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GatesAir Innovation Brings Cost-Efficient ATSC 3.0 Broadcasting to Lower Power Systems
New FPGA design innovation brings down the cost of ATSC 3.0 modulation, increases processing power for GatesAir’s low-power UHF transmitters
Cincinnati, OH, March 27, 2025
GatesAir, a global leader in wireless, over-the-air content delivery solutions for TV and radio, has introduced a new cost-efficient ATSC 3.0-ready platform that prepares its low-power TV transmission products for NextGen TV opportunities on the near horizon. The new platform, to be introduced at NAB Show 2025, is based on a high-efficiency modulator that provides the processing power required to optimize ATSC 3.0 power in GatesAir’s low-power UHF transmitters, including the award-winning PMTX-1 outdoor transmitter systems.
GatesAir developed the modulator based on new field-programmable integrated circuits (FPGA) that enabled a cost-efficient ATSC 3.0 solution across their entire low-power UHF product line, which also includes Maxiva UATK Ultra-Compact transmitter solutions and Maxiva UATK-OP high-efficiency UHF air-cooled DTV transmitters. The modulator’s software-defined architecture, based on GatesAir’s award-winning Maxiva XTE exciter for medium-to-high power transmitters, provides the added value of offering a field-upgradeable path from ATSC 1.0 to ATSC 3.0 broadcasting.
Now shipping, the availability of ATSC 3.0 modulation in all three Maxiva low-power UHF lines is ideal timing as more consultants begin working with broadcasters on ATSC 3.0 network planning designs. While most NextGen TV broadcasts today are delivered through lighthouse configurations that allow several broadcasters to share infrastructure and bandwidth from a central location, the next generation of ATSC 3.0 deployments will include more single-frequency network (SFN) designs that leverage multiple synchronized low-power transmitters across a broadcast market.
GatesAir’s low-power products are ideal for SFN designs that require several different transmitter designs, including Maxiva UATK Ultra-Compact and PMTX-1-UK outdoor transmitter systems that can be configured as low-power transmitters, translators/transposers, or gap fillers. This is especially true of the PMTX-1-UK, which can be mounted to a pole, tower structure or building structure in virtually any location thanks to its weatherproof enclosure, minimal circuitry and maintenance free architecture.
“Our new ATSC 3.0 platform offers the exacting technology required to effectively fill in gaps and extend market coverage in single-frequency networks and other ATSC3.0 network configurations,” said Raymond Miklius, Vice President of Technology, GatesAir. “Importantly, it extends the possibility of affordable ATSC 3.0 broadcasting across virtually all television budgets, including those operating in smaller markets or at lower power levels.”
The modulator is also viable for ISDB-Tb DTV systems — a benefit for Brazilian broadcasters who anticipate a transition to ATSC 3.0 in the recent approval of the Brazilian government. Same as the ability to transition from ATSC 1.0, GatesAir’s software-defined solution enables a transition from ISDB-T to ATSC 3.0 – or from any other analog or digital TV standard.
GatesAir will demonstration the power of the 1RU modulator and its ATSC 3.0 software within Maxiva low-power UHF transmitters at NAB Show 2025, taking place April 6-9 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. GatesAir exhibits at booth W2720 in the West Hall.
About GatesAir
GatesAir, Inc. provides complete solutions for over-the-air radio and television broadcasting, leveraging wireless spectrum to maximize performance for multichannel, mission-critical services. Powering over-the-air networks worldwide with unparalleled reliability for 100 years, GatesAir’s turnkey solutions enable broadcasters to create, transport and transmit radio and TV content. With customers in more than 185 countries, the company leads the industry in innovation and design breakthroughs, improving efficiency and reducing total cost of ownership with all products designed and assembled in the USA. Visit www.gatesair.com for more information, Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/gatesair, and follow us on Twitter at @GatesAir.
About Thomson Broadcast
Thomson Broadcast is headquartered in Paris, France and maintains U.S. operations in West Palm Beach, Florida. Thomson Broadcast has deployed more than 50,000 equipment installations in more than 170 countries, actively participating in the evolution of television and radio transmission technologies. Through the development of Pulse Step Modulation (PSM) for radio and creating automatic Digital Adaptive Pre-Correction (DAP) for television, Thomson Broadcast continues to help shape the global broadcast transmission market. Thomson Broadcast’s award-winning technologies have earned more than 50 patents and have become fundamental to the broadcast industry. Visit www.thomsonbroadcast.tv for more information, connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/thomson-broadcasttv and follow us on Twitter at @ThomsonBRCST and Instagram at @thomson_broadcast.
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