Use Of Frequency Channels With Digital TV

Acoustic experts know, there should be no stage, TV or audio show without professional wireless microphone systems. But in the instance of Digital TV, with the allocation of so far used frequency channels to third-party service contractors, problems with traditional audio transmission can arise. Understanding this, AKG is working together with users and producers to bring awareness of the situation a broader public. In the meantime, the company recommends the use of microphone systems with a flexible frequency selection to guarantee excellent sound and best transmission.

Transmitters work with frequency bands that are normally used by TV-stations. Thus far, using wireless microphone systems, it has been necessary (being the secondary user) to consider the primary use by the TV-stations. The introduction of terrestrial digital TV now makes it possible to house more than one program within one frequency channel. That may open channels (so called White Spaces) for other wireless services.

“Many people don’t consider that those channels are used by wireless microphone systems,” says Stefan Gubi, President of AKG Acoustics GmbH. “With the allocation of those channels to new service providers, the use of wireless microphone systems will become somewhat difficult. Because different from the TV-services, these services may be “on air” permanently and could be omnipresent, causing a wide range of dysfunctions. For wireless microphone systems, the most important thing is secure and high-quality use. High audio-quality and low latency are absolutely necessary for wireless systems. One single perturbance may destroy the recording of a whole event,” explains Gubi.

As a technical solution, AKG recommends microphone systems with a flexible frequency selection. The AKG wireless systems WMS 450 and WMS 4000 offer an automatic search option for free frequency channels. The WMS 4000 is the most advanced and innovative professional wireless system for all appliances with the highest audio-quality, boundless flexibility and extreme reliability. It works with six 30 MHz wide UHF channels with each 1200 frequencies. Using multiple frequency bands, more than 56 channels may be operated simultaneously. With a dynamic of 120 dB, an audio transmission area from 35 to 20,000 Hz and a broad variety of additional system components for the adjustment to every solution the WMS 4000 offers the best performance in its class.