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Grundig Digital Radio User Manual

Page 68

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DIGITAL RADIO GUIDE

SATELLITE TRANSMISSION - WORLDSPACE

68

Subsequently WorldSpace developed a hybrid satellite and terrestrial repeater system
designated as ITU-R System Dh to provide reliable reception in vehicles. This system
has other enhancements including time diversity. This system has also been utilised by
XM Satellite Radio to provide DARS services in the US (refer to Section 5.2).

5.1.1

Receiver Systems

Receivers for the WorldSpace system are described on the Worldspace website at:
www.worldspace.com/receivers/bundle.html. Agreements reached in June 1996 with
SGS-Thomson and ITT Intermetall to produce a very large number of silicon chipsets
marked an important milestone in the development of receivers for this project. By
implication, the RF specification for the system had at that stage been completed.

An announcement about the manufacturers of the WorldSpace Starman receivers was
made in June 1997. The named manufacturers were:

Hitachi

JVC

Panasonic

Sanyo

More recently WorldSpace has licensed a number of manufacturers in India, China,
Korea, Indonesia and Thailand to manufacture low-cost receivers for domestic and export
markets. New generation receivers for the enhanced hybrid satellite/terrestrial service are
currently being developed.