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8. Audio Video Senders
8.1 Introduction
Audio Video Senders (AV Senders) are used to send sound and video over short distances. They often consist of transmitter and receiver units which are used to transmit video from a video source such as a satellite decoder or DVD player to a TV in another room. Older equipment used analogue broadcast technology and operated in unused broadcast channels. Modern AV Senders use digital technology and generally operate in the ISM band at 2.4GHz.
8.2 Overview
The ITU-R does not recognise AV Senders as a separate category of SRD in their ITU-R Recommendation SM.1538-1. The nearest category is "Voice and Video". No guidance is provided on preferred specifications for these devices.
The European Rec CEPT/ERC/REC 70-03 does not have a special category for AV Senders. No allowance has been made for their use outside of the general SRD bands.
The USA FCC Part 15 does not make specific mention of AV Senders.
The Australian LIPD Class Licence does not make specific mention of AV Senders.
New Zealand has a specific allocation for AV Senders 614 to 646MHz. This is also used for non-commercial TV broadcasting. There are currently 24 TV broadcasting licences in this band.
All new AV Senders appear to be using digital technology and operate in the 2400 to 2483.5MHz ISM band. The only products likely to be using the current New Zealand allocation are legacy devices. This suggests that the current SRD GURL allocation for AV Senders could be expanded to include the use of radio microphones. The band is adjacent to a GUSL for radio microphones in the 646 to 806MHz band.
This change would be bring New Zealand more in line with the USA FCC Part 74.802 (a) which allows low power transmitters, including radio microphones, in the band 614 to 806MHz, only for use by the broadcasting industry.
It would also move New Zealand closer to the Australian LIPD Class Licence for 3mW wireless audio allocation in the 520 to 820MHz band.
Europe does not allow any low power devices in the 502 to 806MHz band.
The international allocations for radio microphones in the UHF TV bands are summarised in the table below.
| Table 16 - Summary of Allocations in the 614 to 646MHz Band | ||||||||||||||||
|
Freq MHz |
518- 550 |
550- 582 |
582- 614 |
614- 646 |
646- 678 |
678- 710 |
710- 742 |
742- 774 |
774- 806 |
|||||||
| Block | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |||||||
| New Zealand Allocation |
Crown MR | Crown MR | Māori TV MR | Non- com TV |
Crown MR | Crown MR | Crown MR |
Crown MR | Crown MR | |||||||
| GURL** | GUSL Radio Mics 10mW | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | ** SRD GURL - 614 to 646 Audio/Video senders 25mW | |||||||||||||||
| AUS | 520-820 | |||||||||||||||
| Wireless audio 3mW | ||||||||||||||||
| USA | 614-806 | |||||||||||||||
| USA lower power use by broadcast industry incl radio mics | ||||||||||||||||
| EU | No unlicensed or low power devices permitted between 502 and 806MHz | |||||||||||||||
8.3 Conclusion
Considering the lack of any specific AV Sender band in other countries, and the move of this type of product to digital technology compatible with the 2.4GHz band, it is recommended that the use of the current AV Sender band 614 to 646MHz is expanded to include radio microphones. This improves the compatibility with Australia and USA.
Proposal 8.a
The Ministry proposes to permit the sharing of the band 614 to 646MHz, currently allocated to AV Senders under the SRD GURL, with radio microphones.
