New 3.0 ‘Ecosystem’ Group Formed

Posted on August 6, 2014 in ATSC News

TG3, the Technology Group charged with developing the next-generation ATSC 3.0 standard, has formed a new “Ecosystem” Specialist Group to model and evaluate the environment in which ATSC 3.0 systems will be deployed.

Designated S35, the Specialist Group on the ATSC 3.0 Ecosystem is being chaired by Merrill Weiss, digital TV pioneer and long-time ATSC volunteer leader.

“S35 will model the ATSC 3.0 Ecosystem by looking at the various layers of content and data that will flow into and through ATSC 3.0 encoders and will be delivered to consumers through broadcast and other media.  The new Specialist Group will accomplish its work done by holding a series of ‘Top-Down 3.0’ meetings in which the focus will be on creating block diagrams for the respective layers and examining their interactions with one another,” Weiss explains.

The first of these meetings is scheduled for Sept. 29 through Oct. 1, hosted by Sony in San Diego. “We’re looking for another venue within a month of the San Diego meeting to hold a second three-day meeting,” says Weiss.

“We know that the output of this group is of keen interest to other Specialist Groups who are developing the actual technology of ATSC 3.0.  Those groups need to understand the environment in which ATSC 3.0 will be applied.

The processes of modeling and evaluation will consider the flow of content from acquisition through post production, distribution, emission, and redistribution.  The Specialist Group will examine each of the types of content and functionality impacting on a fully operational ATSC 3.0 broadcast system.

The scope of work for S35, as approved by TG3, states that the examination will “include such layers such as video, audio, captioning, interactivity, program and service management and announcements (including emergency alerting), content identification, security, synchronization, monitoring, and redistribution by other delivery methods.

“There are a lot of moving parts in any major standard shift. With something as complex and groundbreaking as ATSC 3.0, we have to make sure that we explore all aspects of the ecosystem to assure that the overall standard meets the needs of broadcasters and viewers alike. We also need to look at how to implement the new system initially and then how to take advantage, over time, of all of the new features that it will offer.  That’s what S35 is all about,” says Weiss.

The work products of S35 will be published to facilitate decisions to be made by other ATSC Specialist Groups, to instigate development of standards by ATSC and/or other standards development organizations when gaps in required standards are found, and to aid those who eventually implement ATSC 3.0 systems in the real world.

Posted in ATSC News