FEED Spring 2022 Newsletter

IP Bit Rates of the MPX/Composite Spectrum

nergy saving has risen to the top of the agenda across the media industry. Organisations seek to reduce operating costs and meet the market’s urgent need for greener solutions – this has always been a core mission of WorldCast. It’s why we continue to evolve technologies that break new ground in eco-design and power consumption. To showcase some examples, we will present two technologies – SmartFM and APTmpX – that reflect our ambition of helping broadcasters drive down energy use and also contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable planet. In the area of FM transmission, we have seen huge advancements in transmitter design and performance over the past few decades. However, much of this progress was achieved thanks to LDMOS technology, which has reached maximum potential for improving transmitter efficiency. That is why our team began a three-year mission of intensive R&D and field testing to develop an AI innovation that transforms FM radio broadcast. The result is SmartFM, an AI technology that delivers industry-leading efficiency and performance. SmartFM is the first and only patented PATENTED AI FOR UP TO 40% ENERGY SAVINGS AI algorithm that enables FM broadcasters to reduce their energy costs by up to 40%, without any compromise on the audio quality and coverage. But energy saving is more than a matter of cost. It also has an impact on the environment and CO2 emissions. The optimised power consumption of SmartFM cascades into multiple benefits, such as reduced cooling, electricity savings, less maintenance, and a longer transmitter lifespan. Instead of paying high energy bills, broadcasters can now invest that saved sum into more valuable business assets.

300Kbps*

APT mpX

400Kbps*

600Kbps*

3175Kbps* 2100Kbps* 900Kbps*

lin. MPX 16bit lin. MPX 24bit

Mbps

0.5

1.0

2.0

3.0

Bit rates over IP

*up to 64kHz incl. RDS

How much can broadcasters save using SmartFM? As an example, for a network of ten FM transmitters at 10kW output power, net savings can reach an average of £420,000 within a decade. Broadcasters in this same scenario will also offset their carbon footprint by 30% – or 5000 tons of CO2. Run your own quick calculations of energy cost savings and carbon reduction by visiting our website at: worldcastsystems.com/en/c165p109/ software/smartfm. SmartFM is available on new WorldCast Systems FM devices, as well as the thousands of Ecreso FM transmitters already deployed worldwide, through a simple and free software upgrade. APTMPX FOR HIGH-QUALITY MPXOIP We didn’t stop there, developing APTmpX: the world’s first and only non-perceptual MPX/composite compression algorithm, that delivers the highest sound transparency for MPX over IP transmissions. APTmpX significantly lowers the hardware and distribution costs that were previously associated with standard FM network architecture. Despite the advent of the internet and digital broadcasting standards, FM remains the world’s most popular transmission format. And it’s a central technology in radio broadcasters’ efforts to maximise reach and audience. As a result, new technologies have had to be created to enable an FM-centric workflow that also works for internet delivery. The initial version of APTmpX, launched in October 2020, offered FM broadcasters access to high-quality signal compression for the resulting centralised FM MPX/ composite transmission. This solved the

difficulty of maintaining both a quality and cost-effective transmission, providing a game-changing solution in the <900Kbps region. The latest release of APTmpX takes this even further. Following optimisation by WorldCast engineers, three new versions are available that offer new levels of compression at 600, 400 or 300Kbps network bandwidth. This dramatically widens the potential impact of the technology on the industry. Thanks to non- masking bit-rate reduction, the composite signal can now directly be transported with the highest signal fidelity and transparency from 600Kbps down to 300Kbps. “With its low complexity and easy integration, APTmpX has already proven itself the ultimate solution for enabling a 100% digital transmission chain, bridging the transition from digital studios to digital transmitters,” comments Gregory Mercier, director of product marketing at WorldCast Systems. “With these versions, we bring its power to a whole new section of the market, allowing broadcasters in areas of poor bandwidth penetration to deliver stunning audio to audiences, no matter what they are listening on. “It also marks a milestone in the transition to an MPX/composite environment. The user benefits from significantly lower hardware and distribution costs, while maintaining the station sound.” The impact APTmpX’s launch had on radio broadcasters is testament to WorldCast’s commitment to optimising processes – and saving the industry money. Perfecting this algorithm is a significant milestone.

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For more info on SmartFM: https://hubs.li/Q014hgmq0

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