WRAL, NBCU, NAB Showcase Next-Gen TV

Capitol Broadcasting Co.’s WRAL Raleigh, N.C. (DMA 25), NBCUniversal and the National Association of Broadcasters partnered Monday night to present the 2018 Winter Olympic Games from PyeongChang, South Korea, using Next Gen TV.

Hundreds of people showed up to see the future of television using the new ATSC 3.0 broadcast television standard, which delivered 4K ultra high definition (UHD) video, the first ever over-the-air broadcast of the new Dolby AC4 format using LDM (Layer Division Multiplexing) technology, and new interactive applications to enhance the broadcast TV experience for viewers.

The event marked the first time the Next Gen TV standard was used to publicly show the benefits and features of ATSC standard with an Olympic event. The demo also included Advanced Emergency Alerting that can show location-specific, interactive warnings.
This Winter Games public demonstration of Next Gen TV was another industry first for Capitol Broadcasting’s WRAL, first station in the nation to broadcast an ATSC 3.0 simulcast during the Summer Olympics from Brazil in June 2016.

“We’re proud to work with our network, our technology partners and NAB to showcase ATSC 3.0 as the future of television,” said Jimmy Goodmon, Capitol Broadcasting’s president-COO. “Our company’s 80-year legacy is rooted in serving our community and using technology to innovate our coverage. Next Gen TV is the new frontier. We are excited about the possibilities.”
The broadcast was a technical and engineering effort from numerous companies that participated and demonstrated their Next Gen TV solutions including:

• Consumer display products from LG Electronics, Samsung, ETRI and a prototype home gateway developed by NAB’s PILOT group.
• Professional reception and analysis equipment from ETRI and Triveni.
• Transmission chain equipment and support from Triveni, ETRI, DS Broadcast, Gates Air, Enensys, Ateme, Electronics Research Inc., Harmonic, SES and Dolby. 

“This was all about partnerships and teamwork,” said Pete Sockett director of engineering and operations at WRAL. We have shown that the many different companies that are needed to make up the ATSC 3.0 ecosystem can, and do, work together as a team! It’s been a wonderful experience watching our standard develop alongside these great pioneering manufacturers.”

“There is no greater sporting event than the Olympics, and no better way to showcase the capabilities of the Next Gen TV standard,” said NAB Chief Technology Officer Sam Matheny. “The interactive applications highlight the types of experiences and engagement that are possible through the combination of broadcast and broadband that ATSC 3.0 delivers along with the amazing video and audio quality.”

The demonstrations featured many benefits that are not possible with the current broadcast standard, and that are enabled only by the 3.0 standard.

• NBC provided the 4K UHD video feed featuring high dynamic range and wide color gamut to provide a stunning view of the Games.
• The audio was equally compelling with the new Dolby AC4 making viewers feel like they were part of the experience.
• Three interactive applications were developed using HTML5 and combined broadcast and broadband content to give users an interactive program guide, video on demand content, plus user customizable and up-to-the-minute statistics, athlete profiles, and country specific information.  

Capitol Broadcasting harnessed three of its other technology and innovation-focused divisions for the event that was held at The State Club on the Centennial Campus of NC State University. The event was part of the Triangle Startup Social Series powered by CBC’s Big Top, a talent recruitment startup spun-off from the American Underground, a Google for Entrepreneurs Tech Hub and WRAL TechWire, a tech-focused digital publication.