A next-generation TV broadcast system built on already-available technologies and some in development could “provide significant performance improvement in the physical layer, systems and essence coding components of DTV service,” said a final report from the ATSC on its ATSC 3.0 initiative. The group is looking at ways to incorporate a back-channel to broadcast TV service and combine broadband and broadcast features. “A flexible next-generation system is essential -- one that can continue to grow as technology and demand advance,” the report said. “One method for achieving such flexibility is the decoupling of the next-generation system’s layers from one another, as has proven effective in accommodating ongoing development for digital networking systems,” it said. “Evaluation of proposals going forward should favor steps that provide the fewest restrictions to future growth,” it said. The report identified several areas for further study, including whether ATSC 3.0 would replace or augment existing legacy ATSC services. It also suggested looking at the entire content-delivery ecosystem, including pay-TV providers, wireless broadband distributors and ISPs. “ATSC 3.0 scope should include not just broadcasters’ own OTA application,” it said. It will be critical to develop a transition plan, along the lines of the original DTV transition plan, to move from an ATSC 2.0 to ATSC 3.0 framework, the report said. “It is important to consider that available ’transition spectrum’ (as in the analog-to-digital transition) will diminish over time as the need for spectrum increases,” it said. But the report was hesitant to forecast a timeframe for the transition. “Perhaps even more challenging than forecasting what technologies will arise in the future is specifying when they will arrive at sufficient maturity to be deployed for viable consumer service,” it said. “Technical, business and regulatory developments may all influence the specific timeframes for the ATSC 3.0 era.”
Sezmi is shutting down its consumer hybrid over-the-air/personal TV service, after struggling to gain retail distribution. Sezmi sold the service and one terabyte DMR-1000 DVR with indoor antenna ($299) through Best Buy in select markets and through Amazon, but didn’t gain the agreements it sought with other top-tier retailers and regional telcos (CED July 1/10 p2). On Monday, Amazon listed having three used Sezmi DVRs available at $100, and Best Buy was promoting the hardware at $149. Best Buy officials weren’t available for comment.
Channel Master TV said it introduced a hybrid over-the-top, over-the-air HD set-top box. The device, with a suggested retail price of $400, lets users store and manage their personal digital media content, access online video through Vudu and watch live HDTV with an integrated ATSC receiver. The device also has a built-in DVR with 320 GB of storage. “No device today offers integrated Web content, free broadcast TV and DVR without a monthly subscription,” said Joe Bingochea, vice president of marketing for Channel Master. The device will begin shipping Nov. 1, it said.
The ATSC formed a “TG3” technology group to develop ATSC 3.0, a series of voluntary technical standards and recommended practices for next-generation terrestrial DTV broadcasting “that would serve viewers and TV stations for decades to come,” the group said Tuesday. TG3 will be chaired by James Kutzner, PBS senior director of advanced technology, who has chaired the ATSC 3.0 planning team since last year, it said. “ATSC 3.0 is a crucial long-term project that paves the way for futuristic terrestrial television broadcasting technologies,” said ATSC President Mark Richer. “The ATSC will be exploring technologies that perhaps haven’t even been invented yet.” Forming TG3 will free up ATSC’s “TG1” technology and standards group to speed its work on ATSC 2.0, which will include standards for Internet-enhanced broadcasting and non-real-time and 3D transmissions, ATSC said.
MobiTV took a cautionary tone in filing an IPO seeking to raise $75 million, saying cellular carriers’ moves to end unlimited data plans could “decrease the attractiveness” of its mobile video service, in an SEC filing. “Because our services are data-intensive” ending unlimited data plans could “increase costs to our end-users and decrease the attractiveness of” MobiTV, the company said in SEC documents.
The Advanced TV Systems Committee is developing a standard for 3D broadcast TV transmissions to fixed and mobile devices, it said. ATSC said Youngkwon Lim of the Electronics and Telecom Research Institute in Daejon, South Korea, will lead the work.
TV stations, having dodged one spectrum bullet, now face longer-term prospects for Congress to pass legislation for the FCC to voluntarily auction some channels. Industry executives said they avoided having Congress authorize the incentive auction (CD Aug 2 p1), in debt-ceiling legislation that President Barack Obama signed Tuesday, through several means. Lobbying on Capitol Hill by state associations, NAB and its corporate members, House Republicans’ concerns about auctioning TV spectrum but not the D block, and GOP legislators’ focus on deficit reduction and not adding government revenue each played a part.
Legislation to keep down the volume of TV ads applies to all spots on TV stations and multichannel video programming distributors, not just what broadcasters and MVPDs originate, the bill’s sponsor and a nonprofit group told us Tuesday. Last year’s Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act ought not to be interpreted by the FCC as having such a wide exemption that the industries it’s targeted to aren’t responsible for all ads they carry, said the office of Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif. It pointed to replies from Consumers Union, which made that point.
ATSC standards required by the CALM Act “should provide only technical guidance related to engineering issues,” said the law’s original sponsor, House Communications Subcommittee Ranking Member Anna Eshoo, D-Calif. The CALM Act requires that the volume of commercials be no louder than regular programming. “Issues related to compliance are squarely within the purview of the FCC,” Eshoo said in a letter Friday to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. The standards should apply not only to TV broadcast stations but also to “cable, satellite and other multi-channel video distributors,” Eshoo said. “The legislation provides ample opportunity for small broadcast stations and cable operators to comply with the law."
"The worst thing” the FCC can do “is base its decisions on the broadcast technology of today” and not account for spectrum requirements of services to be available soon under version 2.0 of the Advanced TV Systems Committee’s standard, the ATSC said. The group is focusing on adopting that version and on starting the process of adopting version 3.0, it said in a filing posted Thursday to docket 10-235 (http://xrl.us/bk3jek). The group is working on standards for 3D broadcasts and non-real-time services, executives of ATSC and equipment maker Harris Corp. told an aide to Commissioner Robert McDowell. The FCC separately is seeking comment on an ATSC standard incorporated in legislation to lower the volume of TV ads (CD July 28 p23).