Next Gen TV is an internet based
system, which means it can carry internet content along with
traditional over-the-air broadcast signal. It provides new
services like video on demand, mobile viewing, 4K Ultra Hi-Def,
enhanced emergency alerts, a high frame rate, more colorful
picture, and immersive audio – all delivered free with an
over-the-air antenna. It is based on the ATSC 3.0 standard.
Although current over-the-air TV antennas are able to receive
the new signals, there are no TVs, no converter boxes, and no
DVRs on the market in North America today that support ATSC
3.0's Next Gen TV.
Next Gen TV is totally
separate from 5G. Basically Next Gen TV is for free over-the-air
TV and 5G is for communications. 5G will provide wireless to the
house and is likely to offer the strongest competition to the
world’s free, over-the-air broadcast model. Planned 5G services
may offer multiple content streams, 4K, support for new video
standards, mobile reception, and on multiple devices. Vendors,
carriers, and broadcasters trying to be first to market are
feverishly spending billions to set up new signal boxes,
antennas, and repeaters for both technologies. (editorial - Cord
cutters, millennial lifestyles, and people opting out due to
poor service and high prices have forced vendors to find new
ways to drill into our wallets.)
Next Gen TV was
specifically designed to support mobile uses like rear-seat
entertainment and navigation systems in vehicles, in addition to
phones and other portable devices. We will be able to watch
broadcast TV in a moving car with a better signal than we
receive in our living room today.
Here are main points of the ATSC 3.0 Next Gen transition:
- 4K Ultra HD Video
- High dynamic range
(HDR) color management
- 1+4 surround sound
and immersive audio
- More multi-casting -
over 100 sub-channels per main channel, which means
potentially hundreds of over-the-air channels per market
- More reliable and
robust transmissions less prone to interference
- Indoor reception
will be much easier with an antenna
- Will allow two way
communications with the broadcaster to choose viewing angle on
sports, etc.
- Will allow targeted
advertising to particular demographics
- More detailed show
info, actor bios, etc.
- Immersive and
Virtual Reality experience.
There is much hype with
the transition, but it will be a lengthy process. Some carriers,
such as AT&T, Verizon, etc., are testing now in Dallas and
Phoenix. Other cities are planning to begin testing soon. There
are currently no broadcasters transmitting in 3.0 (other than as
tests) and they will not be until likely 2019 at the earliest.
It will all depend on when a station decides to make the switch.
To take advantage of this new technology, consumers will need a
device with a 3.0 tuner chip set. One TV maker, LG is planning
to offer TVs this year with a combination of the current 1.0
tuner and a 3.0 chip included. A tuner is a device or computer
chip that provides the TV Guide capability.
Bad news is that all of the Next Gen and 5G technology
deployment will cost consumers a bundle for new phones, TVs,
PCs, routers, and tuners. In addition, we should be
prepared to see rates go up as early as this year,because the
purveyors seek to recoup their investment as soon as possible.
Next gen TV will not require an internet connection, but some
features will not work without one.
Good news is that
there is not a hard turn off deadline for ATSC 1.0 (for TVs)
or 4G LTE (for phones and other devices). There is no specific
date when all of a sudden there will no longer be 1.0 or 4G
and everyone will be broadcasting in 3.0 or delivering 5G as
there was with the conversion from analog to digital TV. No
need to put off purchases now for either, as both will be a
few years from full deployment. As with all new technology,
prices will fall hard and fast as widespread adoption takes
place.
The US Federal Communications Commission has approved a new
standard for OTA (over-the-air) antenna TV broadcasts. ATSC 3.0,
or Next-Gen TV is supposed to prompt big improvements for
antenna users, including 4K HDR video, better surround sound,
interactive features, and easier access for mobile devices.
In addition, the DRM (digital rights management) portion of ATSC
3.0 is designed to allow broadcasters to provide value-added
services like On-Demand and Pay-Per-View content on a
subscription basis to complement Over-the-Air TV, which will
remain free.
It is in testing now and Phoenix is serving as a model market
for ATSC 3.0. Phoenix currently has more than 20 percent of its
1.8 million TV viewers receiving OTA (antenna) television. Ten
stations in that market will deploy the next-generation TV
standard before April 2018 to demonstrate the viability of the
next-gen system while at the same time continuing to serve
over-the-air viewers with current ATSC 1.0 digital television. Testing
organizations have been testing the standard for a while and
more are expected.
Next-Gen TV also has a bad downside: For the first time, it
allows local broadcasters to lock down content with digital
rights management (DRM), potentially preventing people from
recording free, over-the-air channels. Some stations in South
Korea, for instance, are already using ATSC 3.0 to broadcast 4K
video, and those feeds are encrypted to prevent unauthorized
copying.
All this will require
new hardware to view ATSC 3.0, because the standard is not
backward compatible with current tuners. That could mean another
round of converter boxes or dongles, only without the government
subsidies that helped push the analog-to-digital transition a
few years ago.
Bottom line, all of
this means interactive 4K TV over the air, no internet provider
required. Obviously content will be restricted by the big guys,
but cord cutters will finally be able to go back to the old days
of free, but limited TV, with a few extra goodies and excellent
sound and picture quality thrown in. Stay tuned, it will be a
few years before we experience it in our living rooms