What is ATSC 3.0 and what are its innovations?

August 4, 2022.

What is ATSC 3.0?

ATSC 3.0, known as well as NextGen TV, is the latest major standard to have been implemented and deployed in the broadcast sector. In the same way as DVB-T was replaced by DVB-T2 in many European, Asian, African and South American markets, bringing along many new technological improvements, it is now ATSC 1.0 turn to leap forward to the most advanced broadcast standard currently available: ATSC 3.0.

ATSC 3.0 and NextGenTV logos

Where is ATSC 3.0 being used?

South Korea has been the first country to deploy ATSC 3.0 with a current penetration of 70% of the country’s population. The United States is as well in the process of deploying this new standard across its whole territory (more than 50% so far) becoming the most important ATSC 3.0 marketplace. Other countries which are current users of ATSC 1.0 are potential candidates to switch over to ATSC 3.0.

USA ATSC 3.0 penetration map as of August 2022 (source: www.watchnextgentv.com)

THE ATSC 3.0 NEXT-GEN TV AND DVB UNIVERSAL BROADCAST ANALYZER

ATLAS NG is the Next Generation TV universal analyzer for ATSC 3.0 and DVB from PROMAX. In this series of ATSC 3.0 articles we will use its signal analysis capabilities to show how the different protocols and embedded information is used to broadcast and to decode the signal in the user set-top-boxes or ATSC 3.0-powered television sets.

ATLAS - THE ATSC 3.0 ANALYZER

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Innovations, advantages & services offered by ATSC 3.0

ATSC 3.0 will facilitate a considerable amount of services and innovations which will enhance user experience, the most crucial of which being:

Possibility of offering a mixture of free-to-air traditional broadcast services and IP-based multimedia applications, pay per view programming and subscription services.
Bidirectionality between the broadcaster and the viewer, allowing for customer geotargeted advertising and content segmentation, as well as offering an improved programming guide based on the users preferences.
Provision of 4K - UHD (Ultra High Definition) video resolution, enhanced picture quality thanks to technologies such as HDR (High Dynamic Range) video, WCG (Wide Colour Gamut) and SSC (Spatial Scalable Coding).
Inclusion of an overlayed window (PiP, picture in picture) showing the translation to deaf language.
Insertion of emergency alerts, news, or weather information.
Improved reception by mobile devices, such as those integrated into vehicles.
Measurement of audience activity.
Capacity to carry more services/programs in one single radiofrequency carrier.
Increased audio quality through the use of the advanced AC-4 audio encoding.

CONTINUE TO: ATSC 3.0 TECHNICAL OVERVIEW

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PROMAX is a leading manufacturer of test and measurement systems, broadcast and TV signal distribution equipment. Our product lines include measuring instruments for cable TV, satellite TV, broadcast, wireless and fibre optics networks, FTTH and GPON analyzers. DVB-T modulators, IP streamers or IP converters (ASI, DVB-T) are among the company’s latest developments.