(23 December 2005 7:00 pm)

NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati has decided to convert to facilitate mobile reception of DD News in Chennai and Delhi. From 1 January 2006 it will operate the digital terrestrial transmitters (DTT) service of its five channels, including DD News in mobile reception mode.

This means that now DD News will be available in moving vehicles fitted with equipment to access Doordarshan's DTT service being played out in Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata on 5 KW powered transmitters.

Presently, Doordarshan is operating DTT service in four metros cities beaming five channels - DD News, DD-1, DD Sports, DD India and the regional service.

To receive DTT mobile service of DD, people in Delhi and Chennai have to install a special antenna atop their vehicles and have a set top box for DTT or diversity receiver designed for mobile reception that operates on 12 Volt direct current (DC).

The parameters of the transmission for mobile receptions are:-

1. Number of carriers - 8K
2. Constellation - QPSK
3. Forward Error Correction - ½
4. Guard Interval (GI) -1/16
5. Useful data rate - 5.85 Mb/s
6. Frequency of operations - 514 Mhz (Ch # 26)

The reception survey for satisfactory reception of DD News in moving vehicles was conducted and coverage range of 35 kms was recorded, except in `shadow areas' where occasional freezing was observed in narrow lanes having high rise building and at some busy road crossings.

In general, vehicles traveling at speed of about 50 kmph could get satisfactory reception within 35 km range.