With completion of a next-generation broadcast TV standard now in sight, broadcasters and equipment suppliers will be highlighting the diverse capabilities of the ATSC 3.0 standard in the “NextGen TV Hub” at the 2017 NAB Show at the end of April.
Billed as the epicenter of next-generation television at the show, the NextGen TV Hub: Powered by ATSC 3.0 will prominently highlight the capabilities of the new broadcast standard, with a comprehensive display in the Grand Lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center. During the 2017 NAB Show, a live ATSC 3.0 broadcast will originate from local station KLSV-LD on Black Mountain in Las Vegas and will transmit a variety of stunning 4K Ultra HDTV programming. The broadcast will be received on an LG Electronics 4K Ultra HDTV set with an integrated ATSC 3.0 tuner at the NextGen TV Hub.
“Television’s next generation brings broadcast and broadband together with a new, flexible, IP-based system. Viewers enjoy more vibrant images with HDR (High Dynamic Range) and 4K Ultra HDTV, immersive audio with new choices, mobile TV and broadcasts to the automobile, and advanced emergency alerting to warn of danger and help find missing children,” said ATSC President Mark Richer.
The NextGen TV Hub is collaborative effort of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) and the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC). Major sponsors include Pearl TV, Sinclair Broadcast Group, LG Electronics and others.
“Television is evolving to give both viewers and broadcasters more of what they love, and a stop at the NextGen TV Hub will show you what’s coming next. The NextGen TV Hub in the Grand Lobby will showcase the many ways that ATSC 3.0 will transform television, with new capabilities for broadcasters and programmers like over-the-air addressable advertising and audience measurement. The content industry convenes in Las Vegas each April, and this year the emerging NextGen TV standard will be front-and-center,” said NAB President Gordon Smith.
“A wide range of new products is coming with built-in ATSC 3.0 capability, with the very first embedded ATSC 3.0 functionality coming this year in flat-screen TV receivers designed for use during next year’s Winter Olympic Games in South Korea. NextGen TV is more than just television sets. We’re expecting a wide variety of mobile, automotive and home gateway devices to be equipped with the new standard,” said Gary Shapiro, President and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association.
New Standard, New Features
NextGen TV features that will be showcased at the Hub include Better Picture, Immersive Audio, Accessibility, Hybrid Broadcast and Broadband, Mobility, Addressable Advertising, Audience Measurement, and Advanced Emergency Alerting.
Over-the-air ATSC 3.0 broadcast reception will be centerpiece of the Next Gen TV Hub. Automotive business opportunities, including navigation and telematics updates delivered by ATSC 3.0, also will be featured. The NextGen TV Hub will be open during exhibit show hours at the 2017 NAB Show, April 24-27, 2017.
“Cars are essentially giant connected devices, and the connected automobile of the future could easily become a NextGen receiver, with broadcasters planning transmitter and tower improvements that will insure easy reception in a moving vehicle and deep inside buildings,” said Mark Aitken from Sinclair Broadcast Coup.
“The NextGen TV Hub will show how live over-the-air local news and entertainment can combine with over-the-top Internet content to provide a seamless viewing experience. ATSC 3.0 is the world’s first Internet Protocol broadcast system, which is a key asset of NextGen TV technology,” said Anne Schelle, managing director of broadcast technology alliance Pearl TV.
ATSC 3.0 Everywhere
In addition to the NextGen TV Hub in the Grand Lobby, ATSC 3.0 products and services will be seen throughout the 2017 NAB Show floor. In the North Hall Futures Park, nearly a dozen companies are exhibiting specific ATSC 3.0 technologies in the ATSC 3.0 Pavilion, which is part of the research and development efforts showcased as emerging technology.
