely high quality.

Better Life TV is a Low-Power TV broadcaster in Oregon. What changes you think broadcasting market, and especially LPTV industry will have to face in the next few years, and how will you react? How broadcasting technology will help your business growing?

We have a lot of Low Power stations – we also have two full power stations – a total of 23 transmitters/translators in the field from Redding California to Astoria Washington – we cover about 80% of Oregon. Our station is already reacting to the cost of upgrading every one of our transmitters to digital due to the implementation of all transmitters having to be converted to digital by 2012. We are also dealing with the cost of the new EAS system change, that is also being implemented during this time – increasing our costs yet again. What we are facing in the next few years is a lot of costs accrued due to equipment upgrades and policy changes. I can see us spending money on mobile technology. I can see us channel packing in the future – forcing broadcasters to “pack in” to side by side RF channels. With all these considerations – I picked Screen Service for their ability to be agile. I can easily change RF channels – Screen Service offers a great line for mobile technology that is integrated to their transmitter equipment. I’m confident – that no matter what the industry throws at us – I won’t be completely buying new broadcast equipment every time something changes.

Broadcasting is facing competitors challenge like Cable, Satellite, Internet. In your market and for your content, how are you planning to win this challenge?

Well believe it or not, digital transmission has been winning the challenge for us. The quality of signal is fantastic for off air viewers, and it is FREE!! NO cable, satellite, or internet bill to watch TV. We have had people actually call and complement us on the fact that we can provide such a good quality signal off air. A viewer wrote in to our station saying that she went on a fixed income this year. She and her husband had to give up some expenditures. They dropped their satellite and bought a convertor box for their TV. They were amazed to see that the quality had either improved or remained the same. They really didn’t feel like giving up their satellite impacted them the way they thought. Digital broadcasting off air - with a quality product - is the reason why people are cutting their overhead by eliminating cable and satellite bills.

Inside the Screen

Interview with Antonio Mazzara, Managing Director of Screen Service Brodcasting Technologies.

Hi Antonio,

Q: As a business man, what is your forecast for the broadcasting industry in the immediate future?  Do you feel as if new trends might come about to change the business style of key players in the market? 

In my opinion a single word can express completely what the future holds for the broadcasting industry: convergence. In an era where mobile and convenient content is king, broadcasting, as one of the most popular forms of communication, must be deliverable in multiplatform and easily enjoyable and accessible from different terminals. The new platforms are able to carry many varieties of data and this elevates the opportunities given to the broadcasting industry.

Q: Screen Service America and RRD USA are just a few companies you are responsible for in a conglomerate growing exponentially every year, in your opinion what are the driving factors towards continued your group’s continued success?

Increasing our employees' skill sets remains a key element in further developing an understanding of an ever-changing broadcasting environment. As technology continues to race ahead and find its pulse in an elaborate and fast-paced industry, our companies strive to achieve only the highest quality of comprehension of the race amongst its colleagues. Indeed in the last year we invested resources and technology to meet the USA market needs, and we are planning to keep the investment growing in the next year

Q: Mobile DTV is beginning the implementation process in the American market, as a pioneer of a commercial broadcasting mobile TV service in Italy, what are some key elements of success as the process continues to unfold in the North American Mobile DTV market?

There are many key elements involved to result in functional Mobile DTV. In my opinion there are the indispensables, for example the coverage that must reach as widely as possible, such as public parks, schools, malls. The coverage must be not only for static places like those I just listed, but for mobile locations as well, such as trains, cars, buses, etc.

Another characteristic to be considered is that the content of Mobile DTV must be diverse to satisfy the masses. Sports, soap operas, reality shows, movies and so forth must be readily available on the new devices.

Still, essential requisite is a wide offering of terminals qualified to receive the ATSC-M/H. Particular attention should be given to otherwise popular terminals as cell phones or e-tablets.

More than Products

"In my opinion a single word can express completely what the future holds for the broadcasting industry: convergence."