IGNITING CHANGE of a job that would allow Reitmeier to ing would determine the winner. Sarnoff “yI can’t sa enough apply advanced signal processing to TV. couldn’t pass up the challenge. Sarnoff also would send him to the Uni- An early prophet of digital TV, about the personal versity of Pennsylvania for his master’s. Reitmeier was tapped to lead the devel- attention of the Villanovans contributing to the community Reitmeier hit the ground digitizing. He opment of the Advanced Digital HDTV helped develop the architecture and soft- system for Sarnoff and its consortium faculty and their ware for one of the first computer systems partners: Philips, Thomson and NBC. dedication to for digitizing video; picked up his first pat- Competing against the calendar and new ent for picture resizing for digital video digital approaches from such titans as teaching.” effects; and contributed to experiments AT&T and MIT, Reitmeier’s team worked that led to the adoption of a standard for feverishly to build their prototype. — Glenn Reitmeier component digital video interface now By the time testing was completed, all used worldwide. This pace never slack- analog proposals had been eliminated, ened in Reitmeier’s 25 years at Sarnoff. since they couldn’t send HDTV in a single His collaboration and leadership in digi- over-the-air TV channel. But surprisingly, Their achievement earned the Grand tal video research, consumer electronics none of the four digital entries was victori- Alliance companies an Emmy Award. and other technologies earned Reitmeier ous. Each had strengths and weaknesses. Since 2002, Reitmeier has guided NBC the industry’s respect—and his children’s. In a show of remarkable cooperation, the Universal’s technical efforts regarding As youngsters, his son and daughter had competitors joined forces to develop the technical standards, policy, commercial asked, “Dad, what do you do for your job?” optimal system. The “HDTV Grand Alli- agreements and anti-piracy operations. To answer, Reitmeier (who is married to ance” succeeded. Its prototype was put to From launching NBC’s first HDTV cable Elaine Bourcet Reitmeier ’78 LAS) played the test and passed with flying, digital, channel to driving the creation of the show-and-tell. He’d helped to develop a high-definition colors. mobile broadcast standard, he has con- TV graphical-user-interface approach for In 1996, the FCC approved the result- tinued to ignite technological change. A on-screen controls and remote-control ing ATSC Digital Television Standard, big reason he excels is his “top-notch” navigation. “I pointed to the volume the world’s first standard for digital TV Villanova education. “I can’t say enough slider on the screen. ‘I do that.’” It was and HDTV transmission. All US TV about the personal attention of the fac- grounds for coolest-dad bragging rights. stations use it, and more than 75 percent ulty and their dedication to teaching.” of homes have at least one HDTV set. I want my HDTV The Grand Alliance’s work set technical Good vibrations No collaboration showcased Reitmeier’s precedents for DVD and Blu-ray Discs; Nor can Reitmeier say enough about the ingenuity as much as the one that revolu- digital cable and satellite TV delivery; Villanova Singers. A vocalist and guitarist, tionized TV. In the late 1980s, a Federal and video streaming over the Internet. Reitmeier had belonged to the all-male Communications Commission advisory “The Grand Alliance was a high point in ensemble and directed the subset the committee called for proposals for the my career,” Reitmeier says. “We overcame Spires. He was famous for his Beach Boys TV system of the future. Rigorous test- rivalries and defied skeptics’ predictions.” medley and other arrangements. “Glenn was creative and technically impressive,” Glenn Reitmeier ’77 didn’t know his And he was one of the elite engineers at says Bob Crowley ’79 VSB, co-founder decision would change his life. The senior the center of a high-stakes episode in the and managing partner of the Mustang Setting the Electrical Engineering major just wanted annals of telecommunications: the race to Group. “You could throw anything at to enroll in the new course because the develop digital high-definition TV. him, and he would figure it out.” subject intrigued him. Plus, it meant he’d Reitmeier stays close to past and pres- Standard be taught by his beloved mentor, S.S. Let’s get digital ent “Brothers in Song.” He’s a regular at Rao, PhD, department chair. Dr. Rao was The Trenton, N.J., native arrived on Villa- the annual July Fool’s Party, hosted by Digital TV pioneer tough, no doubt about it. Still, the payoff nova’s campus with a guitar on his back Bill “Ippi” Ippolito ’72 LAS, and at events was worth the head-scratching. “If you and plans to study chemical engineering. sponsored by the Villanova Singers Leg- Glenn Reitmeier could pass his tests, you really understood Those plans soon evaporated. Introduced acy Society, which has raised more than ’77 COE has the material,” Reitmeier says. to computer programming in a freshman $250,000 for the ensemble. For Reitmeier, But adding “digital signal processing” to engineering course, he was irresistibly this personal grand alliance, rooted in the built his career his glowing resume brought Reitmeier an drawn to digital technology. love of music rather than professional on technological even bigger payoff. It launched him on a When he started his job hunt, Reitmeier interests, balances out his life. “It is an career path now studded with innovation sent a cold cover letter to the David important part of who I am as a person.” innovation milestones. The senior vice president, Sarnoff Research Center, RCA’s famed Tom Bucaria ’80 LAS, a state attorney Technology Standards and Policy, at NBC research and development facility, in for the New York State Unified Court Sys- By Suzanne Wentzel Universal, Reitmeier holds more than 50 Princeton, N.J. His credentials, including tem, couldn’t agree more. “To me, Glenn patents. He has earned prestigious awards his Dr. Rao course, landed him an inter- Left: Glenn Reitmeier ’77 COE received an Emmy Award for helping to develop digital HDTV. will always be the guy with the infectious for his visionary work in the TV industry. view. In 1977, he accepted Sarnoff’s offer Above: Reitmeier (with guitar, right) poses with the Spires for the 1977 Belle Air Yearbook. smile and funky guitar strap.” 

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