Spectrum and interference issues in ATV

The author discusses some of the spectrum and interference issues that arise in connection with HDTV (high-definition television). It is noted that if a large percentage of the present VHF and UHF broadcasters are to be accommodated with extra spectrum for ATV (advanced TV) service, two things are obvious from the preliminary results of a study by the Spectrum Scenarios Specialist Group: ATV systems will have to operate at significantly reduced cochannel spacings, and taboo spectrum will have to be used. In this context the author examines the interference requirements of ATV systems and considers approaches that might lead to effective interference reduction and/or elimination or reduction of the taboos. The reduction of interference by means of transmission system design and modern signal processing techniques in the spectrum-compatible HDTV system is shown as an example