More than five years after the ATSC 3.0 or “NextGen TV” digital television standard was approved by the FCC, broadcasters say their rollout of the new technology is ahead of the pace set by the original analog-to-digital transition of ATSC 1.0. NextGen TV signals are now up in 63 markets, hitting almost 60% of U.S. households, and six million compatible TV sets are in homes.
But after the initial rush to get early “lighthouse” stations on air, NextGen TV’s momentum has slowed as broadcasters have run into delays launching in the biggest markets. There are still only four consumer electronics manufacturers making compatible TV sets — Sony, LG, Samsung and Hisense — and no accessory devices have yet been officially certified to receive NextGen TV signals. And some early set-top boxes with 3.0 tuners that did come to market have lost functionality as stations have begun encrypting their signals to provide copy protection for high-value content.
Task Force Sought
NAB CEO Curtis LeGeyt and top station group executives including Nexstar CEO Perry Sook and Graham Media CEO Catherine Badalamente visited the FCC late last month to formally air their concerns about the rollout. An accompanying letter described a “stalled transition” and asked the FCC to both emphasize its support for the standard to CE manufacturers and create an ATSC 3.0 task force “to attack problems as they arise.”
The biggest problem, albeit not a new one, is a lack of available spectrum for both launching 3.0 in the biggest markets