The name might sound meaningless: ATSC 3.0. But behind that opaque acronym is a world of improvements to over-the-air TV that will bring 4K picture, premium sound and interactive features into your home for free.
The Advanced Television System Committee (ATSC) is an industry group that determines the technologies used for broadcasters nationwide, and the ATSC 3.0 standard is the newest version of over-the-air TV.
NextGen TV – the Consumer Technology Association’s (CTA) remarkably anodyne marketing name for the new ATSC 3.0 standard – may not mean much to most people, but it’s coming to the U.S. in 2020, and will play a big role in reshaping the modern TV experience.
Even if you have heard of it, chances are good that you’re not sure what it means. Broadcasting standards are full of technical jargon and industry terms that won’t mean much to the average TV viewer, but the end results will be huge in the coming years. We’re here to clear up the confusion and help you understand how the new broadcasting standard will change your TV viewing experience in 2020 and beyond.
Here are the highlights: NextGen TV is a huge upgrade for traditional broadcasting, offering 4K resolution and HDR content for over-the-air broadcasts, along with dramatically better sound, interactive features and the ability to broadcast to more than just TVs. It’s better, smarter broadcast TV for the era of smart TVs, phones, homes and cars. And it will be the exact same price as current broadcast TV – free.
