What today's TV engineers need to know about working with digital systems This book helps systems engineers, designers, and managers in TV broadcasting make a smooth transition from analog to digital technologies. With an emphasis on RF transmission rather than baseband signal processing, it offers in a single resource a complete discussion of the digital TV signal, from the input to the transmitter to the output of the receiving antenna. Industry expert Gerald Collins provides clear, up-to-date explanations that build upon experience engineers already have with analog technology, including comparisons between analog and digital systems, factors affecting the performance of VHF and UHF stations, and down-to-earth discussions of modern high-power RF filters. Plus, he provides over 150 high-quality illustrations and tables as well as extensive references for readers wishing to pursue the subject more in depth. The discussion includes: ∗ Major digital TV transmission standards ∗ Key performance parameters of interest to RF engineers ∗ The theory of operation and practical implementation of major system components ∗ Factors affecting propagation of digital TV signals ∗ Results of field testing of DTV systems ∗ Performance data on the American ATSC, the European DVB, and the Japanese ISDB-T systems The DTV waveform shown on the cover was photographed by Bob Plonka of Harris Corporation and is used with permission.