For Immediate Release

New Features to Love with TV Highlighted at Valentine’s Day ATSC Event during Hollywood Post Alliance California Tech Retreat

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2012 – Local television broadcasters may soon offer Internet connectivity, 3D broadcasting, on-demand programs and additional features for viewers as standards for broadcast television evolves to reflect the needs of TV viewers.

These and other proposed enhancements will be highlighted by the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) when it discusses new "ATSC 2.0" capabilities for broadcast digital TV at the Hollywood Post Alliance Technology Retreat in mid-February. The current broadcast TV standard was developed by ATSC and its members.

"The needs of viewers and broadcasters are changing, and we’re committed to the evolution of the broadcast digital TV standard to keep pace with consumer demands. These enhancements to digital television broadcasting culminate in an initiative we call ATSC 2.0. Among other things, ATSC 2.0 contemplates the marriage of broadcasting and the Internet," said ATSC President Mark Richer.

"ATSC 2.0 is intended to address the increasing desire on the part of consumers for ‘everything-on-demand,’ which has changed customer expectations of media. ATSC 2.0 services will be carried in DTV broadcast channels and their presence will not preclude or interfere with proper operation of current ATSC services in the same RF channel, or have any adverse impact on legacy receiving equipment. Longer term, we’re also starting work on what we call ‘ATSC 3.0,’ which will reinvent broadcast TV as we know it," Richer explained.

"ATSC 2.0 – Enhancing Today’s DTV Services" is a four-hour seminar at the upcoming Hollywood Post Alliance Tech Retreat on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14 in Indian Wells, Calif. Registration for the conference, which runs during the week of Feb. 13, is now open at www.HPAonline.com. The four-hour seminar outlines work underway on the key aspects of ATSC 2.0, including non-real-time capability, Internet-enabled services, 3D and more.

The concept of "ATSC 2.0" is to take the experience of television—watching on fixed receivers—to the next level by introducing a number of enhanced features based on newly-developed standards and the focused application of existing standards. Work on ATSC 2.0 is well underway on suite of backwards-compatible new services, including non-real-time (NRT) transmission, Internet connectivity, 3D TV broadcasting, and advanced video and audio compression. Technology continues its rapid pace of change, with more consumer devices being Internet-enabled, which in turn enables new distribution and consumption models for entertainment programming and information.

At the HPA ATSC seminar, led by ATSC Standards Development Vice President Jerry Whitaker, ATSC members will educate attendees on ATSC 2.0’s powerful enhancements. For example, Capitol Broadcasting’s Sam Matheny will provide an overview of ATSC 2.0 followed by Triveni Digital’s Rich Chernock, who will explain the emerging NRT (non-real-time) standard. Skip Pizzi of the National Association of Broadcasters will put ATSC 2.0 into context with other standards efforts like mobile DTV and 3D transmission, while Harmonic’s Pat Waddell will highlight what’s possible and what’s practical in advanced video coding. Dolby’s Oren Williams will discuss capabilities and features of advanced audio coding and describe key elements of ATSC 2.0 and what broadcasters can expect going forward. Finally, industry guru Mark Schubin will present a broadcast history lesson.

"Recognizing the importance of perspective in any new project, the session will wrap up with a look at some of the fascinating history of television. Predictions from the past reveal something about where we are today, and where we may be heading," Richer said.

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About the ATSC: The Advanced Television Systems Committee is an international, non-profit organization developing voluntary standards for digital television. The ATSC member organizations represent the broadcast, broadcast equipment, motion picture, consumer electronics, computer, cable, satellite, and semiconductor industries. For more information visit www.atsc.org

Contact:
Dave Arland, Arland Communications: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , (317) 701-0084