CES 2018 PREVIEW: Next Gen TV Across the Show Floor

Posted on January 10, 2018 in ATSC News

By BRIAN MARKWALTER

Next Gen TV powered by ATSC 3.0 is poised to offer consumers the most immersive viewing experience ever, and CES 2018 will be the showcase for the exciting evolution of home entertainment and information. At CES 2018, hosted by the Consumer Technology Association Jan. 9-12 in Las Vegas, attendees will witness revolutionary improvements in display technology and participate in conference programming pertinent to the voluntary implementation of ATSC 3.0.

Celebrating Key Milestones

ATSC 3.0 takes center stage as CES 2018 kicks off on Jan 9 as CTA President and CEO Gary Shapiro is joined onstage NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith, and ATSC President Mark Richer, commemorating two key milestones in the evolution to Next Gen TV— the release of the complete suite of ATSC 3.0 standards and FCC adoption of standards to enable voluntary implementation of Next Gen TV expected to start in 2018.

Gary Shapiro (left), President and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, Sen. Gordon Smith (center), President and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters, and ATSC President Mark Richer (right) celebrate the approval of the ATSC 3.0 Next Gen TV Standards at CES 2018 in Las Vegas.

Immersive Experience on Display

Key benefits of Next Gen TV, including richer, more lifelike colors and sharper detail, will be seen in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, where 4K Ultra High-Definition TVs, displays and technology enhancements including high dynamic range, wide color gamut and higher frame rates will be on full display. And CES 2018 will feature the full ecosystem of products and services to bring immersive entertainment to life,  such as 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc players, 4K cameras and drones, immersive audio, 4K UHD content providers, and broadcast infrastructure technology.

Building momentum heading into CES 2018, fourth-quarter U.S. shipments of 4K UHD TVs totaled an estimated 6.6 million units, driving a 48 percent increase over 2016. Looking ahead to 2018, CTA estimates that 4K UHD TV sales will reach a record 22 million units (an increase of 27 percent) and generate $15.9 billion in revenue (14 percent growth). In fact, 2018 will be the first year that 4K UHD TVs will account for half of all digital display sales – making this year a key milestone for the category.

ATSC 3.0: Talk of the Show

Day One of CES coincides with the release of the new 3.0 standard, which means Next Gen TV will be at the center of CES conversations around video technology. FCC commissioners plan to attend CES, and ATSC 3.0 will surely be a key topic.

The evolution to Next Gen TV also is expected to be part of the discussion during the keynote panel, Reimagining Television, with Randy Freer, CEO of Hulu and John Martin, Chairman and CEO of Turner, a Time Warner company. They’ll discuss how the TV landscape is changing and the surprising switch of sides where technology companies are moving into content creation and content companies are expanding their technology capabilities.

Previewing the Exciting ATSC 3.0 Future

Just as CTA led the charge for the launch of HDTV and ATSC 1.0 a generation ago, we firmly believe that Next Gen TV will deliver overwhelming consumer benefits, including advanced emergency warnings and market-driven flexibility, so consumers can be safer and enjoy the highest-quality, most innovative over-the-air TV experience ever.

CES 2018, with its plethora of new 4K UHD TVs with next-gen features, immersive audio systems, advanced mobile displays and compelling programming is an indication of the exciting ATSC 3.0 future ahead. 

Long-time ATSC Board member Brian Markwalter is the senior vice president for research and standards at the Consumer Technology Association, the trade association representing the dynamic U.S. consumer technology industry. CTA owns and produces CES — the world’s gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. Attracting worldwide business leaders and pioneering thinkers, CES has served as the proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for 50 years, the global stage where tomorrow’s innovations like ATSC 3.0 are introduced to the marketplace.

Posted in ATSC News