It’s been quite a while since our last blog post about the new ATSC 3.0 over-the-air broadcast standard (AKA NextGen TV).
Today we’re circling back to look at the current state of the ATSC 3.0 rollout, some common misconceptions about the new standard, as well as an update on the Tablo team’s involvement in bringing ATSC 3.0-compatible products to market.
Keep reading for the latest on ATSC 3.0…
Current State of the ATSC 3.0 Rollout
Over the last few years, significant progress has been made with the rollout of this new voluntary broadcast standard.
Across the United States, 74 cities now have at least one broadcast TV station transmitting in ATSC 3.0. Stations in another 12 markets are preparing to join them, including the nation’s largest market, New York City.
Accessing those broadcasts requires ATSC 3.0 compatible equipment, especially as some stations have started implementing required content security and Digital Rights Management (DRM) aspects of the new standard.
Without an ATSC 3.0 compatible television or tuner device, consumers can’t watch those channels. But all current ATSC 3.0 broadcasts are re-broadcasts of the same programs airing on ATSC 1.0 channels, so there is no fear of missing out.
Common ATSC 3.0 Misconceptions
ATSC 3.0 has caused some uncertainty with both early adopters of over-the-air technology as well as average consumers who don’t want to be left behind.
We’ve seen several misconceptions about ATSC 3.0 floating around that could benefit from clarification including:
- ATSC 3.0 Channels ARE NOT YET 4K Quality
Some ATSC 3.0 channels might look sharper to those with eagle eyes and high-quality TVs, but current broadcasts are not yet delivered in 4K resolution. ATSC 3.0 channels are broadcast at 1080p today, whereas ATSC 1.0 channels are broadcast in 1080i or 720p, with most subchannels in 480i. - ATSC 1.0 Broadcasts ARE NOT Ending Soon
The transition to the new ATSC 3.0 standard needs to be completed across the country before ATSC 3.0 can deliver on its full promise, which is one of the multitude of reasons why current ATSC 1.0 broadcasts will continue for many more years. This summer, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) extended the requirement to continue broadcasting in ATSC 1.0 again by another two years from 2025 to 2027. This means the current ATSC 1.0 standard will continue through at least July 2027. Given that local TV stations make a significant amount of revenue from those stations and mass adoption of televisions and tuners capable of decoding ATSC 3.0 broadcasts has yet to happen, it’s possible that this ‘substantially similar’ programming rule could be extended yet again. - ATSC 3.0 WILL NOT Stop Consumers from Recording OTA TV
The FCC has made it clear that consumers should be able to continue to rely on the convenience of a DVR to record their favorite shows even with ATSC 3.0. Several device manufacturers including Tablo are working with the FCC, National Broadcasters Association (NAB) and ATSC 3.0 Security Authority (A3SA) to augment the ATSC 3.0 standard with specific provisions for recording and playback of content with and without DRM protections.
Next Steps for Tablo and ATSC 3.0
Some were surprised that the new 4th generation Tablo device doesn’t support ATSC 3.0.
We first started to build the 4th gen Tablo at a time when key portions of the ATSC 3.0 standard with respect to recording and playback of DRM programs were still undefined.
Also, ATSC 3.0-compatible components were and are still expensive compared to those designed for ATSC 1.0.
This is why we opted to focus instead on an affordable product to help consumers bridge the gap between today and the completion of the ATSC 3.0 transition.
In the meantime, through our participation in standards groups as well as in our labs, we are still actively working towards a product that is fully compliant with all ATSC 3.0 requirements.
Long story short, the future of over-the-air TV is bright, but the details are still unclear.
Fully ATSC 3.0-compliant devices will be available from the Tablo brand and many other electronics manufacturers and ATSC 3.0 broadcasts will be available in all US cities.
In the meantime, consumers should not be concerned that over-the-air antenna TV as they know it will disappear. Instead, they should enjoy the savings it brings today and look forward to the potential future this new technology can provide.
Want to learn more about ATSC 3.0? Check out the previous blog posts in this series:
