Results of Tests with Domestic Receiver Ic’s for Dvb-t

Digital terrestrial television services using the DVB-T standard will be launched later this year in the UK, followed by Sweden and perhaps other countries soon afterwards. Reception of these services will make use of domestic set-top boxes and integrated receivers using DVB-T demodulator ICs (integrated circuits). The first of these ICs are now becoming available, and it is important that their performance is carefully checked, to confirm that the behaviour is close to expectations. This in turn will confirm that the planned DVB-T services will deliver the predicted coverage. At the time of writing this paper, BBC R&D is testing the first two receiver ICs which have become available. The results of these tests show that working silicon is available and that the ICs generally provide performance in excess of that assumed by the frequency planners. This will allow set-top box and receiver manufacturers to prepare their production for the launch of operational digital terrestrial television services later this year.