Want to watch free TV? This station owner is here to help (LA Times)
(Image, via the LA Times): A family watches television with a Rembrandt TV antenna circa 1955, left. Use of the original TV technology that delivers programming for free is growing in the digital age. (Graphic House via Getty Images; iStockphoto via Getty Images)
As inflation puts pressure on household budgets, consumers are taking a closer look at how much they spend on subscription streaming services. One way to bring that cost down is adopting the original TV technology — over-the-air antennas that capture broadcast signals without a connection to a cable box, satellite dish or internet. The monthly price for watching is the same as it was when RCA Chairman David Sarnoff flipped the switch on the first commercial TV station at the 1939 New York World’s Fair: free.
There is also greater potential for over-the-air broadcasting when a new digital TV technical standard — known as ATSC 3.0 or NextGen TV — reaches critical mass. Stations have begun switching to the standard this year, with KTTV, the Los Angeles outlet owned by Fox Television Stations, broadcasting in the format starting Aug. 24. The system upgrades the quality of video and audio and will give broadcasters the opportunity to provide interactive services and deliver their signals to mobile devices. Stations also will be able to offer their programming on demand, putting them on equal footing with streaming services, at no cost to the consumer. Karlo Maalouf, owner of Mr. Antenna, a Las Vegas company that specializes in installing over-the-air antennas, believes the new standard will be a boon to the antenna business. “It’s kind of like a glorified DVR,” Maalouf said. “I think that’s going to be key to the success of ATSC 3.0.”
>>>>Read the full story at the LA Times website here.
Posted in ATSC News
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