Vast Capabilities of Next-Generation ATSC 3.0 TV Broadcasting Showcased at Front Door Of 2017 NAB Show

Posted on April 18, 2017 in Press Releases

For Immediate Release

Las Vegas Convention Center ‘NextGen TV Hub’ Opens Monday in Grand Lobby with Innovations ‘Powered by ATSC 3.0’

LAS VEGAS, April 18, 2017 – As the curtain rises on the 2017 NAB Show, attendees will see the incredible capabilities of the new Internet Protocol-based broadcast TV standard at a special exhibit in the Grand Lobby supported by more than two dozen companies and organizations.

The “NextGen TV Hub:  Powered by ATSC 3.0” highlights how broadcasters will be able to offer new services to viewers, including more impactful and targeted emergency alerting, better picture quality, and immersive audio experiences.

Media are invited to a ribbon cutting at the NextGen TV Hub at 8:15AM on Monday morning, April 24 in the Grand Lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

“We’re nearing completion of the ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard, and this NextGen TV Hub allows us to show off the key functions of the standard – improvements that affect both viewers and broadcasters themselves.  We’re very pleased that so many have come together to craft the standard and to show the industry how broadcasting will evolve to meet the ever-changing tastes of viewers while also providing more tools for broadcasters,” said Mark Richer, President of the Advanced Television Systems Committee.

The NextGen TV Hub is presented by ATSC, the Consumer Technology Association, and the National Association of Broadcasters.  The showcase is sponsored by Pearl TV, LG Electronics, and Sinclair Broadcast Group.  Supporting organizations include the AWARN Alliance, Dolby, 21^st Century Fox, FTI Consulting, GatesAir, Panasonic and Samsung.  Technology support is provided by Capitol Broadcasting, ENENSYS, Harmonic, KSLV-TV, Mohu, NBC Universal, ONEMedia, PBS, NAB PILOT, Sorenson Media Group, Triveni Digital, Turner Engineering, Verance, and Zenith.

Targeted Emergency Alerts, Enhanced Picture, Audio and More

The advanced Emergency Alerting functionality of ATSC 3.0 to deliver live video updates, escape route maps, and detailed information will be explained in demonstrations by the AWARN Alliance, which now includes some 20 members.

Better Pictures, made by possible by ATSC 3.0’s capabilities to deliver 4K Ultra HD and high dynamic range images, will be demonstrated on a Samsung 4K Ultra HD TV showing content from Fox.

Immersive Audio will be highlighted, showing how the Dolby AC-4 codec in the ATSC 3.0 standard can deliver a significant leap forward from conventional surround sound.   Object based audio, using a variety of content will demonstrate the powerful impact of moving audio that flows all around the listener, even overhead.  Additional feature benefits of Dolby AC-4 also will be available for demonstration, including dialog enhancement, personalization, and accessibility options, shown with an LG OLED 4K UHD TV.

Accessibility features of ATSC 3.0 including closed captions and video descriptions will be shown in a demonstration provided by PBS, while Sinclair Broadcast Group, ONEMedia, and Sorenson Media are showing how Hybrid TV could be deployed to bring together the best of broadcast and broadband content and functionality.

Mobility enabled by ATSC 3.0 will be explained with prototype gateway devices from LG Electronics, Mohu, and NAB’s Pilot initiative on display to show how over-the-air Next Gen TV signals can be re-transmitted within a home to today’s Wi-Fi devices like tablets, smartphones, and even current smart TVs.  Surveys indicate most “mobile” viewing takes place within the home, and ATSC 3.0 can be deployed without converter boxes but using Wi-Fi signals instead.

Addressable Advertising is a key benefit for broadcasters with ATSC 3.0, and Sony will demonstrate how different viewers will see different advertisement in future broadcasts.

Audience Measurement is another ATSC 3.0 benefit for broadcasters, underscored by audience measurement testing just launched by Pearl TV and Verance.  Viewers in Las Vegas will be able to experience the future of television viewership analytics with Verance Aspect Analytics platform providing first-party viewership data enhanced with demographic and psychographic data.

Automotive Applications for ATSC 3.0 will be featured in a demonstration by Triveni Digital, showing how the new broadcast standard can be an efficient high-bandwidth pipe for data and content to moving vehicles, not just rear-seat entertainment (with broadcast content from PBS and WRAL-TV) but also updates for telematics and navigation systems.

Live ATSC 3.0 Broadcast Received in NextGen TV Hub

A highlight of the NextGen TV Hub is the NAB-sponsored live ATSC 3.0 broadcast of 4K content that will be transmitted via KLSV-TV in Las Vegas and received in the Grand Lobby NextGen TV Hub display.

GatesAir is providing its new compact transmitter with an integrated ATSC 3.0 exciter to power the transmission. Working with trusted ATSC 3.0 ecosystem partners Triveni Digital, Enensys Technologies, LG Electronics and its Zenith U.S.  R&D lab to complete the air chain, the transmitter will drive KLSV’s existing transmitter and provide real-time adaptive pre-correction to optimize the broadcast signal from KLSV’s facility on Black Mountain in Henderson, Nev.

ENENSYS is supplying its ATSC scheduler, which encapsulates IP streams stemming from various HEVC encoders and from the non-real-time server generating the signaling information and the interactive applications. It outputs the resulting ATSC-compliant multiplex using the STL protocol over IP.  The receiver is a new 65-inch 4K Ultra HD TV from LG Electronics, with integrated ATSC 3.0 reception capability, a product designed for launch this year in South Korea.

The 2017 NAB Show exhibits open Monday, April 24 and continues through Thursday, April 27 in Las Vegas.

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About the ATSC:

The Advanced Television Systems Committee is defining the future of television with the ATSC 3.0 next-generation broadcast standard.   ATSC is an international, non-profit organization developing voluntary standards for digital television. The ATSC’s 150-plus member organizations represent the broadcast, broadcast equipment, motion picture, consumer electronics, computer, cable, satellite, and semiconductor industries.

Media Contact:

Dave Arland, Arland Communications

Dave@ArlandCom.com

Phone:  (317) 701-0084

Posted in Press Releases