Transparent Video introduced the Challenger^TM Digital CATV Transmission System in early 2006. Why the name Challenger? Not only does it represent a cost and performance challenge to all existing CATV system providers, but it also brings to mind for us the UK Challenger Battle Tank, the most rugged, reliable and bullet-proof tank in the world.  We have achieved these goals.

Transparent Video Systems helps stations meet the challenge of complying with FCC bandwidth regulations while simultaneously realizing a significant return on investment and reaping the benefits of the next generation in broadcast technology. No additional equipment is necessary, ensuring a low Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).

Founder & CEO: Norman Gillaspie

Norman Gillaspie has developed a number successful products. In 1980, he founded Gillaspie Communications Inc., a pioneer in TVRO. GCI introduced several innovative products, including a low-cost image reject mixer at 4GHz and pioneered the use of satellite transmission for nationwide paging.

Director Software and Systems: Steve Terry

Steve Terry has operated a successful engineering design and development consulting business for 22 years. His 25 years in the industry have given him broad experience in both digital hardware and software design techniques.  Special emphasis has been on real-time, embedded systems environments.

This mix of hardware and software skills has involved him in a variety of projects ranging from dozens of microcontroller designs to device driver development to embedded diagnostics and production test automation.

High profile projects have included work on several set-top box designs for Thomson, a video conferencing system for Compression Labs (now part of VTEL), MPEG-2 encoders for DiviCom (now Harmonic), and handheld MPEG-4 digital video cameras for Logitech.  Steve was also primarily responsible for the original design and development of the software for the successful Coinstar coin counting kiosk.

Steve holds a BSEE from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is co-author of patent 4,642,563 relating to the capturing, recording, and display of power line impulse disturbances.

Director of Operations: Douglas Alexander

Douglas Alexander has been working in the electronics R&D and manufacturing sector for over 30 years. As the twenty-fourth employee at Silicon Valley start-up Digital Microwave Corporation, ( DMC ) he helped grow the company to 1200 employees with a multi-national presence. Douglas managed several departments, including Purchasing, Contract Management, Project Management, Project Coordination, NPI, Program Management, Product Cost, Component Engineering, Documentation Control, Contract Manufacturing, and Prototype Assembly Operations. He also established and ran a “mini”-factory operation for DMC producing products for British Telecom. Within four years from its founding, DMC became the world-wide market leader in point-to-point microwave communications.

Fourteen years later, Douglas left DMC to join Microsoft Corporation, WebTV as the founding Manager of Component and Reliability Engineering. Douglas left Microsoft to start a company with the former Director of Systems Engineering from Microsoft. At this new start-up, Douglas was responsible for all Operations concerns. Two years later, all products and IP were sold to Sun Microsystems and soon thereafter the company disbanded. Douglas joined Transparent Video Systems in November of 2006 and is currently serving as the Director of Operations.

Douglas holds patent # 6907615 - Systems and methods for use in interconnecting consumer electronic devices in an entertainment system that allow for switching between composite video and S-video formats. The systems and methods support left audio, right audio, and can be selectively adapted to support either composite video or S-video signal formats.

Director of Sales Engineering: Michael Lloyd

Michael Lloyd has been involved in the satellite and cable industry since the late 80’s.  He has installation and field engineering experience in TVRO, VSAT, SMATV, CATV and IPTV.   Michael’s most recent position of National Sales Manager for a CATV distributor gave him broad exposure to equipment, technology and applications of headend and fiber optic equipment.  His knowledge is a combination of real world experience, industry specific training from manufacturers, such as Motorola, Terayon and Scientific Atlanta, and formal education from DeVry. 

Michael's former employers are; Satellite Engineering Group, equipment distributor, Comsat Video Enterprises, now known as Ascent Media, and Heifner Communications, which evolved into WSNET.

Michael has grown through the ranks over his career with positions including Field Engineer, Installation Engineer, Project Manager, Applications Engineer, Sales Engineer and Sales Manager.  He has managed as many as 16 Field Engineers in 26 states.  His design accomplishments include HFC, interdiction, turnkey headends, antenna farms, remote broadcast signal acquisition and digital multiplexing upgrades.