DigiCAP Uses Proven Advanced ATSC 3.0 Technology to Introduce A New Ultra Low-Cost Broadcast Translator

Seoul South, Korea April 10 , 2023–Many of the coming ATSC 3.0 station launches in the US will extend signals into rural and tribal areas where broadcast signal translators (signal repeaters) will be needed. While the need to extend signals to these areas is great, the low audience density means that the solution must be economical. As public television become more active in ATSC 3.0 station launces, the need for an economical solution will grow rapidly.

The engineers at DigiCAP came up with an innovative solution that grows out of their recent work with SpectraRep on their EduCast distance learning project. During the pandemic, the EduCast solution was the most successful distance learning solution using broadcast TV signals for delivering educational materials to students in areas where broadband Internet was unavailable. EduCast was successfully deployed in 13 states and 3 cities mostly though public television stations. For this program, DigiCAP created HomeCaster, a rebroadcast device that received over the air ATSC 1.0 and 3.0 broadcast signals and rebroadcast them as home wi-fi. Tens of thousands of these devices were created and distributed, mostly though public television stations.

DigiCAP has adapted this rebroadcasting technology to create a highly reliable ATSC3.0 translator to help rebroadcast signal to rural area. Joonyoung Park, SVP of DigiCAP, said: “We believe that this low-cost translator will help public television stations relay their ATSC 3.0 signals just as they used to extend coverage ATSC 1.0 signals to rural areas.”

DigiCAP’s ATSC 3.0 new translator is based on single-board computer architecture, which is quick to boot up, has low power consumption, and can be managed remotely. Most importantly, it is based on proven ATSC 3.0 technology that has been deployed tens of thousands of times.

DigiCAP has partnered with Heartland Video Systems, to deliver their ATSC 3.0 translators to US broadcasters. DigiCAP will show the ATSC 3.0 translator at NAB 2023 in Las Vegas at the Korean NextGen TV Alliance, booth #W4126 West Hall, Future’s Park.