ATSC A/342 Audio Elevated to Candidate Standard

WASHINGTON—The Advanced Television Systems Committee has elevated the A/342 audio standard for ATSC 3.0 to the status of a Candidate Standard. Members of the TG3 Technology Group voted May 2 to elevate both the AC-4 and MPEG-H AA audio systems to Candidate Standard status.

TG3 members are in the process of voting to elevate the A/322 Physical Layer Candidate Standard to Proposed Standard. The ballot closes May 6. The next step is for the full ATSC membership to approve A/322 as a final ATSC 3.0 Standard.

The A/321 System Discovery and Signaling standard, which is the so-called “bootstrap” part of the physical layer, was approved by ATSC membership as a final ATSC 3.0 Standard March 23. (See, “ First Element of ATSC 3.0 Approved for Standard,” March 28.)

See TV Technology’s coverage of the emerging U.S. (and Korean) broadcast television standard on our ATSC 3.0 vertical.