TSG/S4
Specialist Group on ATSC Mobile DTV

The A/153 Scalable Full Channel Mobile Mode (SFCMM) standard is now published on the ATSC Web site, having been approved by the full membership on 1 June 2011. SFCMM is designed to add increased capacity in a scalable manner up to the complete channel bandwidth usage for certain applications. SFCMM is described as an amendment to A/153 Part 1 and a new Part 9 to A/153.

The A/154 Recommended Practice on ATSC Mobile DTV has been approved by the ATSC membership. An interim publication version has been posted on the ATSC Web site. Work meanwhile continues to develop draft text on presentation layer issues, which may be rolled into the RP as an amendment at a future date.

A Working Draft Amendment to A/153 Part 2, "RF/Transmission System Characteristics," has been approved by TSG as a Proposed Standard. Comments were received during the ballot and resolved. The planned changes are substantive and will be submitted to TSG for reballot. At the same time, additional adjustments to A/153 Part 2 were identified based on work underway in TSG/S9 on A/53 Part 2, “RF/Transmission System Characteristics.” TSG has approved rolling those changes into the reballot, which is pending.

TSG/S5
Specialist Group on Transmission Infrastructure

The ATSC membership has approved a standard for studio-to-transmitter link (STL) systems used to support ATSC Mobile DTV. The system is documented as a revision of A/110, "Synchronization Standard for Distributed Transmission. An interim version of A/110:2011 has been published on the ATSC Web site. The new title of A/110 is “ATSC Standard for Transmitter Synchronization."

TSG/S6
Specialist Group on Video and Audio Coding

A new version of A/85, "Techniques for Establishing and Maintaining Audio Loudness for Digital Television," has been published on the ATSC Web site. The revision adds a new Annex J, "Requirements for Establishing and Maintaining Audio Loudness of Commercial Advertising in Digital Television," which identifies elements of the RP that are vital to controlling loudness variations among program elements. An additional amendment to A/85, which adds a new Annex K, "Requirements for Establishing and Maintaining Audio Loudness of Commercial Advertising in Digital Television When Using Non-AC-3 Audio Codecs." The ballot closes on 25 July 2011.

Work continues to update A/52:2010, "Digital Audio Compression (AC-3) (E-AC-3) Standard," to more completely describe E-AC-3 and reflect current practice. Draft text has been developed and is under review. Liaison with the effected SDOs continues.

In an effort to support ATSC 2.0 and other potential applications, work has begun to update A/53 Part 6, "Enhanced AC-3 Audio System Characteristics", to document constraints on E-AC-3 for use in the "main stream” rather than for E-VSB "fallback" (as currently written). In addition, the 2010 Revision of Part 5 removed some functionality that will be added into Part 6 to support certain audio services.

Work is underway to consider the differences between A/72, "Video System Characteristics of AVC in the ATSC Digital Television System," and SCTE-128, and to develop a recommendation for changes to A/72. This effort will also involve some work by TSG/S8 on transport issues. To support this effort, a TSG-level AHG has been established to identify what ATSC should do about AVC in the main service from a requirements point of view.

Work is pending to merge A/63, "Standard for Coding 25/50 Hz Video," into A/53 Part 4, "MPEG-2 Video System Characteristics."

TSG/S7
Specialist Group on Security

An Amendment to A/153 Part 6, "Service Protection," has been approved by the ATSC membership and is published on the ATSC Web site.

An updated version of the A/70-2 Candidate Standard, "Conditional Access System for Terrestrial Broadcast," has been published on the ATSC Web site. TSG will consider authorizing a ballot on the document as a Proposed Standard at its next meeting (28 July 2011).

TSG/S8
Specialist Group on Transport

A sub-group within TSG/S8 is developing a Working Draft RP on the broadcast station workflow aspects of handling local live updates to PSIP-related metadata. A date for completion of the Working Draft has not yet been set.

Document maintenance has been completed on A/53 Part 3, "Service Multiplex and Transport Subsystem Characteristics;" and A/65, "Program and System Information Protocol For Terrestrial Broadcast and Cable." This work involves removal of E-VSB elements and collected errata and updates. Coordination of ballots for the E-VSB removal work is under consideration.

TSG/S9
Specialist Group on Transmission

A TSG ballot is underway on a Working Draft update of A/53 Part 2:2007, "RF/Transmission Subsystem". The proposed changes include removal of E-VSB and clarification of existing text. The TSG ballot closes on 19 August 2011

TSG/S10
Specialist Group on Receivers

A TSG ballot is underway on a Working Draft Recommended Practice on "ATSC Mobile DTV Receiver Performance Guidelines." This document mirrors the scope of A/74, "Receiver Performance Guidelines," but the focus is on mobile services. The TSG ballot closes on 17 August 2011.

TSG/S11
Specialist Group on ATSC 2.0

Meetings have begun for this newly formed specialist group, which is charged with coordinating activities within TSG relating to ATSC 2.0. S11 gathers information from potential users of the standard to ensure that their business needs are met by the elements of the standard – and, if not, suggests course corrections. S11 focuses on the high-level requirements for what the system should do. S11 coordinates with other working groups on their drafting of the standards that support and enable the framework S11 develops.

TSG/S13
Specialist Group on Data Broadcast

Draft changes have been developed to the Candidate Standard on "Non-Real-Time Services." The CS period runs until 10 October 2011.

Work continues to develop elements of ATSC 2.0. Work relating to new NRT features is done in the S13-1 AHG; other elements of the work are done in the S13-2 AHG.

Work on a revision of A/90, "Data Broadcast Standard," is underway. Extensive errata has been developed over the years and is being reviewed for incorporation in the revision.

TSG-7 AHG

The AHG on AVC Requirements was formed at the 11 May 2011 TSG meeting. This group is narrowly scoped to focus on what ATSC wants to do about AVC in the main service from a requirements point of view.

Planning Teams

PT-1– 3D TV: This group has developed and issued an interim report on the potential for 3D television services. The report can be downloaded from the following link: http://www.atsc.org/PT1/PT-1-Interim-Report.pdf. An updated and expanded report is in process. PT-1 has also developed a New Work Item Proposal on 3D-TV. That NWIP was approved by the ATSC Board of Directors on 14 July 2011. Action in TSG is pending.

PT-2 – Next Generation Broadcast Television. A detailed Status Briefing Report on Next Generation Broadcast Television has been finished and provided to the ATSC Board of Directors. The final report of PT-2 is in process and expected to be completed in September.

PT-3 – Internet-Enhanced Television. The group has completed an interim report on the current landscape for Internet-enhanced television, focusing on the opportunities and challenges for broadcast services. Some of the information collected has been identified to be potentially useful to the TSG groups working on ATSC 2.0. Liaison with the appropriate groups is underway.

Ballots

The following TSG ballot is pending:
Working Draft Amendment No. 1 to A/153 Part 2:2009 – approved for ballot, issuance pending resolution of ballot coordination issues

The following TSG ballots are underway:
Working Draft Revision of A/53 Part 2:2007
Working Draft Recommended Practice on ATSC Mobile DTV Receiver Performance Guidelines

The following Membership ballot is underway:
Working Draft Amendment No. 2 to A/85