A new era of free TV is on the horizon, and it promises to bring 4K TV to your phone over-the-air. The FCC began the transition to this new format, called ATSC 3.0, on March 5th, 2018.
Wait a minute. If we started transitioning to ATSC 3.0 a year ago, then why isn’t anyone talking about it? Why can’t we watch broadcast TV on our phones? Why isn’t my local news station in 4K?
What Is ATSC 3.0 and How is it Unique?
When ATSC 1.0 (digital television) was announced 25 years ago, it served as a replacement for analog TV signals, and it began the HDTV revolution. Now, the Advanced Television Systems Committee is implementing ATSC 3.0, a new broadcast standard that promises to drag 4K into the mainstream and to bring free TV to our phones and cars.
This is the first major update to broadcast TV in 25 years. The Advanced Television Systems Committee planned a transition to ATSC 2.0 in 2010 or 2011, but the project became outdated during development, so it was scrapped. As a result, we’re skipped right from ATSC 1.0 to ATSC 3.0.
As you can imagine, ATSC 3.0 is meant to bring broadcast TV into the present. The format supports 4K, 3D, UHD, and high-quality audio, which will hopefully help 4K supersede HDTV. Like traditional broadcast TV, ATSC 3.0 works over the air, but it also works in tandem with internet connections (including mobile connections, like 5G) to create a broadcast/broadband hybrid stream.
ATSC 3.0 utilizes the OFDM, QAM and QPSK encoding methods, which provides a lot more flexibility than the fixed 8VBS encoding method utilized by ATSC 1.0. Do you know how Netflix lowers your video quality when your internet connection is slow or weak? Yeah, these encoding methods are meant to mimic that process. When your TV or phone has a poor connection to an ATSC 3.0 broadcast source, the video’s quality will be reduced, but it will keep playing smoothly.
This latest standard also uses a new form of Ghost Cancellation technology, which essentially prevents two TV transmissions from interfering with one another. This allows broadcasters to utilize multiple transmission sources (TV towers) in a small area, which will provide the coverage that’s needed for phones and cars to maintain a stable signal.
ATSC 3.0 Uses the Internet for Targeted Content
The Advanced Television Systems Committee has big plans for ATSC 3.0. But a lot of these new ideas require a little help from the internet because they all stem from one familiar concept—targeted content. Broadcast TV is a one-way signal, and for targeted content to work, broadcasters need a two-way signal. The internet just happens to fit the bill.
Right now, broadcasters rely on 3rd parties, like Nielsen, to survey who’s watching what channels. Broadcasters use these surveys to formulate airing schedules and to optimize ad revenue. But once ATSC 3.0 is fully adopted, broadcasters will know a lot more about their viewers. Without any help from companies like Nielsen, broadcasters will know your age, your location, when you’re watching TV, and what you’re watching on TV.
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Source : ASTC 3.0 Explained: Broadcast TV Is Coming to Your Phone
