WASHINGTON D.C.—In the runup to CES 2024, the Pearl TV consortium of U.S. broadcast companies has released new data showing that NextGen TV broadcasts, aka ATSC 3.0, expanded dramatically in 2023 by 22% and announced that it would be demonstrating new 3.0 feature, new devices, and insights into the NextGen TV rollout at CES 2024.
CES 2024 will be a pivotal one for NextGen TV given concerns that patent disputes could reduce the amount of NextGen TV-capable TV sets and consumer devices.
The group also announced that ATSC 3.0 broadcasts would begin in Chicago in early 2024 before the Super Bowl.
The group noted that since the NEXTGEN TV rollout commenced in 2020, broadcasters have driven nearly 18% year-over-year growth in U.S. household access and spiking 22% in 2023 boosted by the launch of six top 20 markets. As the rollout and delivery of new features continues, NextGen TV broadcasts are on track to reach 75% of American viewers in January 2024.
Broadcaster collaboration, technical expertise and visionary investment enabled NextGen TV to reach 12 new markets in 2023 and deliver 83 free channels to viewers. Top 20 media markets launched include New York, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, Minneapolis, and Miami. NextGen TV has changed the landscape of broadcast TV to provide viewers with a future-proof and innovative way to enjoy local news, sports, and entertainment.
“2023 was a key year for major markets in their NextGen TV transition, as these six metros represent significant opportunities for viewers to enjoy the benefits of NextGen TV while also enabling broadcast innovation to flourish and preserve the role of local news and entertainment in American homes,” stated Anne Schelle, Managing Director of Pearl TV. “As 2024 approaches, it’s all about the consumer and more—more interactive features, more accessory options at retail, more broadcaster applications enabled by the RUN3TV platform, and more new markets and second sticks. CES is the perfect place to showcase what’s new and in store for consumers who are excited to be on the NextGen TV wave.”
Multiple NextGen TV features and advantages will be showcased within the Advanced Television Systems Committee booth, #19744 in the Central Hall. In addition to standalone upgrade accessory receivers, new integration options for consumer electronics manufacturers will be shown, including a new platform offered by Sony Semiconductor, Alticast, and Amlogic, a global leader in system-on-chip platforms for the smart TV market.
Pearl TV describes highlights of demos and technologies on display at the the exhibit as follows:
- Thrilling Over-the-Air Sports: Every game feels like a front-row seat with favorite sports teams whose games are delivered from local stations. Understanding the overarching popularity of live sports viewing, broadcasters throughout the country are expanding the range of free, over-the-air sports matchups.
- More Accessory Devices at Retail: While millions of NEXTGEN TV sets will be sold in the coming year, a new crop of NEXTGEN TV upgrade accessory receivers that are both certified to carry the NEXTGEN TV logo and also verified for content security are now available to consumers – with more options on the horizon in 2024. A wide variety of affordable devices enable easy upgrades of existing TV sets.
- Better Picture, Better Sound: In addition to an immersive audio demonstration, the outstanding picture quality delivered by HDR through NEXTGEN TV will be highlighted as an ideal way to add color depth and brightness to broadcast images.
- Broadcast Internet Protocol (IP): Another benefit for NEXTGEN TV viewers is the availability of more viewing options through IP connections, enabling broadcasters to add services that aren’t able to transition due to spectrum constraints and opening the door to more viewing choices with the same innovative features of NEXTGEN TV.
Also on display during CES, James Xie, senior vice president of corporate business strategy at Amlogic said that “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. This turnkey solution is integrated with Sony Semiconductor’s market leading tuner/demodulator chips, as well as Alticast’s ATSC 1.0/3.0 software stack that has been validated through industry conformance testing. This collaboration ensures a seamless and high-performance foundation for next-generation smart TVs.”
In addition, the Pearl Group reported that more large markets are coming online with 3.0 broadcasts.
“The Chicago market—a top three media market in the U.S.—will be one of the first NextGen TV launches in 2024, bringing the free service to approximately 3.6 million television households according to industry rankings, and just in time for Super Bowl LVIII, especially as live linear television has never been stronger in sports,” continued Schelle. “Unique in 2023 was the rise of second sticks in markets that have previously launched, like New York, Minneapolis, and Miami, underscoring the demand for NextGen TV from viewers, and embrace by broadcasters. These second sticks enable more stations in those markets to deliver NextGen TV services and we’ll continue to see this in 2024, when San Antonio and others launch.”
