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Ask any television general manager about NextGen TV and you will hear the wonders of ATSC 3.0: 4K pictures, Ultra HDR, addressability, interactivity and improved sound are among a long list of benefits. I know the pitch because I’ve given it many times.
There is only one problem with NextGen TV: Viewers see it as a solution without a problem.
Back in 2009 when the industry converted from the 1940’s era NTSC standard to ATSC 1.0, popularly known as high-definition television, no one had to be convinced how much better the new standard looked. It was startling. Before you could say Best Buy, consumers junked their old glass boxes, clunky converters attached, and rushed to their nearest store to buy a new flat panel TV.
Our industry did a great job introducing HDTV to the public, but we must remember that consumers, not the industry, led the actual HD conversion. Consumers bought into high-definition television because they saw a benefit they were willing to pay for.
The problem with NextGen TV is that consumers have yet to see a benefit. Most continue to be very satisfied with the quality of HD’s picture and sound. And don’t think consumers haven’t seen what most believe 4K resolution looks like. Thanks to a wide array of 4K programming via internet apps, and the fact virtually every modern television set is 4K capable, consumers have already seen a wide variety of 4K pictures. Most see no discernable difference.
Under ideal conditions, where programming was originally produced using high-quality 4K