September 2008 - MRG provides the power to switch channels

With the TV digital switchover starting in earnest next year when the Granada area, West Country and Wales are converted to digital transmission only, MRG Systems has developed the DVP100 to help bookmakers make the switch without having to replace all their screens.

Shown in prototype form at last year’s Betting Show, the DVP100 is technically a transmodulator rather than converter and it features cool blue LEDs illuminating the interior, a small TV monitor screen to assist with tuning and the touchscreen user interface for setup.

MRG have units under trial with two of the largest bookmaking groups and, with their helpful feedback, four versions, each with a choice of 0 to 8 modulators, have been developed. This strategy ensures that there is something to suit all requirements and budgets. In total there are 36 variants so units will effectively be built to customers’ own specifications.

The number of modulators define the number of UHF channels required to be broadcast in the shop or studio. Like most similar products the unit is installed to take the TV input which then outputs the channels through the shops existing distribution system. The result is that all the TVs retain their capability to show the chosen channels without retuning and a single unit controls everything. No special changes are required to the cabling and the whole thing can be installed and running in normal working hours.

For those wishing to control channel switching themselves the DVP100 solves the problem elegantly with a web-based user interface that enables switching. Because the selection of video or decoded freeview channel can be made remotely it is possible to change the contents displayed on the main screen. This provides faster more reliable switching of content so that the channel can be changed from SiS to C4, back to SiS and then to BBC2 as required without any additional wiring to the TV. The DVP100 puts channel switching in the hands of the bookie, something that many have never had before.

The DVP100, unlike some products, doesn’t pass through the incoming channels to the output. This means that the output channels can be on the same frequency as the old analogue channels, which neatly avoids retuning the TVs. Extra video inputs for SiS, TurfTv and Sky means that the DVP100 can be used to replace the UHF splitters and combiners to provide a simple remotely controlled setup. The initial engineering costs are kept to a minimum, disturbance to trading is minimised as cabling to the TVs is left undisturbed and the need for additional cabling of individual settop boxes is avoided.

Betting Business September 2008