ATSC Standards Update: Latest ATSC 3.0 System Standard Published
Starting in April, 2022, we are now featuring a new column in The Standard newsletter that lists ATSC Standards, Recommended Practices (RPs), reports, and guides that have been added or updated since the last issue. Our intent is to make it easier for members, implementers, and interested persons to keep up to date on the latest published documents.
The ATSC 3.0 suite of Standards reached a new milestone this month with the approval of A/300:2022-04, “ATSC 3.0 System.” A/300 is the central document of ATSC 3.0, presiding over the entire suite of Standards and Recommended Practices that together comprise the full NextGen TV system. A/300 normatively references a particular version of each of the other Standards, and each referenced document is interoperable with the others. A/300 also informatively references the current Recommended Practices. This allows product developers to address a particular version of A/300 in a given product release. This is important for communication with consumers and for interoperability with other products.
To enable evolvability, the ATSC 3.0 system is defined in a suite of 22 Standards each describing a particular aspect of the system. A suite of 10 Recommended Practices provides guidance for implementers of the system. The individual Standards and RPs can be updated at their own pace according to technical advancements and market forces without impacting other documents. As such, these Standards and RPs may be updated in between revisions of A/300, with the expectation that the newest individual revisions will be considered for inclusion in the annual A/300 revision.
Coincident with the approval of A/300:2022-04, all other ATSC 3.0 Standards and RPs have been updated to point to the latest version of ATSC documents. A/300:2022-04, therefore, represents a watershed point for the overall system.
The current pace of technology requires that ATSC keep up with new technical developments and continue to provide the most up-to-date features and tools for broadcasters. Any technology-based standard must evolve over time to be successful in the marketplace. The A/300 annual update strategy is designed to manage those updates to help make the rollout of Next Gen TV and other services smooth and efficient for broadcasters, receiver manufacturers, and broadcast equipment vendors alike.
Posted in ATSC News
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