New Belar BTSC Monitor/Analyzer Uses THAT’s Digital dbx-tv

Devon, PA and Milford, MA – Belar and THAT Corporation today jointly announced Belar’s TVM-230 Digital BTSC TV Stereo Monitor/ Analyzer, featuring digital dbx-tv® decoding technology from THAT. According to Belar’s President, Arno Meyer, “The new TVM-230 delivers unprecedented performance by combining Belar’s own DSP demodulation with THAT’s digital companding technology. With the BTSC Encoder enabled, the TVM-230 reliably delivers over 50dB midband separation and more than 40dB at 14kHz, with 85dB signal-to-noise ratio and <0.1% distortion.” THAT’s president, Les Tyler, commented “THAT’s fully digital dbx-TV expander eliminates the trim adjustments required by previous analog dbx-TV decoders, including THAT’s own industry-standard 525 cards. So, performance starts high and stays high over the entire life of the product. We surpass even the tightest broadcast specifications for BTSC transmission.”

Belar’s TVM-230 fits in the same form factor of its predecessor. The unit is intended to operate in conjunction with Belar’s TVM-100 or TVM-101, or other makers’ wide-band aural demodulators. The TVM-230 provides the measurement capability needed to set up, test, and measure BTSC stereo TV transmitters, and offers accurately decoded L and R channel audio outputs. Linear phase FIR (digital) filters to reduce phase distortion, coupled with THAT’s fully digital dbx-TV expander, ensure extreme accuracy for measuring modulation peaks.

THAT provided its dbx-TV decoding technology under license to Belar in the form of Verilog DSP code that is executed in a Xilinx FPGA. Based on THAT’s extensive experience with the BTSC companding system, THAT developed this professional version of its decoder specifically to suit Belar’s demanding application. THAT offers both professional and consumer-quality versions of dbx-TV encoders and decoders to the TV industry.

Belar, based in Devon PA, is the world’s leading manufacturer of modulation monitors, used by radio and television stations to monitor technical aspects of their broadcast signal. The company was founded in 1964 by the late Isobel (“BEL”) and Arno (“AR”) Meyer.

About THAT Corporation
THAT Corporation, founded in 1989, designs and sells high-performance analog integrated circuits for professional audio manufacturers. THAT’s ICs include analog input and output stages, digitally controlled low-noise preamplifiers, Analog Engines® and its original line of voltage-controlled amplifiers (VCAs) – all used throughout the pro audio industry. The company also licenses patents, trademarks, and other intellectual property to the TV broadcast and reception industries. Licensed products include the dbx-tv® Total™ series of audio enhancement technology and digital implementations of legacy TV audio receiver standards. The company is headquartered in Milford, Massachusetts, with offices in Milpitas, California.

For more information, contact:
THAT Corporation, 45 Sumner Street, Milford, MA 01757-1656 , USA
Telephone: +1 (508) 478-9200; Fax +1 (508) 478-0990
Email: More Information

Editorial Contact:
Ken Nevard, IC Marketing Manager
Tel: +1 (508) 478-9200 x108
Email: Editorial Contact