KVH Industries, a leading manufacturer of marine satellite TV antennas, has introduced the newest member of its TracVision product line -- the TracVision G8 at the 2003 Miami International Boat Show.

Equipped with an ultra-efficient 32" (82 cm) carbon fiber antenna, fiber optic gyro (FOG) stabilisation, all housed in a dome more than 35 per cent smaller than other competing satellite TV antennas, TracVision G8 is the most advanced maritime satellite television antenna available.

The antenna's integrated Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) technology enables TracVision G8 to positively identify and receive programming from all modern TV satellites. The antenna is also fully compatible with KVH's TracNet 2.0 Mobile High-speed Internet System, enabling mariners to enjoy the TV entertainment and Internet information they desire whether at anchor or underway on open seas.

The company has stated that the introduction of TracVision G8 as KVH's flagship product consolidates our position as the premier supplier of maritime satellite TV systems, enabling it to support larger yachts and commercial vessels with larger cruising areas while rounding out a product portfolio that already offers the market share-leading 18-inch and 24-inch antennas for recreational vessels.

Thanks to its unique mechanical architecture, the TracVision G8's powerful antenna is housed in a dome that is 35 per cent smaller than other systems of similar reception strength. While compact, the system also has a wide range of motion, enabling the antenna to track satellites continuously, even when the vessel is traveling

in heavy seas at far northern or southern latitudes where the satellites are very low on the horizon. To extend the antenna's range, TracVision G8 uses a next-generation carbon fiber reflector, an extremely efficient design that results in higher signal strength and greater coverage area. As a result, vessels can receive satellite TV further offshore and throughout the Caribbean, which was previously beyond the range of 32" antennas.

TracVision G8 can provide access to programming from all modern satellite services, including the DIRECTV, DISH Network, ExpressVu and DIRECTV Latin America services in North and Latin America, and European services, such as Astra, Hotbird, Hispasat, Nilesat, Arabsat, Sirius, Optus, and Thor. This combination of advanced features ensures unsurpassed system performance from a state-of-the-art antenna that is both lightweight and extremely robust.