Acterna Unveils Terrestrial Broadcast Interface to Industry's Most Comprehensive End-to-End Digital Video Test and Management Solution.

LAS VEGAS & GERMANTOWN, Md. -- New Interfaces Make DTS Digital Network Tester a Single Source to Precisely Meet the Demands of Digital Video Deployment Unlike Any Solution on the Market Today

Acterna, the leader in test and management solutions for consumer and business broadband communications, announced today that its DTS product line now includes interfaces for both the COFDM and 8VSB modulations that are required in the European and North American digital terrestrial television (DTTV) standards. For terrestrial broadcast engineers, these new COFDM and 8VSB interfaces combine to provide the single most comprehensive digital network test and management solution for rapid deployment of digital video services, accurate and precise signal analysis, lower operational cost and increase reliability.

Acterna's digital video broadcast test and management solutions will be on display at NAB, April 17-20, Las Vegas, Booth #SU10043 in South Hall 3.

"Acterna has introduced the new terrestrial broadcast interfaces so engineers can achieve the level of increased operational efficiency critical to succeeding in the market today," said Sudeep Bose, product marketing manager of Acterna's DTS product line. "In addition to performing MPEG transport analysis and monitoring for interface points carrying 8VSB or COFDM modulated terrestrial broadcast RF signals, this interface also provides the important function of RF analysis of the DTTV signal, allowing customers to determine whether or not the problem exists in the digital video service or in the DTTV transmission."

Across the broadcast industry, the DTS product line, which includes the DTS-330 and DTS-200, is establishing itself as the solution of choice to meet the demands of signal monitoring and service quality. From satellite to broadcast technologies, its powerful stream creation, generation and analysis tools provide the complete solution for every test and management environment critical to delivering reliable and cost effective service today. For example, the DTS product line enables:

--R&D testing that provides rigorous, aggressive design validation that enables multiplexer, set-top box and digital TV manufacturers to reach the market faster and guarantee system quality;

--Deployment trial testing of leading-edge technologies such as digital terrestrial TV, video on demand, digital ad insertion, multimedia interactive applications, among others;

--System installation testing that allows integrators to solve configuration, inter-working, and performance issues prior to system acceptance and turn-up of services;

--Network operation test that generates base lining reports and monitors quality of service in both contribution and distribution networks.

In addition to the benefits of the new COFDM and 8VSB interfaces, DTS users can also troubleshoot their digital video networks via the platform's application modules, which include: an analyzer for continuous, detailed, real-time analysis of all transport stream content and statistics including PIDs, PCR/PTS timing, programs/channels, conditional access, and PSI/SI/PSIP tables and descriptors; a multiplexer for continuous real-time transport stream creation; and a generator for real-time transport stream recording and play out.

For the cable and broadcast industries, Acterna was among the first to introduce an MPEG analyzer (critical to successful deployment of broadcast services), to develop test tools to verify digital broadcast signals, and one of the only test and network management solutions provider with the expertise to truly support the entire lifecycle of a digital services deployment and continued maintenance - ensuring accuracy, quality and cost efficiency. Acterna also has an equally strong record supporting telecommunications companies delivering broadcast and broadband-related services.

About Acterna

Acterna is the world's largest provider of communications test solutions for telecommunications and cable network operators. A trusted communications test partner for more than eight decades, Acterna offers an unmatched portfolio of award-winning instruments, systems, software, and services that help its customers reduce network costs while improving performance and reliability. Headquartered in Germantown, Md. -- with European and Asia-Pacific operations based in Eningen, Germany, and Hong Kong -- Acterna serves nearly every major communications service provider and equipment manufacturer around the world through a skilled sales and support organization in 31 countries.

All Acterna company or product names mentioned in this press release are trademarks or registered trademarks of Acterna Inc. or one of its subsidiary companies.