i3 - January/February 2020 - 97

By Jim Harris

Business

T EC H TACT I C S

NEXT GEN TV: The
Transformation Begins

will become available later in 2020.
Broadcasters will launch NEXT GEN
TV in 61 markets covering 74% of
U.S. households.
This is enabled by a new standard
called ATSC 3.0. The standard is in fact
21 different standards that fill more than
elevision has gone through a few fundamental changes,
2,000 pages. "It's been seven years in the
such as the evolution from black-and-white to color in
making," notes John Taylor, senior vice
the 1960s, and the transition from analog to digital in
president of LG Electronics USA who's
2009. The shift to NEXT GEN TV will change how we watch TV. been intimately involved in the standard
from the start. It's been an industry-wide
background noise. Eventually, you could effort involving TV manufacturers, broadNEXT GEN TV is the industry name
casters, the National Association of
order the sunglasses that Lady Gaga is
for ATSC 3.0, the world's first standard
Broadcasters (NAB) and CTA.
wearing as you watch her concert.
for IP-centric, Ultra HD-ready TV.
The convergence of broadcast and
It also will be hyper personalized. So, if
NEXT GEN TV will transform televibroadband is really 5G for television. It's
you live in California it will update you on
sion as we know it. You'll be able to get
the most important upgrade of TV infrathe wildfires if they are near your house.
television on any device - your smartstructure in the digital era and is based
phone, laptop, tablet or TV.
on internet protocol (IP).
You'll have the ability to access it anyIt's a Platform Play
NEXT GEN TV will enable TV onwhere: your living room, at a coffee shop,
NEXT GEN TV is really a platform play,
demand, with real-time interactivity and
in your car, on a train (at 124 miles per
because it will allow third party developcomplete user control
hour) and in the stadium watching the
ers to build apps on top
through merged broadgame and replays on your smartphone.
of traditional programThe converband and over the air
You'll also be able to get it anytime, since
ming. We can't anticiservices. NEXT GEN
NEXT GEN TV enables on-demand serpate all the new features
gence of broadTV also will offer more
vices for internet-connected devices. So,
that NEXT GEN TV
cast and
streaming, choice,
traditional TV will have the flexibility we
will bring. It's like a
broadband is
flexibility
now expect from streaming services.
Swiss Army knife of
really 5G for tele- channels,
and services.
You'll be able to pause, resume, rewind
capabilities for televivision. It's the
and fast forward TV.
sion and has been
most important
designed for flexibility.
Jim Harris is the author
NEXT GEN TVs also
of Blindsided.
Delivered Any Way
upgrade of TV
will allow for software
With NEXT GEN TV you'll get more
infrastructure in
and firmware upgrades
programming choices than ever.
the digital era.
for future capabilities
It's surprising, but antenna use in the
that aren't currently
U.S. has grown over the past nine years,
imagined.
from 20% in 2009 up to 31% in 2018
according to CTA market research.
NEXT GEN TV will be launched by
CES 2020 Debut
broadcasters, then delivered by cable,
We'll see the first
satellite or over the internet.
NEXT GEN TV
sets at CES 2020.
Manufacturers
Exceptional Quality,
are expected to
Personalization and Interactivity
show the first
You'll be able to get 4K Ultra HD, in
sets which
exceptional picture quality, with High
Dynamic Range (HDR) - over the air.
And it will come with enhanced surround sound.
You'll watch TV in different languages
with new features, like increasing the
volume of dialogue relative to the

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C TA . t e c h / i 3

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

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i3 - January/February 2020

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