In a significant development for the television broadcasting landscape, ATSC 3.0 NextGen TV has reached 22% of U.S. households, marking an 18% year-over-year growth since its launch in 2020.
This surge is coupled with a notable 22% spike in 2023, following the launch of the service in six of the top 20 markets.
Pearl TV, a consortium of U.S. broadcasters leading the transition to NextGen TV, announced plans to unveil new features and devices at CES 2024 in Las Vegas this January.
The consortium, along with its network partners, has played a pivotal role in the impressive growth of NextGen TV. The service has expanded to 12 new markets in 2023, including major cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, Minneapolis, and Miami.
As of January 2024, NextGen TV is on track to cover a substantial 75% of U.S. households. Offering viewers access to 83 free channels, including local news, sports, and entertainment, NextGen TV aims to revolutionize the way households experience broadcast television, providing a “future-proof” solution for local station viewing.
Anne Schelle, the managing director of Pearl TV, emphasized the significance of 2023 as a key year for major markets in their NextGen TV transition.
Schelle highlighted the opportunities for viewers to enjoy the benefits of NextGen TV while fostering broadcast innovation and preserving the crucial role of local news and entertainment in American homes.
Looking ahead to 2024, the focus is squarely on enhancing the consumer experience. New features will be showcased at CES 2024, including upgrades to accessory receivers and integration options for electronic manufacturers.
Collaborations with industry leaders such as Sony Semiconductor, Alticast, and Amlogic have resulted in high-performance reference design solutions, aiming to enable faster time-to-market for ATSC 1.0/3.0 smart TVs.
James Xie, Senior Vice President of Corporate Business Strategy at Amlogic, highlighted their collaboration: “Amlogic has joined forces with Sony and Alticast to offer a high-performance reference design solution to enable faster time-to-market for ATSC 1.0/3.0 smart TVs.”
The NextGen TV features go beyond conventional offerings, encompassing 4K and High Dynamic Range video, consistent volume across channels, added voice clarity with Dolby’s Voice+, movie theater-quality sound, enhanced internet content on demand, advanced emergency alerts and information, expanded hyperlocal news, and dual-language capabilities.
With NextGen TV now broadcasting in more than 70 markets, the CES 2024 showcase aims to demonstrate the evolution of the service.
This includes an array of new features that promise an enriched viewing experience, further solidifying the position of ATSC 3.0 NextGen TV as a major overhaul to the Advanced Television Systems Committee’s standard for receiving over-the-air signals in the past 25 years.
