Digital television pioneer LG Electronics will be a cornerstone technology partner for the groundbreaking ATSC 3.0 “Model Market” project in Phoenix, the first collaborative single-market effort to plan for and implement a transition to next-generation over-the-air broadcasting.
LG receivers will play a key role in the Phoenix Model Market project spearheaded by Pearl TV in collaboration with E.W. Scripps Company, Fox Television Stations, Meredith Local Media Group, Nexstar Media Group, TEGNA Inc., Telemundo Station Group, Univision Communications and providers of professional broadcast equipment.
Under its agreement for the Model Market initiative, LG is the first manufacturer to provide ATSC 3.0 receivers for the project, which is supported by 10 TV stations in the Phoenix market to show how Next Gen TV can be deployed while maintaining existing digital TV service for viewers.
According to Pearl TV Executive Director Anne Schelle, the critical first phase of the Model Market project is designed to enable partners to develop services, equipment, software and documentation. LG devices will be tested by local broadcasters and consumer focus groups as the Model Market project ramps up this summer.
“The success of the Model Market will depend on the contributions of various stakeholders,” Schelle said. “And the collaboration between LG and Pearl leverages our significant respective resources and expertise to help facilitate the rapid conversion of the current ATSC 1.0 broadcast standard to the next-generation ATSC 3.0 standard.”
Dr. Jong Kim, senior vice president in the LG CTO’s Office, called the Model Market project “a key element of the commercialization of ATSC 3.0” as the new standard moves from the laboratory to the field. “We look forward to working with Pearl and Phoenix broadcasters on activities focused on technical, commercial, promotional and implementation aspects of the new platform,” said Dr. Kim, who also serves as President of LG’s Zenith R&D Lab in the United States.
The Phoenix Model Market project will create an open test bed for the mutual benefit of all stakeholders in the TV ecosystem. Objectives include confirming basic TV service parameters and performance, assessing real-world TV application features and implementation requirements, testing interactive and addressable advertising functionality, ensuring interoperability with cable systems and assessing consumer appeal for new devices and services including high dynamic range video and immersive audio content.
Schelle said that creating an end-to-end model system will help foster industry consensus and drive ecosystem development. This includes development of the “lighthouse” transmitter concept to keep legacy digital TV available for all viewers while new ATSC 3.0 services are being launched.
About LG Electronics USA
LG Electronics USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a $55 billion global force and technology leader in home appliances, consumer electronics and mobile communications. LG Electronics sells a range of stylish and innovative home appliances, home entertainment products, mobile phones, commercial displays, air conditioning systems and solar energy solutions in the United States, all under LG’s “Life’s Good” marketing theme. LG Electronics and its U.S. R&D subsidiary, Zenith Electronics LLC, are co-developers of core elements of the just-released ATSC 3.0 suite of standards for next-generation television. Zenith also co-developed the current ATSC 1.0 broadcast standard. For more information, please visit www.Zenith.com and www.LG.com.
About Pearl TV
Pearl TV is a business organization of U.S. broadcast companies with a shared interest in exploring forward-looking broadcasting opportunities, including innovative ways of promoting local broadcast TV content and developing digital media and wireless platforms for the broadcast industry. Its membership, comprising more than 230 network-affiliated TV stations, consists of eight of the largest broadcast companies in America including: Cox Media Group, the E.W. Scripps Company, Graham Media Group, Hearst Television Inc., Meredith Local Media Group, Nexstar Media Group Inc., Raycom Media, and TEGNA Inc.
