Rai Way Ensures Digital Terrestrial Network Quality with Tektronix Advanced MPEG Monitoring

Tektronix, Inc. (NYSE: TEK), a leading worldwide provider of test, measurement and monitoring solutions, announced that Rai Way, which owns and operates Italian public broadcaster RAI Group’s broadcasting division, has installed 13 Tektronix MTM400 MPEG Transport Stream Monitors to monitor transport stream quality in its digital terrestrial television (DTT) network.

Digital terrestrial television provides a terrestrial-transmitter-based over-the-air video service. Broadcasters stand to benefit from DTT in several ways, according to ABI Research’s principal broadband analyst, Michael Arden. “Not only does digital broadcasting allow them to do targeted local advertising more easily, it also allows them, using their existing spectrum license and allocation, to add extra sub-channels, which could contain specialty content or HDTV programming.”

Rai Way has completed an aggressive programme to convert RAI’s existing transmission and broadcasting network into a timely and cost-effective implementation of digital terrestrial. Rai Way succeeded in achieving the challenging objectives imposed by Italian law. The resulting DTT network now offers several free-to-air television program services.

“We chose to use the MTM400 in numerous locations for our DTT program to monitor incoming satellite signals, which are then re-multiplexed to feed local DVB-T broadcast networks,” said Marcello Cianfa, Rai Way Transmission Network Engineer, Transmission Network Planning. “The MTM400 proved to be the most capable and cost-effective option in the market for its reliability, ease of installation and ability to monitor all of the needed parameters at both transport and RF levels.”

“Rai Way has long played a leading role in Italian broadcasting and we are honored to be selected as a key technology provider for their DTT program,” said Todd Biddle, vice president, Video Product Line, Tektronix, Inc. “Their deep technical heritage has enabled RAI to offer to Italian citizens a first class public radio and television broadcasting service. The MTM400s assist RAI to offer more programming and services utilizing the latest digital technologies, further enhancing their reputation for quality, reliability, and technical excellence.”