A new product that incorporates HD Radio components along with Omnia audio processing — Audio In, RF Out — is getting a NAB Show rollout. It is all thanks to a new series of transmitters now coming to market from Nautel.
Nautel is bringing to market its new GV² Series of transmitters, which are being promoted as the first in the industry to integrate all HD Radio components inside the transmitter.
The updates to Nautel’s flagship FM transmitter series provide a full hardware platform to support HD Radio, with Xperi Gen4 Importer, Exporter, and Exgine implementations for HD radio encoding, station logo and artist experience. Omnia for Nautel covers all FM and HD Radio audio processing needs and provides Livewire AoIP inputs for all audio streams. No additional hardware is required.
GV² is updated with transmitter technologies including new power supplies, solid state storage, a new interface card, and what Nautel calls “dramatic increases” in internal computational capacity. A new generation Nautel AUI based on HTML5 enables the integration of new software components through virtualization technology, the company adds.
A key component of the architecture is an air chain selector which allows the GV² to select one of many air chain inputs (FM and all HD) and change from one feed to another, regardless of where the feed originates from. There is no need for GPS antenna connections, and Nautel says all components can optionally be activated to suit each station’s specific needs.
“As long as there is an IP Audio feed available at the transmitter site, operation is Audio In and RF out,” said Nautel Chief Technology Officer Philipp Schmid. “FM stations currently operating digital modes or considering a shift to HD Radio will benefit from this ultra-streamlined deployment as well as elimination of time alignment issues.”
Nautel has already started accepting orders for the GV² hardware platform, with the first
deliveries anticipated in the third quarter of 2023. Early adopters are expected to be able to test drive the software components by Q4 with a maturing and expanding software feature set expected into next year, the company says.
“Nautel led the industry with initiatives to create simpler and less expensive HD Radio
implementations starting with the first embedded exporter over a decade ago, then with the first combined and software implemented Importer/Exporter, and more recently with research to perfectly time lock the FM and HD signals to eliminate blend drift,” Schmid said. “Now the GV² continues that evolution by bringing all functionality and even audio processing into the transmitter.”
Nautel President/CEO Kevin Rodgers added, “This new product exemplifies Nautel’s passion for digital broadcasting and simplifying life for our customers. This advancement speaks to the innovative spirit of the Nautel design team and demonstrates the power of collaboration with an industry partner like Telos Alliance.”
