Picture Signal transmission

In AM transmitters where efficiency is the prime requirement, amplitude modulation is effected by making the
output current of a class C amplifier proportional to the modulating voltage

This amounts to applying a series of current pulses at the frequency of the carrier to the output tuned (tank) circuit
where the amplitude of each pulse follows the variations of the modulating signal
The resonant frequency of the tuned circuit is set equal to the carrier frequency

The accumulative effect of this action of the resonant circuit is generation of a continuous sine wave voltage at the
output of tank circuit

The frequency of this voltage is equal to carrier frequency having amplitude variations proportional to magnitude of
the modulating signal

Positive and negative modulation

When the intensity of picture brightness causes increase in amplitude of the modulated envelope, it is called

positive
modulation

When the polarity of modulating video signal is so chosen that sync tips lie at the 100 per cent level of carrier
amplitude and increasing brightness produces decrease in the modulation envelope, it is called
negative modulation

Effect of Noise Interference on Picture Signal:

In negative system of modulation, noise pulse extends in black direction of the signal when they occur during the
active scanning intervals

They extend in the direction of sync pulses when they occur during blanking intervals

In the positive system, the noise extends in the direction of the white during active scanning i.e., in the
opposite direction from the sync pulse during blanking

Obviously the effect of noise on the picture itself is less pronounced when negative modulation is used


Effect of Noise Interference on Synchronization:

Sync pulses with positive modulation being at a lesser level of the modulated carrier envelope are not much affected
by noise pulses

However, in the case of negatively modulated signal, it is sync pulses which exist at maximum carrier amplitude, and
the effect of interference is both to mutilate some of these, and to produce lot of spurious random pulses

This can completely upset the synchronization of the receiver time bases unless something is done about it

Peak Power Available from the Transmitter:

With positive modulation, signal corresponding to white has maximum carrier amplitude

The RF modulator cannot be driven harder to extract more power because the non-linear distortion thus introduced
would affect the amplitude scale of the picture signal and introduce brightness distortion in very bright areas of the
picture

In negative modulation, the transmitter may be overmodulated during the sync pulses without adverse effects, since
the non-linear distortion thereby introduced, does not very much affect the shape of sync pulses

Consequently, the negative polarity of modulation permits a large increase in peak power output and for a given
setup in the final transmitter stage the output increases by about 40%
Use of AGC (Automatic Gain Control) Circuits in the
Receiver:

In negative system of modulation, peak level of incoming carrier is the peak of sync pulses which remains fixed at 100
per cent of signal amplitude and is not affected by picture details

This level may be selected simply by passing the composite video signal through a peak detector

In the positive system of modulation the corresponding stable level is zero amplitude at the carrier and obviously
zero is no reference, and it has no relation to the signal strength

The maximum carrier amplitude in this case depends not only on the strength of the signal but also on the nature of
picture modulation and hence cannot be utilized to develop true AGC voltage

Vestigial sideband transmission

In the 625 line TV system where the frequency components present in the video signal extend from dc (zero Hz) to
5MHz

A double sideband AM transmission would occupy a total bandwidth of 10 MHz

The actual band space allocated to the television channel would have to be still greater, because with practical filter
characteristics it is not possible to terminate the bandwidth of a signal abruptly at the edges of the sidebands

Therefore, an attenuation slope of 0.5 MHz is provided at each edge of the two sidebands

This adds 1 MHz to the required total band space


In addition to this, each television channel has its associated FM (frequency modulated) sound signal, the carrier
frequency of which is situated just outside the upper limit of 5.5 MHz of the picture signal

This, together with a small guard band, adds another 0.25 MHz to the channel width, so that a practical figure for
the channel bandwidth would be 11.25 MHz

Such a bandwidth is too large, and if used, would limit the number of channels in a given high frequency spectrum
allocated for TV transmission

In the video signal very low frequency modulating components exist along with the rest of the signal

Therefore, as a compromise, only a part of the lower sideband, is suppressed, and the radiated signal then consists of
a full upper sideband together with the carrier, and the vestige (remaining part) of the partially suppressed lower
sideband

This pattern of transmission of the modulated signal is known as vestigial sideband or A5C transmission

In the 625 line system, frequencies up to 0.75 MHz in the lower sideband are fully radiated

The picture signal is seen to occupy a bandwidth of 6.75 MHz instead to 11 MHz

Standard channel BW

The sound carrier is always positioned at the extremity of the fully radiated upper sideband and hence is 5.5 MHz
away from the picture carrier

The FM sound signal occupies a frequency spectrum of about 75 KHz around the sound carrier

However, a guard band of 0.25 MHz is allowed on the sound carrier side of the television channel to allow for
adequate inter-channel separation

The total channel bandwidth thus occupies 7 MHz and this represents a band space saving of 4.25 MHz per channel,
when compared with the 11.25 MHz space

Figure shows allocation of two channel on spectrum Band

Channel bandwidth for colour

transmission

Following figure shows location of colour signal band in video signal spectrum

Television transmitter

TV Signal propagation

Radio waves are electromagnetic waves, which when radiated from transmitting antennas, travel through space to
distant places, where they are picked up by receiving antennas

Although space is the medium through which electromagnetic waves are propagated, but depending on their
wavelengths, there are three distinctive methods by which propagation takes place

These are: (a) ground wave or surface wave propagation, (b) sky wave propagation, and (c) space wave
propagation

(a) ground wave or surface wave propagation:

Vertically polarized electromagnetic waves radiated at zero or small angles with ground, are guided by the
conducting surface of the ground, along which they are propagated

Such waves are called ground or surface waves

The attenuation of ground waves, as they travel along the surface of the earth is proportional to frequency, and is
reasonably low below 1500 kHz

(b) Sky Wave Propagation:

Most radio communication in short wave bands up to 30 MHz (11 meters) is carried out by sky waves

When such waves are transmitted high up in the sky, they travel in a straight line until the ionosphere is reached

This region which begins about 120 km above the surface of the earth, contains large concentrations of charged
gaseous ions, free electrons and neutral molecules

The ions and free electrons tend to bend all passing electromagnetic waves

The angle by which the wave deviates from its straight path depends on

(i) frequency of the radio wave

(ii) angle of incidence at which the wave enters the
ionosphere

(iii) density of the charged particles in the ionosphere at

the particular moment

(iv) thickness of the ionosphere at the point

With increase in frequency, the allowable incident angle at the ionosphere becomes smaller until finally a frequency
is reached, when it becomes impossible to deflect the beam back to earth

For ordinary ionospheric conditions this frequency occurs at about 35 to 40 MHz

Above this frequency, the sky waves cannot be used for radio communication between distant points on the earth

(c) Space Wave Propagation

The only alternative for transmission in the VHF and UHF bands, despite large attenuation, is by radio waves which
travel in a straight line from transmitter to receiver

This is known as space wave propagation

For not too large distances, the surface of the earth can be assumed to be flat and different rays of wave propagation
can reach the receiver from transmitter

Effect of Earths Curvature:

Earth
s curvature limits the maximum distancebetween the transmitting and receiving antennas

The maximum line of sight distance d between the two antennas can be easily found out

Neglecting (hr)2 and (ht)2, being very small as compared to R, the radius of the earth, the line-ofsight distance d
4.22(ht + hr ) km

Range of Transmission

A sample calculation shows that for a transmitting antenna height of 225 meters above ground level the radio
horizon is 60 km

If the receiving antenna height is 16 meters above ground level the total distance is increased to 76 km


Depending on the transmitter power and other factors the service area may extend up to 120 km for the channels in
the VHF band but drops to about 60 km for UHF channels

Booster Stations

Some areas are either shadowed by mountains or are too far away from the transmitter for satisfactory television
reception

In such cases booster stations can be used. A booster station must be located at such a place, where it can receive
and rebroadcast the program to receivers in adjoining areas

Signal strength is a function of power radiated, transmitting and receiving antenna heights

The acceptable signal to noise ratio at the picture tube screen is measured in terms of peak-to-peak video signal
voltage (half tone), injected at the grid or cathode of the picture tube versus the r.m.s. random noise voltage at that
point

A peak signal to r.m.s. noise ratio of 45 db is generally considered adequate to produce a good quality picture

Field strength is indicated by the amount of signal received by a receiving antenna at a height of 10 meters from
ground level, and is measured in microvolts per meter of antenna dipole length

The field strength for very good reception in thickly populated and built-up areas is 2500 V/ meter for channels 2 to
4 (47 to 68 MHz), and 3550 V/meter for channels 5 to 11 (174 to 223 MHz)

For channels in the UHF band, a field strength of about 5000 V/meter becomes necessary
Interference suffered by TV
channels

(a) Co-channel Interference

Two stations operating at the same carrier frequency, if located close by, will interfere with each other

This phenomenon which is common in fringe areas is called co-channel interference

As the two signal strengths in any area almost equidistant from the two co-channel stations become equal, a
phenomenon known as
venetian-blind
interference occurs

(b) Adjacent Channel Interference

Stations located close by and occupying adjacent channels, present a different interference problem
Adjacent
channel interference may occur as a result of beats between any two of these frequencies or between a carrier and any
sidebands

A coarse dot structure is produced on the screen if picture carrier of the desired channel beats with sound carrier of
the lower adjacent channel

(c) Ghost Interference

Ghost interference arises as a result of discrete reflections of the signal from the surface of buildings, bridges, hills,
towers etc


The direct signal is usually stronger and assumes control of the synchronizing circuitry and so the picture, due to the
reflected signal that arrives late, appears displaced to the right

Such displaced pictures are known as
trailing ghost
pictures

The effect of such reflected signals (ghost images) can be minimized by using directional antennas and by locating
them at suitable places on top of the buildings
TV broadcast channels for terrestrial transmission

Below are the band rages approved by Consultative Committee on International Radio(CCIR)