In major milestone, a key subcommittee adopts a transmission system reflecting a compromise among the major system proponents, including Samsung, LG Electronics and Sinclair Broadcast Group-backed ONE Media. It's expected to be issued as a candidate standard within the next several weeks. Audio becomes the new sticking point.
ATSC Makes Breakthrough On 3.0 Standard
A key subcommittee of the Advanced Television Systems Committee yesterday signed off on a consensus physical layer, or transmission system, for the next-gen ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard, according to industry sources.
The system represents a compromise among the major system proponents, including Samsung, LG Electronics and Sinclair Broadcast Group-backed ONE Media. It contains technologies from each of the parties.
Sources close to the proceedings say the consensus system is expected to be adopted by a higher committee level within ATSC within the next several weeks and set forth as a “candidate” standard.
Candidate standards are critical because they clear the way for interested companies to build TV sets and other technology to a new standard.
At deadline, Mark Richer, ATSC president, could not be reached for comment.
Dave Arland, an ATSC spokesman, declined comment. “We do not comment on standards that are under development.”
BRAND CONNECTIONS
All of the key ATSC 3.0 standard proponents are expected to receive lucrative royalty payments from the patented technologies they include in the new standard.
While progress has been made on the physical layer, it has stalled on the audio component. According to sources, engineers are split between two audio systems, MPEG H and Dolby AC4.
Comments (12)
Ellen Samrock says:
August 28, 2015 at 4:57 pm
“All of the key ATSC 3.0 standard proponents are expected to receive lucrative royalty payments”–including Sinclair which is why they fought so vigorously to get their standard approved, even threatening to bypass the committee to do it. Well, nobody gets it all–but each gets a piece.
Dante Betteo says:
August 28, 2015 at 5:23 pm
So now every one watches OTA will have get another converter box or some type of Adapter for the Wide screen TV.
I am tired of purchasing something new because the powers at be want to change something else.
Wagner Pereira says:
August 28, 2015 at 7:15 pm
well try using you analog cell phone and see how well that works. Or see how well DOS 6.1 works on your computer. See how well your betamax unit works with ATSC. And how about the Motorola AM Stereo receivers of the 80s and 90s. Technology is advancing. You might as well deal with it.
Joel Ordesky says:
August 30, 2015 at 5:40 pm
I am not opposed to new technology as long as it delivers more and better free OTA programming. As taxpayers, we own the spectrum and ultimately get to decide how it’s used. I’m still using the government subsidized set-top box from the 2009 change over and will continue to do so until the TV dies. TV’s last a long time so I hope the 3.0 folks are devising a plan for a hugely subsidized plan for a changeover. I doubt if the broadcasters will be willing to take on this burden.
Wagner Pereira says:
August 31, 2015 at 6:16 am
Let’s see mac.john. You first changed your Facebook profile once identified in Charlotte (and all your likes made it pretty obvious you did not move to Arizona) , before finally deleting it all together. Clearly you have no idea of the meaning of words you type.
Alex Maragos says:
August 28, 2015 at 5:59 pm
Won’t 3.0 be a boon for broadcasters and good for consumers too?
Ellen Samrock says:
August 28, 2015 at 6:16 pm
YES!!!!
Mike Barras says:
August 29, 2015 at 12:42 pm
Why can’t I get WNBT on channel 1?
Wagner Pereira says:
August 31, 2015 at 6:01 am
Perhaps because we are not living in 1946?