| 
Press Releases
Contact: Michael Sherman FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tel. 319-754-0604
Cell Phone: 901-351-9861
Email: msher@winegard.com
Winegard Company introduceS
THE SquareShooter SS-1000
BEST DESIGNED, BEST-BUILT, BEST PERFORMING,
BEST LOOKING, EASIEST TO INSTALL
HIGH-BAND VHF/UHF DIGITAL/ANALOG/HDTV ANTENNA SYSTEM AVAILABLE
A True Technology and Engineering Marvel
And The Answer To
The Ultimate in Urban/Metropolitan HDTV Antenna Systems
Burlington, Iowa, December 4, 2003. Winegard will introduce its newest antenna at the CES show in January. Bob Howell, Director of Distribution Systems/Off-Air Antenna Division said ¡°The SquareShooter? will be recognized quickly as a technological break through, because it utilizes non-traditional electromagnetic antenna design for superior performance and, at the same time, provides that new contemporary ¡°look and feel¡± desired by DTV/HDTV consumers. It will outperform all but the largest high-band VHF/UHF directional antennas systems on the market today.¡±
Specifically designed to receive and demodulate DTV/HDTV transmissions from reflected broadcast signals, the SquareShooter? is uniquely suited for urban/metropolitan locations where line-of-sight to the transmit source is blocked. This 15" square antenna can receive and demodulate analog signals and outstanding DTV broadcasts over 50 miles from the transmit source and is a true engineering marvel, ideal for the suburban market.
The unique appearance of the SquareShooter and the fact that it is enclosed in a weather-protective housing that can be painted to compliment the color of a home make it ideally suited to comply with architecturally sensitive neighborhood and covenant restrictions a must in today¡¯s urban/metropolitan antenna market.
Because of its size and versatile installation options, it can be mounted practically anywhere for the best DTV reception such as on walls, fascias, roofs, patios, attics, or railings. With the addition of our DS-1000 pole mount which meets DirecTV and Dish Network's wind load requirements, the SquareShooter, can be mounted above the satellite dish. The SquareShooter can also be diplexed with the satellite system to incorporate the Off-Air and satellite signal onto the same cable run.
The SquareShooter mounting assembly uses familiar DBS satellite antenna hardware and will enjoy acceptance found with DBS satellite antenna installers. It incorporates both Russian and US Military technologies. From the US military, we have made use of the sinuous element design similar to those found in missile guidance control systems and from Russia, their scatter plain technology that neutralizes reflected, out-of-phase signals arriving at the back of the antenna element.
This antenna was specifically designed to allow for pointing at another building to capture reflected signals and still be able to demodulate DTV/HDTV. It has a 68 degree beam-width with demonstrable side-load performance, coupled with a VSWR of 1 to 1.3 and a very high 20-to-1 front to back ratio. This provides the SquareShooter its muscle to reject multi-path signal (ghosting) and the ability to tune into the desired reflected signal for the best reception characteristics so critical in neutralizing co-channel interference in the downtown urban locations.? These unique reception characteristics also provide for superior digital performance of 50 miles or more from the broadcast source unheard of from an antenna package of this size. The SquareShooter technical performance, esthetic design and mounting flexibility, absolutely make this product more unique and better suited than any other antenna platform on the market today.
By far, the majority of the antenna market is serviced by discount retailers. Consumers, to date, who purchase consumer electronics from these retailers, have not been looking for high quality and performance from their antennas, but this will all change. Bob Howell said ¡°Our SquareShooter will be a more expensive antenna and it should be. This will not be a problem, because, contrary to TV component prices, retail prices for antennas are steadily going up and HDTV antenna customers will be more than willing to pay for quality, performance and distinctive styling.¡±
The challenge for Winegard was to design and produce a high quality antenna, with this outstanding demonstrable performance and contemporary styling and do it at a wholesale price point which would allow dealers to price the antenna at an attractive retail price point at the upper end of the scale allowing for a very attractive margin. Those consumers who are informed and interested in maximizing the performance of their HDTV component, to whom price will not be their first consideration, will shop at consumer electronics specialty stores and pick the SquareShooterTM.
Winegard¡¯s SquareShooterTM will quickly become recognized as the Cadillac in urban/metropolitan DTV/HDTV antenna systems.
The Winegard Company is widely considered an innovator and pioneer in product design, performance and assembly and has consistently adapted to meet the challenges of the ever-changing electronics market. It remains committed to continuous improvement in the quality, cost and delivery of its products and services to effectively meet all of its customer¡¯s needs and currently designs and manufactures more than 1,000 different products in four product lines distributed in all states and worldwide, including:
Satellite Antennas and Mounts: Residential antennas ranging in size from 18 cm to 1 meter and associated support structures and hardware.
Mobile Television Reception Products: RV, Trucking, and Marine applications. Satellite systems ranging from manual crank-up models to automatic satellite tracking systems with GPS and DVB. Off-air antennas including directional, bi-directional and omni-directional VHF/UHF/FM antennas. Antenna system Mounts and Accessories.
Off-Air Antennas: From DC to 5.8 GHz AM/FM/VHF/UHF Antenna Systems, Distribution and Pre-Amplifiers, Power Supplies and Accessories.
Telemetry: Medical and Data Antenna Systems, Distribution Amplifiers, Power Supplies and Accessories.
###
If you¡¯d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Robert Howell or Philip Partain, please call Michael Sherman at 319-754-0604 or send an email to msher@winegard.com
About Winegard
Winegard Company is widely considered an innovator and pioneer in product design, performance and assembly and has consistently adapted to meet the challenges of the ever-changing electronics market. It remains committed to continuous improvement in the quality, cost and delivery of its products and services to effectively meet all of its customer¡¯s needs and currently designs and manufactures more than 1,000 different products in four product lines distributed in all states and worldwide, including:
- Satellite Antennas and Mounts: Residential antennas ranging in size from 46 cm to 1 meter.
- Mobile Television Reception Products: RV, Trucking, and Marine applications. Satellite systems ranging from manual crank-up models to automatic satellite tracking systems with GPS/DVB. Off-air antennas including bi-directional and omni-directional VHF/UHF/FM antennas. Ground Antenna Mounts and Accessories.
- Off-Air Antennas: From DC to 5.8 gigs AM/FM/VHF/UHF Antenna Systems, Distribution and Pre-Amplifiers, Power Supplies and Accessories.
- Telemetry: Medical and Data Antenna Systems, Distribution Amplifiers, Power Supplies and Accessories.
- Two-way Fixed/Transportable Mobile Satellite Internet Systems: offers real-time IP, video, voice, audio and data communications virtually anywhere, anytime.
Contact: Michael Sherman FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tel. 319-754-0604
Cell Phone: 901-351-9861
Email: msher@winegard.com
Winegard Company WINS CES INNOVATIONS AWARD FOR THE SquareShooter? SS-1000 HIGH-BAND VHF/UHF DIGITAL/ANALOG/HDTV ANTENNA SYSTEM
IN THE 2004 DESIGN AND ENGINEERING SHOWCASE
The SquareShooter? Will Be Introduced To The Registered Press
First At A Press Conference On Wednesday From 10:00-11:00 AM, Room S227
And Then At Winegard¡¯s Booth # 17304
In The Lower Hall Of The South Wing During The Show.
Burlington, Iowa, December 22, 2003. Winegard Company will introduce its newest High-Band VHF/UHF Digital/Analog/HDTV Antenna System at the CES 2004 show in January. Bob Howell, Director of Distribution Systems/Off-Air Antenna Division said ¡°The SquareShooter? is a true technology and engineering marvel and the answer to the ultimate in Urban/Metropolitan HDTV Antenna Systems. The SquareShooter? will be recognized quickly as a technological breakthrough, because it utilizes non-traditional electromagnetic antenna design for superior performance and, at the same time, provides that new contemporary ¡°look and feel¡± desired by DTV/HDTV consumers. It will outperform all but the largest high-band VHF/UHF directional antennas systems on the market today.¡±
The SquareShooter? solves problems no other antenna can solve. By far, the majority of the new antenna market today is directed at the Urban/Metropolitan locale. And the fastest growing sector of the market is in the Off-Air reception of HDTV broadcasts. The vast majority of these HDTV unit sales will be to these markets. The only current way to receive true HDTV resolution (1080i) is with an Off-Air antenna or satellite broadcast signals.
Bob Howell said ¡°The reasons we contend that Winegard¡¯s SquareShooter? represents a true technological break-through are found in the following 2 very important facts:
- Normal RF propagation theorem dictates that the full wave length diameter of an off-air antenna for channel 7 VHF at 175 Megahertz is 64 inches. The fact that we have a 15 inch square antenna design that can receive and modulate analog and DTV/HDTV signal 50 miles away from the signal source using a 15 inch element is an engineering marvel.
- The antenna was specifically designed with a very high 20-to-1 front to back ratio that also accommodates the reception and modulation of both analog and DTV/HDTV reflected signals. This is critical for downtown urban locations where we might find, for example, viewers living on the wrong side of a 20th floor downtown high-rise with respect to the transmit tower of the TV station they want to receive. This antenna was specifically designed to allow pointing of the antenna at another building to zero-in on the desired reflected signal, reject all other multi-path signals and still be able to modulate analog and DTV/HDTV. This fact was proven in both our Chicago, IL and Tampa, FL beta tests.¡±
Specifically designed to receive and demodulate DTV/HDTV transmissions from reflected broadcast signals, the SquareShooter? is uniquely suited for urban/metropolitan locations where line-of-sight to the transmit source is blocked. This 15" square antenna can receive and demodulate clear analog broadcast signals up to 45 miles and outstanding DTV/HDTV signals over 50 miles from the transmit source and is ideal for the suburban market.
Because of its size and versatile installation options, it can be mounted practically anywhere for the best DTV/HDTV reception such as on wall, fascias, roofs, patios, attics, or railings. With the addition of our DS-1000 pole mount which meets DirecTV and Dish Network's wind load requirements, the SquareShooter?, when mounted above a satellite dish and diplexed with the satellite system, will incorporate satellite and Off-Air signal onto one coax cable.
Phillip Partian, Senior Vice President, Dow Electronics who asked to participate in the Beta field testing at CES 2003 had this to say about the SquareShooterTM ¡°I¡¯ve been around this industry for 33 years. I¡¯ve seen and tested a lot of antennas. That¡¯s afforded me a lot of practical experience with Off-Air antennas. I¡¯ve conducted 50-60 seminars on Off-Air antennas over the past 5 years. And I¡¯ve never seen an antenna like this antenna¡±
We¡¯ve got our own antenna testing farm out back with over a dozen antennas in it. They¡¯re mounted 25 to 30 feet high above our roof line to maximize their performance. Any height less than that, we get ghosting and multi-path from the test. We know we need that 25 foot height to get the signal. The signals that we get during these tests are naturally the most powerful channels, ABC, NBC, and CBS. And naturally the low and high range signals would come in fairly well, but we would still get some ghosting. Even using the Winegard WS-5646 or Channel Master 5646 Super V, we got ghosting.
We put the SquareShooter? up on a 15 feet pole behind our building in the middle of our parking lot in an area that we knew from past experience we would get ghosting, because Bob Howell told me this unit had the ability to eliminate some ghosting, even at this lower height. We put it up, attached an amplifier, hooked it up to a TV set and the picture was absolutely phenomenal.
We compared testing with the Channel Master four bay bow tie and the SquareShooter? outperformed it. I was amazed.
We tuned in on some Sarasota channels. Channel 40 in Sarasota is about 40 miles from were we¡¯re located in Tampa and the SquareShooter? brought it in. I¡¯ve tested other antennas on Sarasota stations the size of our WS-0038 (Winegard special) and would just barely receive channel 40. Most people would say that it was not possible to pick up Channel 40 from Tampa with a traditional element antenna, even with one that large, let alone a small 15 inch square antenna, but I saw it with my own eyes. Not only did it pick up the signal, but it eliminated all ghosting. I was flabbergasted.
Another truly unique benefit of this antenna is its front-to-back ratio performance. It was smart of Winegard to incorporate in the design of the SquareShooter? its ability to reject ghosting, particularly because that feature allows it to pick up ghost-free bounced signals. From our location, almost all of the transmit towers are due south, as is channel 40 in Sarasota. We pointed this antenna south and still picked up Channel 10 here in Tampa exceptionally well which was behind our building to the northeast and to the rear of the SquareShooter? and Channel 32 which was behind us to the northwest. That ability to bring in that bounced signal, eliminating the ghosting, and deliver a clear signal, is truly exceptional.
We checked it from several other locations and it performed the same way in each of those locals. One place was exceptionally close to the towers and it did a terrific job. This was a good test because we have checked so many other antennas in the past and had their very poor results to compare with the SquareShooter?.
Price is not a concern for me with the SquareShooter?, because it does the job it¡¯s supposed to do. It solves problems no other antenna can solve. We will be able to go into metropolitan areas where we now have a real ghosting problem, particularly for the reception of HDTV signals, were we have multi-path or co-channel interference concerns. The SquareShooter? antenna will be a ¡°Drop-dead¡± antenna for that market place and also for some analog channels that we have had some problems with in some metropolitan areas where we are not going to see local satellite availability.
The antenna offers extremely versatile mounting options and can be mounted practically anywhere. One of the best and fastest mounting options is over a satellite dish using the DS-1000 allowing for a 360 degree rotation to aim it at the transmitting towers and not need any more room than is already used for a 20 inch satellite dish.
It¡¯s the antenna winner we¡¯re looking for. It will sell itself once distributors see what it¡¯s capable of doing. We¡¯re very much looking forward to it.¡±
About Winegard
The Winegard Company is widely considered an innovator and pioneer in product design, performance and assembly and has consistently adapted to meet the challenges of the ever-changing electronics market. It remains committed to continuous improvement in the quality, cost and delivery of its products and services to effectively meet all of its customer¡¯s needs and currently designs and manufactures more than 1,000 different products in four product lines distributed in all states and worldwide, including:
- Satellite Antennas and Mounts: Residential antennas ranging in size from 18 cm to 1 meter.
- Mobile Television Reception Products: RV, Trucking, and Marine applications. Satellite systems ranging from manual crank-up models to automatic satellite tracking systems with GPS/DVB. Off-air antennas including bi-directional and omni-directional VHF/UHF/FM antennas. Ground Antenna Mounts and Accessories.
- Off-Air Antennas: From DC to 5.8 gigs AM/FM/VHF/UHF Antenna Systems, Distribution and Pre-Amplifiers, Power Supplies and Accessories
- Telemetry:? Medical and Data Antenna Systems, Distribution Amplifiers, Power Supplies and Accessories.
###
If you¡¯d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Robert Howell please call Michael Sherman at 319-754-0604 or send an email to msher@winegard.com
Contact: Michael Sherman FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tel. 319-754-0604
Cell Phone: 901-351-9861
Email: msher@winegard.com
Winegard¡¯s BEST Selling OFF-AIR ANTENNA,
THE SquareShooter OUTDOOR SS-1000
HIGH-BAND VHF/UHF DIGITAL/ANALOG/HDTV ANTENNA SYSTEM,
JUST GOT BETTER
GET2
Announcing The New SquareShooter SS-2000 Amplified Antenna Platform
The Next Innovation From An Honoree
In The CES 2004 Design and Engineering Showcase
Burlington, Iowa, November 15, 2004. Winegard Company will introduce The SquareShooter SS-2000, at CES 2005, the next Innovation in their GETDTV/HDTv TM series of digital Antenna Platforms. The SS-2000 is a more powerful amplified version of the SquareShooter SS-1000, selected as an Honoree in the 2004 Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase. Now equipped with Winegard's new digital preamp, the SS-2000, Winegard¡¯s newest outdoor High-Band VHF/UHF Digital/Analog/HDTV Antenna System was specifically designed for digital reception of reflected signals, extending the SquareShooter? range up to 40 or 50 miles away from the transmit source.
With the addition of this new digital preamp, it also to deliver more reception power to the very important metropolitan/urban market. This is the biggest segment of the HDTV market and was not currently being served well by existing digital antennas until the release of the SquareShooter SS-1000.
Bob Howell, Director, Distribution Systems/Off-Air Antenna Business Group at Winegard said,
¡°Winegard anticipated it was imperative that any new digital antenna platform design specifically deal with this reflected signal or multi-path issue and we addressed this last year when Winegard introduced our SquareShooter SS-1000, which has become our best-selling antenna. The single largest contributing factor to successful digital antenna installation and DTV/HDTV reception today still remains the ability of the metropolitan/suburban consumer to buy an antenna that deals with multi-path or reflected signal. This is a huge issue and significant challenge for digital antenna manufactures and professional installers.¡±
The Multi-path problem is most important to metropolitan/suburban consumer locations where line-of-sight to the transmit tower is blocked and the only signal they can receive comes from a bounced signal, such as off a building. Multi-path is a result of several different broadcast signals reaching the antenna out-of-phase with each other or at differing time intervals. This creates a digital multi-path condition that delivers several sets of digital data (1¡¯s and 0¡¯s) to the ATSC chipset out-of-phase and can confuse proper decoding. The ATSC chipset is simply not sure which set of digital data is the correct data bits to decode. If the amount of multi-path is too high, the ATSC chipset will not decode any data at all. ¡°It¡¯s all about getting the best picture¡±, Howell continued, ¡°Although only 16 inches square, The SquareShooter? Series was specifically designed to receive and resonate VHF and UHF transmissions from reflected broadcast signals by allowing the antenna to be pointed at another reflective source to capture the reflected signals and still be able to resonate quality DTV/HDTV signals.¡±
Winegard¡¯s SquareShooter Series incorporates both Russian and US Military technologies. From the US military, they used the sinuous element design similar to those found in missile guidance control systems and from Russia, the scatter plain technology that rejects reflected, out-of-phase signals and prevents them from arriving at the antenna element.
¡°To get more technical¡±, said Howell, ¡°this Series of antennas uses a non-traditional electromagnetic antenna design which delivers superior performance. It has a 65-degree beam-width with demonstrable side-load performance, coupled with a VSWR of 1 to 1.3 and a very high 20-to-1 front to back ratio. The amplified SS-2000 has an input level of 350,000 mV and 12 dB flat gain across the entire bandpass specifically designed to assist the ATSC chipset with the correct digital decoding of digital broadcast transmissions. This technological break-through provides the SquareShooter Series its muscle to reject multi-path signals and the ability to tune into the desired reflected signal for the best reception characteristics so critical for downtown urban locations, allowing apartment and condominium dwellers, on the wrong side of the building from the transmit source, to now receive digital broadcasts¡±.
To GETOff-Air HD reception, customers need to buy and properly install the right Off-Air DTV/HDTV antenna. There is a huge need in this market for an outdoor antenna that successfully addresses these issues. The SharpShooterTM Series of outdoor High-Band VHF/UHF Digital/Analog/HDTV Antenna System are the only digital antenna platforms on the market today that can do it. As evidence of this, the introduction of the SquareShooter SS-1000 was the only time in Winegard¡¯s 50-year history that a product was pre-sold before it was available; the SquareShooter SS-2000 is the second. This is a true testament to the need and acceptance of these unique and innovative new antenna platform designs.
###
If you¡¯d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Bob Howell, please call Michael Sherman at 319-754-0604 or send an email to msher@winegard.com or visit www.winegard.com.
About Winegard
Winegard Company is widely considered an innovator and pioneer in product design, performance and assembly and has consistently adapted to meet the challenges of the ever-changing electronics market. It remains committed to continuous improvement in the quality, cost and delivery of its products and services to effectively meet all of its customer¡¯s needs and currently designs and manufactures more than 1,000 different products in four product lines distributed in all states and worldwide, including:
- Satellite Antennas and Mounts: Residential antennas ranging in size from 46 cm to 1 meter.
- Mobile Television Reception Products: RV, Trucking, and Marine applications. Satellite systems ranging from manual crank-up models to automatic satellite tracking systems with GPS/DVB. Off-air antennas including bi-directional and omni-directional VHF/UHF/FM antennas. Ground Antenna Mounts and Accessories.
- Off-Air Antennas: From DC to 5.8 gigs AM/FM/VHF/UHF Antenna Systems, Distribution and Pre-Amplifiers, Power Supplies and Accessories.
- Telemetry: Medical and Data Antenna Systems, Distribution Amplifiers, Power Supplies and Accessories.
- Two-way Fixed/Transportable Mobile Satellite Internet Systems: offers real-time IP, video, voice, audio and data communications virtually anywhere, anytime.
Contact: Michael Sherman FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tel. 319-754-0604
Cell Phone: 901-351-9861
Email: msher@winegard.com
Winegard company,
holder of 60 patents over the Years,
awaits issuance of another us patent
for its BEST Selling OFF-AIR ANTENNA,
THE SquareShooter
The United States Patent Office Has Approved The Applied Technology
For This Outdoor High-Band VHF/UHF Digital/Analog/HDTV Antenna System
And Issued a NOTICE OF ALLOWANCE
Burlington, Iowa, March 3, 2005 - Winegard Company announced today that an important step in protecting its new products and technologies has occurred in the patent process for the SquareShooter SS-1000 and SS-2000 series of digital Antenna Platforms. Bob Howell, Director, Distribution Systems/Off-Air Antenna Business Group for the Winegard Company said, ¡°The formal examination is officially over for the SquareShooter and we expect issuance of the US patent this summer. The application is on its way the US patent office to be assigned a date of issuance, so we¡¯re well on our way to getting the patent issued.¡±
The patent will cover both the SquareShooter? SS-1000, selected as an Honoree in the 2004 CES Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase and the SS-2000, a more powerful version equipped with the new Winegard digital preamp, extending the SquareShooter range up to 40 or 50 miles away from the transmit source.
Howell continued, ¡°The right Off-Air DTV/HDTV Antenna is now a Necessity, not an Accessory. Getting the best Off-Air picture starts with the choice of the best antenna for today¡¯s reception challenges. The single largest contributing factor to successful digital antenna installation and DTV/HDTV reception today still remains the ability of the metropolitan/suburban consumer to buy an antenna that deals with multi-path or reflected signal. This is a huge issue and significant challenge for digital antenna manufactures and professional installers.¡±
The SquareShooter antenna platforms were specifically designed for digital reception of these reflected signals. Its primary market is in metropolitan/suburban locations where line-of-sight to the transmit tower is blocked and the only signal they can receive comes from a bounced signal, such as off a building.
With the addition of the new digital preamp to the SS-2000, the SquareShooter now delivers even more reception power to the very important metropolitan/urban market. This is the biggest segment of the HDTV market and was not currently being served well by existing digital antennas until the release of the SquareShooter SS-1000 last year.
Howell continued, ¡°Although only 16 inches square, The SquareShooter Series was specifically designed to receive and resonate VHF and UHF transmissions from reflected broadcast signals by allowing the antenna to be pointed at another reflective source to capture the reflected signals and still be able to resonate quality DTV/HDTV signals.¡±
There is a huge need in this market for an outdoor antenna that successfully addresses these issues. The SquareShooter Series of outdoor High-Band VHF/UHF Digital/Analog/HDTV Antenna System are the only digital antenna platforms on the market today that can do it. As evidence of this, the introduction of the SquareShooter SS-1000 was the only time in the 50-year history of the Winegard Company that a product was pre-sold before it was available; the SquareShooter SS-2000 is the second. This is a true testament to the need and acceptance of these unique and innovative new antenna platform designs.
###
If you¡¯d like more information about this topic, link to a SquareShooter flash file with specs, pictures, video and text testimonials on field testing and more at:
http://winegard.com/offair/s2shooter/flash/squareshooterflash.htm.
To schedule an interview with Bob Howell, please call Michael Sherman at 319-754-0604, send an email to msher@winegard.com or visit www.winegard.com.
About Winegard Company
Winegard Company is widely considered an innovator and pioneer in product design, performance and assembly and has consistently adapted to meet the challenges of the ever-changing electronics market. It remains committed to continuous improvement in the quality, cost and delivery of its products and services to effectively meet all of its customer¡¯s needs and currently designs and manufactures more than 1,000 different products in four product lines distributed in all states and worldwide, including:
- Satellite Antennas and Mounts: Residential antennas ranging in size from 46 cm to 1 meter.
- Mobile Television Reception Products: RV, Trucking, and Marine applications. Satellite systems ranging from manual crank-up models to automatic satellite tracking systems with GPS/DVB. Off-air antennas including bi-directional and omni-directional VHF/UHF/FM antennas. Ground Antenna Mounts and Accessories.
- Off-Air Antennas: From DC to 5.8 gigs AM/FM/VHF/UHF Antenna Systems, Distribution and Pre-Amplifiers, Power Supplies and Accessories.
- Telemetry: Medical and Data Antenna Systems, Distribution Amplifiers, Power Supplies and Accessories.
- Two-way Fixed/Transportable Mobile Satellite Internet Systems: offers real-time IP, video, voice, audio and data communications virtually anywhere, anytime.
Contact: Michael Sherman FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tel. 319-754-0604
Cell Phone: 901-351-9861
Email: msher@winegard.com
Winegard company GRANTED PATENT
for its BEST Selling OFF-AIR ANTENNA,
THE SquareShooter
These Outdoor High-Band VHF/UHF Digital/Analog/HDTV Antenna Systems,
Satisfy The Huge Need To Capture Reflected Broadcast Signals
And Deliver Free Quality DTV/HDTV Off-Air Signals
Burlington, Iowa, August 1, 2005 - Winegard Company announced today that the US Patent Office has just released the Patent for Winegard¡¯s SquareShooter outdoor antenna platforms. The Winegard Company, holder of 60 US Patents over the years, now has number 61. ¡°Covering both the SquareShooter SS-1000 passive and SS-2000 amplified series of digital Antenna Platforms, the new Patent is an important step in protecting these new products and technologies¡± said Bob Howell, Director Signal Distribution /Off-Air Antenna Business Group for the Winegard Company. The right Off-Air DTV/HDTV Antenna is now a Necessity, not an Accessory. Getting the best Off-Air picture starts with the choice of the best antenna for today¡¯s digital reception challenges.
The single largest contributing factor to successful digital antenna installation and DTV/HDTV reception still remains the ability of the metropolitan/suburban consumer to buy an antenna that deals with multi-path or reflected signal. This was a huge issue and significant challenge for digital antenna manufactures and professional installers, until the introduction of the SquareShooter Series. These antenna platforms were specifically designed for digital reception with the ability to mitigate digital Multipath. Multipath is the term for reflected or bouncing signals, resulting in several different signals from the same broadcast channel reaching an antenna, out-of-phase with each other or at differing time intervals.
The metropolitan/suburban market is the largest segment of the HDTV market and the primary markets for the SquareShooter, where line-of-sight to the transmit source may be blocked and the only broadcast signal available is received from a bounced or reflected signal, such as off a building.
The SquareShooter SS-1000, selected as an Honoree in the 2004 CES Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase, was followed by the introduction of the SS-2000, a more powerful version, equipped with Winegard¡¯s new digital preamp, extending the range up to 40 or 50 miles away from the transmit source. With the addition of the new digital preamp, the SquareShooter SS-2000 now delivers even more reception power, extending its reception capabilities to the suburban market.
Although only 16 inches square, The SquareShooter Series was specifically designed to defeat Multipath. It receives and resonates VHF and UHF transmissions from reflected broadcast signals by allowing the antenna to be pointed at another reflective source to capture the reflected signals and still be able to resonate quality DTV/HDTV signals. ¡°The SquareShooter Series is the only digital antenna platforms on the market today that are specifically designed to accomplish this and has become our best selling outdoor antenna platforms. This is a true testament to the need and acceptance of these very unique and innovative new antenna platform designs¡± said Howell.
By far, the increase in Off-Air antenna sales in the last two years has been generated by the growth of the DTV industry. No matter how the transition from Analog to Digital broadcasting unfolds, there¡¯s still going to be 30 or 40 million TV sets out there using an Off-Air antenna, because antennas are required to receive Off-Air DTV and free HDTV signals from local over-the-air broadcasters.
Howell continued, ¡°Today, the trend in home HDTV antennas revolves around new technology in smaller packages with aesthetic, sexy designs, that are user friendly, easy to install, designed for outdoor use, compatible with set top boxes, can be mounted practically anywhere and, most importantly, solve this Multipath issue. Winegard¡¯s SquareShooters meet all these criteria¡±.
In keeping with the demand of today¡¯s customer for both satellite and local Off-Air free HDTV signals, for new installations and/or retrofits, the best news for satellite installers is that these new smaller SquareShooter antennas can be piggybacked, with the right mounting hardware, on existing or new satellite installations and in some cases diplexed onto the existing cable, saving the time and expense of another cable run.
If you¡¯d like more information about this topic, link to the SquareShooter flash file with specs, pictures, video and text testimonials on field testing and more or link to a backgrounder on the SquareShooter. To schedule an interview with Bob Howell, please call Michael Sherman at 319-754-0604, send an email to msher@winegard.com or visit www.winegard.com.
###
About Winegard Company
Winegard Company is widely considered an innovator and pioneer in product design, performance and assembly and has consistently adapted to meet the challenges of the ever-changing electronics market. It remains committed to continuous improvement in the quality, cost and delivery of its products and services to effectively meet all of its customer¡¯s needs and currently designs and manufactures more than 1,000 different products in four product lines distributed in all states and worldwide, including:
- Satellite Antennas and Mounts: Residential antennas ranging in size from 46 cm to 1 meter.
- Mobile Television Reception Products: RV, Trucking, and Marine applications. Satellite systems ranging from manual crank-up models to automatic satellite tracking systems with GPS/DVB. Off-air antennas including bi-directional and omni-directional VHF/UHF/FM antennas. Ground Antenna Mounts and Accessories.
- Off-Air Antennas: From DC to 5.8 gigs AM/FM/VHF/UHF Antenna Systems, Distribution and Pre-Amplifiers, Power Supplies and Accessories.
- Telemetry: Medical and Data Antenna Systems, Distribution Amplifiers, Power Supplies and Accessories.
- Two-way Fixed/Transportable Mobile Satellite Internet Systems: offers real-time IP, video, voice, audio and data communications virtually anywhere, anytime.
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