PRESIDENT’S MEMO

Posted on February 1, 2017 in ATSC News

Sprint to the Finish

Step by step, Next Gen broadcast television – the suite of standards collectively known as ATSC 3.0 – is moving toward completion in the months ahead.  Continuing our momentum from last year the ATSC kicked off 2017 with gusto, advancing more elements of the standard forward. 

Marathon January meetings of the TG3 Technology Group and its various subgroups yielded positive results with a Draft Standard moving to Candidate Standard status and two Candidate Standards elevated to Proposed Standards.  (Kudos to TG3 and thanks to Cox Media Group for hosting the meetings in Atlanta.) What’s more, ATSC members voted to approve two pending Proposed Standards as final ATSC standards!

I’m also pleased to report good TG3 progress on the Video Candidate Standard thanks in large part to productive discussions about HDR (high dynamic range) approaches for Next Gen TV.  Broadcasters and TV makers alike are embracing the HDR future, and ATSC 3.0 will play key role in delivering both 4K and 2K content with this important enhancement.

Looking ahead, the ATSC board and ATSC members are looking forward to visiting South Korea next month to commemorate the launch of the world’s first IP-based broadcasting using ATSC 3.0.  And work is well under way to prepare for a major ATSC 3.0 presence at the 2017 NAB Show in April.  Members are encouraged to participate in the technology demonstrations in the NAB Futures Park in the North Hall.  

A couple of years ago, the ATSC 3.0 process was viewed a marathon not a sprint.  Thanks to the tireless efforts of ATSC members to date, we’re now sprinting to the finish.

Mark Richer, ATSC President

Posted in ATSC News