A June 26th TVNewsday article talks about some of the obstacles that broadcasters are going to have to overcome when mobile devices start becoming available in a few months.
In summary, because VHF signals have longer wavelengths, they’re a bit tougher to receive in comparison to UHF signals, which have shorter lengths.
…impulse noise is killing digital VHF reception, particularly on channels 2- 6. Stations don’t have enough power to overcome the noise and, in the on-off world of digital, too much noise and not enough signal means loss of service.
From what I’m hearing from RF engineers who are obsessed with this issue right now, VHF is going to have big trouble in mobile DTV, which is being hyped as the second coming of TV broadcasting.
The tiny antennas being squeezed into cell phone and other mobile devices will have a tough time capturing VHF signals with their long wavelengths. The shorter waves of UHF are far more compatible.
Read the rest here: TVNEWSDAY – VHF: Now Everything You Know Is Wrong
