Dielectric prepares for the digital switchover

Source: Manufacturing Digital

Date :5/13/2008 1:17:50 AM

Garrett Van Atta, President of Dielectric Communications, talks to Ian Armitage about the broadcasting industry’s exciting future as we venture into a new digital age.

Written by Ian Armitage and Produced by Pat Harlow

We all know what broadcast media is – it’s TV, it’s radio, it’s where we get weather reports, find news and seek entertainment. There is a wide variety of broadcasting systems, all of which have different capabilities and help us gain a wider understanding of the world.

The most common forms are those used by national radio and television broadcasters, which use re-transmitter towers, satellite systems and cable distribution. Satellite radio and television broadcasters can cover even wider areas, such as entire continents, and internet channels can distribute text or streamed music worldwide.

Nation’s largest

There is no doubt that broadcasting is a truly wonderful thing – after all, we all watch TV and listen to the radio. As the nation’s largest manufacturer of DTV and NTSC (UHF and VHF) and FM broadcast antennas, Rigid Transmission Line and RF Filter Systems, Dielectric Communications plays an important role in broadcasting, helping us access media.

Indeed, from its 125,000 square foot facility in the rural community of Raymond, Maine, about 45 minutes west of Portland, Dielectric leads the world in complete systems from the transmitter to the tower top, including A antennas, transmission lines, filters, combiners, switches and patch panels. “Our service and installation capabilities complete the package,” says Garrett Van Atta, Dielectric’s President.

Van Atta took over as President in March this year and is excited about his new role, as well as the future of the broadcast industry, generally, as we venture into a new digital era. “We look forward to opportunities here and around the globe,” says Van Atta.

What is DTV?

Digital television, or DTV, refers to the sending and receiving of moving images and sound by means of discreet digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV…

Click here to view the corporate brochure on Dielectric