Consumer Technology Association President and CEO Gary Shapiro and Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr’s wide-ranging conversation Jan. 8 at CES in Las Vegas gave broadcasters a lot to think about when it comes to their future. It also prompted a couple of my own thoughts.

(If you missed it, C-SPAN carried the conversation, which is available here.)

The future of local TV, general support for ATSC 3.0 at the commission, possible readjustment of the network-affiliate relationship and spectrum use and policy were among the highlights. Here, let’s focus on another: the public-interest obligation of broadcasters.

Setting the stage for discussing the public-interest obligation, Carr reminded the audience of the privilege of having a broadcast license and what that means to broadcasters when it comes to retransmission consent and ultimately must-carry dollars.

“[Broadcasting is] a very, very unique distribution medium…because the government is picking a winner and loser,” he said. “You get a license; you get this microphone; you get to speak; you don’t necessarily get to conduct yourself the same way you would if you run a podcast or a soapbox or a cable channel.”

For broadcasters who don’t like that obligation, Carr offered a couple of solutions: turn in your license and transition to a cable channel, start a podcast, become a YouTube channel or bid on your spectrum in an auction, “maybe let[ting] everyone have a fair and free shot at purchasing that spectrum without the public-interest obligation,” he said.

However, at the risk of revealing my naiveté, how many local TV broadcasters truly are clamoring to shed their public-interest obligation? On the whole, when have local TV stations not lived up to this obligation? Certainly not during tornadoes, hurricanes, incoming missile attacks (remember the Hawaii false alarm?), earthquakes and other emergencies.

On the contrary, unprompted by regulators. the TV industry has attempted to up its game in these situations with Advanced Emergency Alerting & Information (AEI&A), a built-in feature of the ATSC 3.0 standard. However, AEI&A—just like other 3.0 enhancements—can’t fully come to fruition until the industry can move forward on sunsetting 1.0.

Nor have they failed to serve the interests of the public each morning, noon and night when it comes to local news. Carr himself acknowledged in his comments that, given the decline of daily newspapers, local newscasts offer “the last of the real ‘gumshoe reporting.’”

My second observation is the 1934 Communications Act didn’t simply mandate
a public interest obligation. There’s also the “convenience and necessity” portion of the phrase.

It seems to me to be counter to the spirit of TV broadcasters’ obligation to serve the “public interest, convenience and necessity” if the TV sets that the public watches are unable to provide the greatest convenience (think personalization and interactivity) and necessity (think AEI&A evacuation maps in flooding) that local TV broadcasters can deliver.

LAS VEGAS—CES 2026 has announced that it attracted 148,000 attendees, including some 6,900 members of the media in what the organizers said was the largest iteration of the tech show since the pandemic.

The organizers also reported that 55% of CES attendees were senior-level executives, reinforcing the event’s status as a premier gathering for industry leaders and decision-makers and that the show, which ran from Jan. 6 to 9, had more than 4100 exhibitors, including some 1200 startups, covering 2.6 million net square feet of exhibit space.

“CES is the world’s most powerful proving ground for innovation,” said Gary Shapiro, executive chair and CEO, Consumer Technology Association (CTA), owner and producer of CES. “CES is more than a showcase; it’s where technology meets community, business, and policy. Global leaders, startups, and policymakers came together to highlight technologies that will define the next decade of economic growth and competitiveness.”

The show also features more than 400 conference sessions with more than 1300 speakers, attracted more than 200 government attendees, including FCC Chair Brendan Carr, who was interviewed by Shapiro during a fireside chat at the show. The organizers also reported that the event led to the creation of 37,000+ news stories and content.

“The energy at CES 2026 was extraordinary,” said Kinsey Fabrizio, President, CTA. “CES brings the global tech ecosystem together for an unmatched volume of deal-making, partnerships, and idea-sharing. The innovation unveiled this week spanning AI, quantum, mobility, robotics, health, and so much more, underscores CES as the global stage where bold ideas move from vision to reality.”

LAS VEGAS—The challenge of attending CES is its size. The convention utilizes all of the enormous Las Vegas Convention Center as well as several other facilities, so often getting from one vendor appointment to another is an exercise in logistics and physical endurance. This was not as much of a problem for me this year as I was focused on what was happening in ATSC 3.0 (aka NextGen TV).

Not that CES wasn’t enormous—it certainly was—but the ATSC booth was located in the new Grand Lobby of the LVCC and that seemed to be where all of the NextGen TV information was. While I didn’t see every vendor at the show, I cannot recall seeing an ATSC 3.0 or NextGen TV reference anywhere on the various floors.

I spent time listening to presentations about the latest and greatest television displays. My consistent question after the presentation was the same: “Does this set include a NextGen TV receiver?” To their credit, I didn’t have anyone say “no,” but I also didn’t hear anyone say “yes”—mostly because I think they didn’t know what I was asking for. The one exception was Sony, which doesn’t even exhibit televisions as a product at CES anymore; they knew the vast majority of their sets are NextGen TV-ready. So after a long day on the floor I went back to the ATSC booth and found out the latest.

The Quest for Cheap Converter Boxes
The biggest news is the work that Pearl TV is doing with its partners iWedia and Skyworth on the creation of a low-cost, plain “vanilla” converter box—think of the coupon-eligible converter boxes of the original DTV conversion two decades ago. Anne Schelle, Managing Director of Pearl TV, says that by creating a model with tailored specifications, it qualifies the units for discount pricing from the IP owners and the chip set manufacturers.

I say “plain vanilla,” but in truth, the final specifications are still being worked out and it is a bit of a balancing act. The idea is to bring the box to market at $60 or less, which presents some interesting challenges. According to Miguel Rivera, Skyworth’s Director of Business Development for North America, the explosion of AI infrastructure has created a supply chain issue on components such as DDR memory chips.

So there are still details to be worked out and according to both Schelle and Rivera they are analyzing what consumers really need and want to get the best trade off of features for price.

Understanding what consumers want is critical for the success of the project. Pearl is working with Magid Associates to analyze consumer data to help ensure that this device ticks the right boxes. Ultimately what will be delivered is a converter box with an antenna input and an HDMI output that will allow any display to present NextGen TV to the viewer.

Target: 50K Boxes for Retails By the End of 2026
One area where this converter box will outperform the original DTV converter boxes is that there are already many successful implementations of ATSC 3.0 tuners in the market so much of the refinement has already been accomplished.

Additionally, Skyworth and their software partner iWedia already have considerable experience since Skyworth is providing the tuners for TV 3.0 in Brazil and Mexico as well as being licensed to provide the receivers for televisions marketed under the Panasonic and Phillips brands. This level of experience should ensure that these new converters function properly.

According to Rivera and Zivko Radonjic, business development manager for iWedia, this CES was technically the first demonstration of a prototype for the project. The target is to have a working demo by the end of the summer when the complete list of specifications is better defined and an initial run of approximately 50,000 units by year end. Schelle expects that promotion of NextGen TV and the units will begin around that same time frame. Of course all of this is dependent on supply chain stability.

I asked Schelle what metric Pearl would use to measure the success of the venture. She offered that success would be “incremental.” Pearl’s belief is that by delivering a working model of an affordable converter, other manufacturers would step up to the plate and deliver similar units under their own branding.

Several times during the conversation, the need to sunset ATSC 1.0 was mentioned so I asked what Pearl would see as the best 1.0 sunset rulemaking. Robert Folliard, Gray Television’s senior vice president of government relations and distribution, offered that broadcasters need a hard date from the FCC as soon as they are comfortable. Neither Schelle nor Folliard believe that maintaining the current status was tenable for much longer.

Given that Pearl was using the DTV CECB (coupon-eligible converter box) model to develop this new device, I asked if they were considering presenting this program to Congress to generate support similar to the coupon program. While the answer wasn’t immediate, it was “yes,” but only as an idea and it wouldn’t be the deciding factor on whether or not to proceed.

A ‘Soft’ Market for NextGen TV
When asked about how satisfied she is with how the consumer electronics manufacturers are approaching NextGen TV, Schelle admitted that the market is certainly soft and that the business model has changed. Folliard also spoke about how set manufacturers have created their own walled gardens and are hoping to get broadcasters to pay to be discoverable within their Home Screen environment.

I postulated that I wouldn’t be surprised if the large manufacturers didn’t adopt the cellular model and give away televisions if the consumer signs up for a multi-year subscription plan. Schelle said he was happy to hear that, since they had been having similar discussions.

While the affordable converter box was the most interesting ATSC 3.0 development I looked at, I have to give an honorable mention to Zapper Mini. One of the challenges that I see to any renaissance of OTA television is the idea that every set in the house has to have an antenna cable drop.

The Mini uses a regular Zapperbox as a gateway and then uses WiFi or Ethernet to connect Mini’s to the gateway. You can put these on every television in the house with the gateway connected to a single antenna. It is an interesting technology that I am looking forward to trying in my home.

LAS VEGAS—In a wide-ranging fireside chat at CES 2026, Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr reiterated the importance of local news and information provided by local broadcasters and their rollout of NextGen TV broadcasts.

Carr declined, however, to take a position on whether the FCC would impose mandates requiring TV to be able to receive 3.0 signals and reaffirmed his commitment to enforcing public interest standards on broadcast content in ways that have been controversial with broadcasters and free speech advocates.

In the interview with Carr, Gary Shapiro, executive chair and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, repeatedly praised Carr and President Donald Trump.

At one point, Shapiro called Trump’s speech on AI “the best speech I've heard any president or national leader give on technology,” prompting Carr to quip that Shapiro’s “second favorite” speech by Trump must have been the one the president made regarding tariffs, a policy that has been opposed by the CTA.

In contrast, Shapiro did not mention critics who have contended that the public interest standards being imposed on broadcasters might violate free speech or First Amendment rights.

Shapiro did, however, cite statistics showing that viewers were much more likely to watch video over streaming platforms and cable. He also asked Carr if the FCC had plans to identify lesser-used spectrum and potentially auction it off.

In terms of the public-nterest standard, Carr said, “broadcasters are a very, very unique distribution medium that because the government is picking a winner and loser. [Because] you get a license, you get this microphone, you get to speak, you don't necessarily get to conduct yourself the same way you would if you were on a podcast or a soapbox or a cable chain.”

“So one thing that I've been working on is attempting to reinvigorating the FCC public interest standard,” Carr said. “Now some people have raised concerns about that. They don't want to comply with our public-interest obligations, and I think there are a couple options there. One, if you're a broadcaster and don't like the fact of that public-interest obligation, you can turn your license in. There's lots of different ways to distribute your content. You can become a cable channel, you become a podcast, you become a YouTube channel. If you want the unique privilege of broadcasting your content over the airways and…all the benefits that come with it, retrans, must-carry, [and] various rights, then you’ve got to comply with public interest in it.”

Another option, Carr said, in terms of the public interest standard would be to “put that spectrum back up for auction. If you want to continue to broadcast without the public interest obligation, then maybe let everyone have a fair and free shot at purchasing that spectrum without the public-interest obligation.”

In terms of the transition to NextGen TV, Carr said: “As a general matter, we're really supportive of this transition to 3.0 because it can be not just better television, but it can also be used for data casting, which can be a new competitive service, and so we're looking at all those options. We've asked some questions…We're gonna look at it all…[What] is the future of broadcasting? What does local broadcasting look like in five years and 10 years and 15 years? And that is something that I spend a lot of time thinking about, and how do we get the regulatory framework right?

“If you care about local news and local reporting in this country, if you think that's valuable as a public interest, as a national interest, right now, local broadcast television stations are the ones that are almost exclusively, in many cases, doing it,” Carr added. “Look at newspapers. They [have been closing]...by the dozens all across the country. Your local 5 o’clock, 6 o’clock TV news are sort of the last of the real local gumshoes [on the ground] report. Now I love that we're getting a lot more social media as well…But I still think that institutionally, those local broadcasters play a key role.”

Finding a way to strengthen those efforts is important for the FCC, he added, “because the competition is fierce, the ad revenue is declining.”

Carr said that one way to strengthen these local broadcasters would be to rebalance the relationship between the owners of the large national networks, like ABC parent Disney, and the local stations.

“I think over the years, the balance of power has shifted too far into the hands of the national programmers, and they're effectively just using local TV stations as outlets for their own programming,” he stressed. “We're looking at lots of ways to really empower those local broadcast TV stations to actually identify the needs of their local communities and serve those needs of the local communities, and not merely become” something that passes along national programming.

The full fireside chat can be accessed at C-SPAN.org.

LAS VEGAS—Advanced HDR by Technicolor has announced the integration of its technology into NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) receivers from BitRouter and Zinwell.

Manufactured by BitRouter, ZapperBox is a NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) and ATSC 1.0 receiver that delivers an optimized viewing experience in high dynamic range (HDR) while enabling the seamless transition from standard dynamic range (SDR) to HDR over free NextGen TV broadcasts.

“Features such as 4K and HDR have driven consumers to expect excellent image quality from their received video content. At the same time, video consumption has never been higher,” said Gopal Miglani, the founder and president of BitRouter. “The partnership between BitRouter and Advanced HDR by Technicolor along with others in the ecosystem is a strategic step that supports the growing availability of NextGen TV content in HDR and consumers’ ability to access that content through HDR-enabled, ATSC 3.0-ready TV receivers.”

The new capability is expected to be available in new quad tuners by the end of March; dual tuner devices will be updated for free at the same time, according to a Bitrouter spokesperson.

The Zinwell team is already working with Philips, one of the developers of Advanced HDR by Technicolor, to integrate the Advanced HDR by Technicolor solution to Zinwell’s conversion box powered by Amlogic system-on-chip. System optimization is also underway as well as testing to ensure compatibility with broadcaster workflows and various display devices. The company said its boxes will soon become available for purchase in the U.S.

“Consumers increasingly expect higher picture quality across platforms, while broadcasters are moving toward advanced video formats with the rollout of ATSC 3.0,” said Paul Wu, vice president of sales division III at Zinwell. “HDR has become a vital feature for delivering a premium viewing experience. The incorporation of the Advanced HDR by Technicolor solution enables Zinwell to meet evolving consumer demands.”

“Zinwell’s integration of Advanced HDR plays a significant role in these early days of ATSC 3.0 adoption,” said Rick Dumont, head of business development for Advanced HDR by Technicolor. “HDR-enabled conversion boxes, such as Zinwell’s product line, allow consumers with non ATSC 3.0 TVs to enjoy premium viewing experiences in HDR from an ATSC 3.0 broadcast. As the ecosystem makes the shift to ATSC 3.0, HDR capabilities continue to grow.”

“Device manufacturers across the industry are recognizing the impact that HDR has on consumer perception of video content,” Dumont added.

“ATSC 3.0 services continue to expand across America, generating the need for HDR-enabled conversion boxes and displays,” said Matthew Goldman, vice president of strategic and technical initiatives for Sinclair, Inc, which implements Advanced HDR by Technicolor in over 100 ATSC 3.0 channels across the US, as well as on Sinclair’s digital channels. “HDR offers an exciting picture improvement to television services, and Sinclair has deployed more HDR channels than every other broadcaster combined. This partnership between Zinwell and Advanced HDR by Technicolor is an important step for building an ecosystem where consumers can enjoy NEXTGEN TV content in HDR.”

LAS VEGAS—Parks Associates has released new consumer research from its “Tech Ecosystem Consumer Insights Dashboard” at CES 2026 showing that smart TVs are the dominant gateway for streaming video in U.S. households.

The new data indicates that 61% of U.S. internet households use a smart TV as their primary streaming video device, continuing the shift away from streaming media players, gaming consoles and other connected devices.

Among smart TVs, the research found Samsung’s Tizen operating system leads the smart TV market—34% of smart TV owners have Samsung Tizen OS as their most-often-used smart TV.

But the study also found that this market remains highly fragmented, with increased competition from Roku, LG and Vizio.

When accounting for all primary connected TV (CTV) devices in US internet households, including streaming media players and game consoles, Roku takes the lead as most-used at 28%. Roku has traditionally led in the streaming media player category and has steadily increased its share in the smart TV space, growing from 8% in 2020 to 18% in 2025.

The findings from 8,000 U.S. internet households underscore how control of the TV experience is consolidating at the OS layer, the researchers said.

“Smart TVs are the default way consumers access video, and so the OS has become the central point of competition,” said Jennifer Kent, senior vice president and principal analyst, Parks. “Samsung’s leadership reflects the strategic value of platform scale, particularly as advertising, subscriptions, and service integration move directly into the TV interface.”

LAS VEGAS-–Despite worries about the impact of tariffs and other economic uncertainties, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) has released its U.S. Consumer Technology Industry Forecast showing the industry is projected to reach $565 billion in revenue in 2026, growing 3.7% year over year.

The forecast was unveiled in the run-up to the start of CES 2026, where exhibits are open from Jan. 6-9.

The trade group said the outlook underscores the consumer electronics industry’s resilience at a pivotal moment, as companies navigate economic challenges, shifting supply chains and growing pressure on consumer spending.

“Even as tariffs and broader economic pressures intensify, Americans continue to invest in technology that improves productivity, connectivity and quality of life,” CTA Executive Chair and CEO Gary Shapiro said. “But the impact of economic uncertainty is becoming more visible as companies move through pre-tariff inventories and face tougher cost decisions heading into 2026.”

The forecast shows that while overall growth remains steady, the burden of rising costs is falling unevenly across the industry, with smaller companies more likely to face margin pressure or supply-chain disruptions.

Despite challenges, key segments continue to expand, the group reported. Hardware revenues are expected to grow 3.4%, while consumer spending on software and services is projected to rise 4.2%, reaching nearly $194 billion. However, unit shipments are forecast to grow just 0.7% in 2026.

The forecast also noted that consumers are increasingly prioritizing software-driven value, anchoring to subscription services and leveraging flexible financing options, signaling a market increasingly driven by premium features and AI-enabled experiences.

LAS VEGAS—iWedia, a provider of connected TV device software solutions, is highlighting its ATSC 3.0 software stack, which has helped to distinguish the Panasonic Z95B as one of the year’s best OLED TVs, at CES 2026, Jan. 6-9.

Running on a leading system-on-a-chip (SOC) platform and integrated within Amazon’s Fire OS environment, the iWedia software stack integrated into the Panasonic Z95B enables seamless NextGen TV reception and hybrid broadcast-broadband performance.

“Our collaboration with Panasonic represents the strength of long-term partnership and shared focus on quality,” iWedia business development director Zivko Radonjic said. “The success of the Z95B demonstrates how aligning with the right partners simplifies technology adoption for manufacturers. As ATSC 3.0 continues to expand across the U.S., we’re ready to support the next generation of OEMs in achieving the same level of excellence.”

By combining Panasonic’s engineering heritage with iWedia’s deep broadcast expertise, iWedia’s partnership has created a reference for premium NextGen TV deployment in the U.S. market, it said.

The Panasonic Z95B’s flawless tuner integration and superior broadcast performance highlight iWedia’s commitment to delivering software that meets the industry’s highest standards for reliability, compliance and user satisfaction, the company said.

“Working with iWedia allowed us to achieve a flawless integration of advanced broadcast capabilities into our latest OLED platform,” Panasonic television business division director Ryutaro Otake said. “Together, we’ve raised the bar for what viewers can expect from premium televisions in the U.S., and we look forward to extending that success as NextGen TV adoption grows.”

iWedia is at CES, seeking to meet with other vendors looking to leverage its ATSC 3.0 solutions for their next connected TV project.

See iWedia at CES booth 17783 at Tech East in the Las Vegas Convention Center Central Hall.

More information is available on the company’s website.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland—iWedia, a provider of software for connected TV devices, and Skyworth, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of smart TVs and home entertainment devices, have announced their first official strategic partnership to support the U.S. ATSC 3.0 market with what the company calls “a robust and future-ready turnkey solution.”

This newly formalized collaboration brings together iWedia’s ATSC 3.0 software stack and Skyworth’s advanced, operator-grade hardware platforms, delivering a fully integrated solution designed for performance, scalability and long-term lifecycle support, the companies said. While the two companies have previously aligned on technical evaluations and platform compatibility, this partnership marks their first end-to-end commercial engagement for the U.S. market.

iWedia has announced previous agreements to integrate its 3.0 tech stack with DigiCap and Realtek and says it is in “full compliance with CTA and A3SA certification suites, offering a turnkey solution for OEMs and operators seeking fast, reliable market entry.”

Skyworth’s hardware expertise perfectly complements iWedia’s software reliability, delivering end-to-end stability, faster certification cycles, and professional lifecycle support, iWedia said. A spokesperson for iWedia,—which specializes in Android TV solutions—said the partnership will focus on auxiliary devices for NextGen TV rather than TV sets

“At iWedia, our commitment goes beyond delivering great software — it’s about building long-term partnerships that ensure our customers’ continuous success,” said Zivko Radonjic, Business Development Director at iWedia. “By combining our certified software with Skyworth’s proven manufacturing capabilities, we’re enabling the U.S. market to achieve greater product reliability and faster time-to-market.”

Leveraging Skyworth’s advanced manufacturing capacity and iWedia’s broadcast software engineering heritage, the collaboration represents a clear blueprint for how OEMs and service providers can embrace ATSC 3.0 while reducing operational complexity, iWedia said.

Miguel Rivera, Business Development for North America at Skyworth, added: “Successful ATSC 3.0 adoption in the U.S. depends on reliable execution, certification certainty and long-term support. Together, we deliver an integrated solution that partners can deploy with confidence, today and into the future.”

Pearl TV is demo-ing the jointly developed ATSC 3.0 turnkey solution at the ATSC exhibit booth in the Central Hall Grand Lobby of the LVCC during CES 2026, Jan. 6-9.

LAS VEGAS—ATSC will promote successful deployments of ATSC 3.0, new NextGen TV home receivers and several other new developments at kiosks in the organization’s booth at CES 2026, Jan. 6-9.

“ATSC 3.0 is free, local and connected, delivering better picture, better sound, better access and better choice over-the-air to viewers throughout the U.S., South Korea, the Caribbean and Brazil,” said ATSC president Madeleine Noland.

A variety of home receivers for ATSC 3.0, including solutions from ADTH, SiliconDust and ZapperBox will be on display at the ATSC booth. A range of affordable prototype converter boxes newly announced by Pearl TV and planned for introduction in 2026 will also be shown. The new products join dozens of NextGen TV models now available from TV manufacturers.

ATSC's exhibit space in the newly- renovated Grand Lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center will feature informational kiosks sponsored by three ATSC members highlighting various NextGen TV technology innovations.

Televes USA will showcase solutions for the reception, distribution and verification of free over-the-air television supporting the rollout of NextGen TV in residential and commercial environments.

At its kiosk, Televes will demonstrate how modern antenna systems, programmable signal distribution and professional test and measurement tools, including internationally award-winning solutions, enable reliable reception, flexible channel management and scalable delivery of free local broadcast television across homes, multiple dwelling units, hospitality and enterprise installations without requiring pay TV subscription services.

Mirakulo at its kiosk will demonstrate AstroTV NEXT, the platform for Brazil’s DTV+ (TV 3.0), a standard based on ATSC 3.0. The demo highlights how innovations defined for DTV+, such as Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI), immersive MPEG-H Audio and advanced video compression with Versatile Video Coding (VVC) enhanced by Low Complexity Enhanced Video Coding (LCEVC), can be seamlessly applied to the next-generation TV ecosystem. AstroTV NEXT offers a fully integrated broadcast-broadband experience, delivering better picture, better sound, interactivity and new monetization models while preserving free over-the-air television.

At its kiosk, SiliconDust, best known for the ATSC 3.0-compatible HDHomeRun TV tuners, will also feature its new HDGrandSlam for multiple dwelling buildings, offering live channels and two-week DVR playback with no monthly fees.

For broadcasters, the AVSend CDN + Encoder is the solution for ATSC 3.0 BEST (Broadcast-Enabled Streaming Television) with real-time viewership analytics and station monitoring. SiliconDust is also now an ATSC 3.0 Certificate Authority for NextGen TV to ensure that broadcast television stations meet all signing security requirements.

A3SA, the Consumer Technology Association, DTVKit and Heartland Video Systems are sponsoring the organization’s CES 2026 booth.

See ATSC at CES 2026 in the Central Hall Grand Lobby, booth GL-5.

More information is available on the ATSC website.

LAS VEGAS—Pearl TV today revealed its new NextGen TV Converter Box Program, an initiative that aims to ensure affordable converter boxes are available to viewers who continue to rely on free, over-the-air TV while the nation’s broadcasters transition to ATSC 3.0.

The announcement comes days before the official opening of CES 2026, Jan. 6-9, here and while the Federal Communications Commission considers its pending Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that is expected to advance the transition.

The Pearl Converter Box Program is designed to support a new category of affordable, basic NextGen TV converter boxes that connect to existing televisions and antenna products, allowing consumers to enjoy 3.0 broadcasts without needing to buy a NextGen TV set.

The initiative aligns with key policy considerations raised in the FCC’s ongoing proceeding, including consumer access, affordability and continuity of service as NextGen TV broadcasts become more widely available, the business group of seven major broadcast groups.

“Pearl’s NextGen TV Converter Box Program specification is being developed now and will be informed by consumer research, broadcaster requirements, retail pricing requirements, labeling and certification specifications and ongoing discussions with device manufacturers,” said Pearl TV managing director Anne Schelle. “The program establishes a common certification and interoperability framework to support a range of eligible receiving devices across participating manufacturers. The program is open to any qualified converter box manufacturer that aligns with the program's baseline device profile and affordability goals.

“We anticipate that the first affordable NextGen TV converters could be available later in 2026. As NextGen TV adoption expands and the FCC considers future policy frameworks, these affordable devices are expected to play an important role to bridge consumers who rely on over-the-air television.”

At CES 2026, Pearl TV is showing early examples of converter boxes in collaboration with industry partners. Representative NextGen TV devices will be on display at next week at the ATSC exhibit booth in the Central Hall Grand Lobby. Among them will be an example developed with set-top manufacturer ADTH, another developed by Skyworth, a high volume global device manufacturer, and iWedia, a certified ATSC 3.0 software stack developer. Pearl TV is also engaged in discussions with Zinwell and other manufacturers, Pearl TV said.

The NextGen TV Converter Box Program also aligns with recent qualitative consumer research conducted by Magid indicating consumers value affordable options that allow them to retain existing televisions while continuing to access free local news, weather, sports and entertainment.

“This study shows that consumers are open to purchasing a converter box and many are excited about the idea of it providing a higher quality, more reliable viewing experience,” said Magid executive vice president Bill Hague.

The program focuses on essential viewing functionality, prioritizing simplicity, familiarity and cost-effectiveness. Magid has also begun quantitative consumer research to further inform key consumer messaging, pricing, and feature options, Pearl said.

To maintain clarity for consumers and support affordability, eligible NextGen TV basic receiving devices will join a roster of more advanced offerings from other companies that offer features such as digital video recording and whole home networking capability, it said.

More information is available on the Pearl TV website.

LOS ANGELES—Cineverse has announced that it will be showcasing new features for its proprietary content search & discovery tool, Cinesearch at CES 2026 (January 6-9 in Las Vegas).

The improvements include CTV and voice capabilities that continue to make it easier for users to find movies and TV shows they want to watch.

Powered by Matchpoint, Cinesearch is AI-powered content search and discovery platform that is available to consumers (cinesearch.com) and now for commercial licensing to OEMs and streaming platforms (cinesearch.com/business).

At CES, Cinesearch will also debut a new, bold look reflecting the unique and innovative search capabilities of the product, reflecting its DNA of deep contextual and emotional understanding of media.

In the run-up to CES, Cineverse reported that it has made substantial efforts to expand Cinesearch's domain-specific dataset of enriched film and television metadata.

Unlike established foundational models like OpenAI or Google's Gemini, Cinesearch does not rely on data scraped from the internet, rather it leverages a proprietary dataset optimized for advanced AI search with an automated workflow that adds new metadata days after new films are released.

In addition to now supporting content spanning over 500 streaming services worldwide, the underlying dataset, cineCore, now has an expansive taxonomy of contextual metadata that spans the entire spectrum of human experience: emotions, feelings, moods and vibes. By referencing established psychological models, the extensive emotion-based metadata has now been structured into an expansive taxonomy that allows for a highly effective means of searching over 75,000 film and television series based on human emotion.

"Over the past year, we've made significant advances across our entire Matchpoint platform—strengthening the underlying technology, expanding its capabilities, and proving that thoughtful innovation can solve real industry pain points, but all this is just the beginning," said Tony Huidor, president of technology and chief product officer at Cineverse. "We remain deeply focused on building practical, scalable solutions that address the challenges facing the leading media companies, film & television distributors, and video streaming platforms alike. We plan to continue pushing the industry forward with technology that is both innovative and purpose-built for the entertainment industry."

New features include:

• Cinesearch will be live on the VIDAA OS and available on any VIDAA supported Smart TV (Toshiba, Hisense, Loewe television models). Using a mobile companion app, this reference design will enable users to create an account and pair their account with the television using their voice or mobile input.
• Cinesearch is also launching a new voice authentication feature which recognizes individual household members by their voice. This enables sub-accounts at the household level and allows switching seamlessly between child and adult accounts, allowing a family to search and store their individual preferences for a highly personalized and relevant search experience. The biometric voice authentication data resides on the local device enforcing user privacy by ensuring voice fingerprint are stored on device without transmitting to the cloud.

More information or to schedule a meeting with Cineverse at CES 2026, is available here.

LAS VEGAS—In the run-up to the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January where a variety of new digital ad technologies will be on display, NBCUniversal unveiled a suite of new technology and data products that its says will open up new audience opportunities and help reimagine digital advertising with breakthrough formats, better real-time measurement and attribution.

“Our company was built on innovation, and as we enter into NBC’s 100th year, we are pairing the strength of our storytelling with the power of our technology to enhance the consumer experience and prove real-time impact for brands,” said Mark Marshall, chairman, Global Advertising & Partnerships, NBCUniversal. “Premium video is more valuable to advertisers than ever, and with these new innovations, we are providing solutions clients have been asking for, backed by the power of NBCUniversal’s entire cross-platform ecosystem – setting a new industry standard for success.”

NBCUniversal’s latest product suite includes LIVE Total Impact, Performance Insights Hub, and AI-powered Contextual Targeting in LIVE.

NBCU said these solutions are designed to turn engagement into real outcomes, moving audiences from attention to conversion across every platform.

NBCU described LIVE Total Impact as the industry’s first cross-platform tool designed to leverage the real-time viewership of live tentpole moments and extend that engagement across NBCUniversal’s full ecosystem, delivering the right ad, to the right person, at the right time.

The official launch follows a successful beta rollout during Sunday Night Football - where telecom and retail brands saw higher brand lift through targeted re-exposure across NBCU platforms.

The company said it will now expand and scale LIVE Total Impact to even more advertisers across such major February events as Super Bowl LX, the Milan Cortina Olympic Winter Games, NBA All-Star Weekend, and additional live events throughout 2026 such as Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

In terms of the Beta testing during Sunday Night Football, NBCU said it delivered the following results:

• +10% lift in awareness and memorability compared to control
• +77% higher search engagement vs competitive streaming benchmarks
• +1.8x greater website visitation compared to industry benchmarks
• Retargeted viewers exposed to in-game ads visited the website 6.8x more than those who were not exposed, showing strong lower-funnel impact.

In terms of Contextual Targeting in LIVE, NBCU reported that it allows, for the first time, advertisers to target Live programming in real time.

More specifically, NBCU said Contextual Targeting in LIVE is a breakthrough AI-powered tool that continuously scans live content to ensure an advertiser’s ad or creative automatically aligns with the most relevant moments as they unfold live. Initial VOD beta tests showed brands saw significant increases in engagement and favorability, demonstrating how AI can match brand messages to relevant themes and boost audience interaction, the programmer reported.

In an early beta with a luxury brand NBCU reported the following results:

• +27% higher enjoyment of the creative vs. baseline
• +14% agreement that surrounding content enhanced the brand’s message
• +10% higher Unaided Brand Awareness vs. baseline
• +38% perception of the luxury brand as environmentally responsible
• +56% higher search engagement vs. competitive streaming
• By automating brand suitability and real-time context, this capability gives advertisers greater efficiency, agility, and precision, optimizing every second of live media investment to reach audiences at the exact right moment of authentic connection.

NBCU described the new Performance Insights Hub (PIH) as a proprietary intelligence platform providing advertisers of all sizes with a unified view of campaign delivery, audience insights, and full-funnel, in-flight performance.

Built on NBCUniversal’s One Platform Tech Stack, PIH integrates first- and third-party data through standardized schemas and automated workflows with partners including Dynata, EDO, Kochava, LiveRamp, MarketCast and VideoAmp.

Upcoming integrations will support turnkey outcomes measurement for foot traffic and purchase data, plus category-specific integrations to power CPG, Pharma and more, NBCU said.

NBCU said this new tool moves marketers beyond static post-campaign reporting enabling in-flight reporting and insights that improve performance across awareness, engagement, and conversion metrics.

NBCU also reported that it is launching Arrival Ads on Peacock, which allows brands to own the first impression as soon as viewers enter the platform.

In addition, NBCU is expanding Peacock’s premium Pause Ads into the programmatic marketplace, enabling advertisers to access this high-impact format through Programmatic Guaranteed deals.

The programmer reported that it is the first major premium AVOD publisher to offer a full-screen programmatic Pause Ad, which it said will bring more scale, flexibility, and automation to a placement that has already proven effective in direct-sold campaigns.

Pause Ads appear when a viewer pauses a programming. NBCU said Pause Ads have already proven to be a powerful format, driving a +68% lift in ad memorability, underscoring the format’s ability to capture attention and enhance brand impact. Additionally, campaigns with Pause Ads have driven a +106% lift in foot traffic for advertisers.

In terms of the upcoming Olympics, NBCU said that partnerships with Amazon DSP, FreeWheel Buyer Cloud, Google Display & Video 360, StackAdapt, The Trade Desk, Viant, and Yahoo DSP, will allow it to open up a private marketplace with biddable access for advertisers of all size.

Additionally, following its successful launch at CES 2025, Universal Ads will serve as the first-ever, exclusive ads manager for NBCUniversal’s coverage of the Milan Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, offering advertisers even more opportunities to invest in NBCUniversal’s coverage of the Games.

More information about these and other new capabilities are available here.

CES is always a major event for TV tech, and last month’s event in Las Vegas didn’t disappoint. Even though Sony didn’t show off its next TVs, we were still overwhelmed with new models and innovative tech demos from Samsung, LG, Hisense and TCL.

These are all makers of the best TVs around, and all like to push the envelope with cutting-edge TV tech at CES. Some of this tech will appear in models available this year, while some will just be shown as proof of concept, hopefully to be used in future sets.

What we see at CES shapes not only the TVs that arrive in 2025, but those that will come in 2026 and beyond, as the companies battle to outdo each other and as high-end tech trickles down into more affordable models.

Below, here’s the tech I saw at CES 2025 that I think will have the biggest effect on the best OLED TVs and best mini-LED TVs in the future.

1. RGB Backlighting
This tech is probably the TV takeaway from CES 2025, and was shown off by Samsung, Hisense and TCL, all at slightly different stages. It’s a new way of doing LCD TVs and it works the same as current tech: a backlight of LEDs shines through a grid of color-filtering pixels. Except in current versions of the tech, the backlight is a single color of LED (usually blue), so the color-filtering layer has to do a lot of work. This saps energy from the light, limiting brightness.

In RGB backlights, each LED has red, green and blue elements, meaning it can shine in the right color for what’s on-screen before it goes through the color-filtering layer. This means the color filter can be much less aggressive—TCL even confirmed that it’s dropping quantum dots from its version of the tech—and the light can shine through more efficiently.

The result is even brighter TVs, or TVs at the same level of brightness that use less power. And at the same time, the color gamut is wider, meaning more vibrant and rich images in just about every way.

Samsung said its version of the tech (which it’s calling RGB Micro LED Backlight) shouldn’t really cost more than its mini-LED TV. Samsung’s version is likely to come in a 4K TV later this year, though the version Samsung showed us at CES was an 8K TV. TCL said its version of the tech will arrive in 2026, but there was a prototype at the show.

Hisense has the edge here—it unveiled a 116-inch TV that uses the tech, which it’s calling “TriChroma RGB Backlight.” We were very impressed by the Hisense 116UX upon seeing it in person.

2. Four-Stack OLED
There’s a new type of OLED panel in town, and it’s all fours. The latest OLED TV panel from LG Display, which makes OLED screens used by every TV manu­facturer that offers them, is a leap forward for the tech. It adds an extra layer of OLED pixels into the panel, on top of the three layers used in previous generations.

This adds a load of extra brightness and aids color reproduction, with the screen being up to 40% brighter than the previous highest-end OLED panel from LG—and that’s without the micro lens array (MLA) tech that has been used to boost the brightness of the screens previously.

This panel is used in the LG G5 and Panasonic Z95B, and appears to be the panel used in the 83-inch version of the Samsung S95F.

This four-layer panel will likely become the norm that future panels are built on, and hopefully it’ll be possible for it to trickle down to the mid-range panels—something that never happened with MLA.

3. Wireless Connection Boxes
LG has offered a TV with a wireless connection box for a couple of years now, but it’s been its highest-end OLED TV—inherently very niche. This year, LG has expanded it to its mini-LED QNED range as well.

Meanwhile, Samsung has introduced a wireless connections box for its highest-end 8K TV, and for The Frame Pro art TV, as well for its 8K Premiere projector. And Samsung’s box is much smaller than the big beast of LG’s unit, making it feel much more like tech a normal person might have in their home one day.

So suddenly, the wireless TV connection arms race is on. The idea of these boxes is that your TV can sit on the wall or on a stand with just a single power cable running to it, and the direction of that cable doesn’t have to be determined by the positioning of your consoles and set-up boxes. You’ll be able to hide all your gadgets away and have a clean TV area—total aesthetic and tech freedom.

Samsung has said that if the wireless boxes are well-received, it will roll them out to more TVs—it said this about its OLED Glare Free tech last year, and it proved to be true, with the tech being added to mini-LED TVs in 2025. So we’ll have to see if this year’s wireless boxes work well and if people are happy paying a premium for them—and, if so, we’ll see whether other TV companies follow suit, and whether LG starts offering it in more of its own OLED range.

4. On-Device AI That’s Actually Useful
TV companies have been talking about AI features for several years now, and it’s been largely meaningless—it basically meant that machine-learning-based image processing had been applied.

But now that people tend to mean generative AI when we talk about AI, that’s being added to TVs too—and in some actually smart ways. On its TVs last year, LG introduced the idea of a chatbot that you could speak to naturally, and the TV could find the setting to help you. So if you said to it, “The picture is too dark,” it would bring up the brightness options for you. That proved to be a bit of a false start, but this year it’s looking better. The updated version will be combined with AI-based voice recognition so that whenever you use the voice control of the TV, you get personalized responses, and even personalized picture settings.

Samsung, meanwhile, is putting an AI button on its remotes, to act as a kind of voice control button. One of the best features it showed off is the ability for the TV to live translate from a show’s native audio language into subtitles for another language. It supports Korean, English, Spanish, French and Italian so far, and appears to work really well—a great boost for accessibility, and again, something I expect to see lots of brands picking up.

5. Ultra-Precise Backlight Lenses
Last year, Sony showed off a new backlighting tech for its mini-LED TVs. It used really smart lens designs to provide strong brightness levels that don’t leak from bright areas into dark areas, and offered amazing nuance in the picture contrast. This year, we’re seeing a backlight from TCL that looks like an even better version of this—and this will be the future of the more midrange mini-LED TVs if RGB backlighting will be the new high-end tech.

TCL’s backlight is kind of incredible to see—the company had a demo where you could see just the backlights in motion, so you could compare the new 2025 backlight to the previous year’s backlight and a more basic one.

You can basically just watch TV on the new backlight; it has so many LEDs, and such strong control of contrast and tones, that it’s actually detailed. TCL showed this tech off the best, but it’s something other makers are absolutely working on too—expect to hear a focus on well this year’s mini-LED handle blooming and contrast.

This article initially appeared on TechRadar, sister website to TV Tech.

LAS VEGAS—Advanced HDR by Technicolor has made a series of announcements at CES here demonstrating support for its high dynamic range solutions ranging from consumer televisions and receiver devices to broadcasters and streaming services.

Gray Media is among a growing list of ATSC 3.0 broadcasters to support Advanced HDR by Technicolor, it said.

In one CES press announcement, Advanced HDR by Technicolor said: “The growing availability of devices that support the new standard helps explain why a growing number of broadcasters offering NextGen TV broadcasts—such as Gray Media—are supporting Advanced HDR by Technicolor.” Other broadcasters supporting it include Capitol Broadcasting, PBS and Sinclair.

[Also Read: More TV Tech Coverage of News From CES]

“Advanced HDR by Technicolor provides broadcasters with a powerful solution to enhance the viewing experience,” said Rob Folliard, senior vice president of government relations and distribution at Gray Media.

“It offers the flexibility to deliver exceptional HDR content while ensuring compatibility for viewers with SDR TVs. This capability reflects our commitment to delivering the highest-quality digital entertainment experiences.”

Advanced HDR by Technicolor also said at CES that it is collaborating with global streaming media company Plex to enhance the visual quality of ad-supported video-on-demand (VOD) services.

New NextGen TV models from both Hisense and RCA as well as a new Atlanta Direct To Home (ADTH) 3.0 receiver running software from Tolka that support Advanced HDR by Technicolor were also unveiled at the show.

Advanced HDR by Technicolor was collaboratively developed by InterDigital, Philips and Technicolor.

More information is available on the Advanced HDR by Technicolor website.

LAS VEGAS—Viewers who want to take the enhanced viewing capability of NextGen TV/ATSC 3.0 outside to patios and other areas, will be able to do so with Sylvox’s new outdoor TVs that are designed to transform backyards into cinemas, gaming arenas, and entertainment hubs—all while withstanding rain, sun and extreme temperatures.

At this week’s CES (Venetian Expo, Halls A-D, Booth 51727), Sylvox has been displaying its Sylvox Cinema Pro Outdoor TVs with Helio QLED technology that deliver 3,500 to 5,000 nits of brightness for cinema-grade visuals in bright outdoor environments. They are the first outdoor TV sets that come with built-in ATSC 3.0 reception capabilities.

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"Sylvox is committed to pushing the boundaries of outdoor entertainment," Sylvox founder Golden Young said. "With CES 2025, we're proud to unveil innovations that transform outdoor living spaces into immersive entertainment hubs."

The Sylvox Cinema Series transforms outdoor spaces into theaters with Helio QLED technology. Featuring up to 5,000-nit brightness and theater-grade features, it delivers immersive movie nights under the stars, vibrant sports viewing in bright daylight, and stunning entertainment for outdoor gatherings year-round, the company reported.

For more information, visit sylvoxtv.com.

LAS VEGAS—Run3TV said at CES today it has selected Velope.tv to develop a new starter application for its ATSC 3.0 broadcast application framework that will enable TV stations to deploy 3.0 apps while reducing their investment in data and licensing fees for interactive services.

(Editor’s note: Run3TV, originally developed and promoted by Pearl TV and the Pearl Network consortium as a broadcast application framework for 3.0, was spun out as an independent entity in July 2024. Thus, both the entity and the framework/platform are now called Run3TV.)

“Broadcasters are using our platform to both offer viewers additional choices for streamed content from their local libraries, advanced viewing features such as Program Re-Start and Smart applications such as enhanced weather forecasts,” Run3TV CEO Michael Collette said.

[Also Read: More TV Tech Coverage of News From CES]

“One of the key benefits of ATSC 3.0 is the ability to give viewers both live, linear broadcasts and ready access to applications from local stations,” Colette said. ”We’re very pleased to select Velope.tv to develop a new streamlined starter version of our application. The starter app will include configurable weather and traffic functions for viewers and enable stations to get the benefit of summary data analytics on viewing habits.”

Velope.tv’s starter application gives broadcasters a simpler way to leverage 3.0 more fully. “This extensible Starter Application will provide an easy way for broadcasters of all sizes to deliver immediate consumer benefits to their NextGen TV viewers and a strong foundation for future Run3TV-powered features,” Velope.tv CEO Michael Gregor said.

Run3TV is focused on developing a thriving ecosystem for developers, many of which have recently signed on, he said. Among the new Run3TV developers being highlighted at CES are: ClickVizion, Fincons Group, GlobalLogic, Happiest Minds, Oxagile and Velope.tv.

“There’s tremendous interest on the part of local broadcasters to have applications that can be built and deployed that can accurately measure viewing activity, especially noting the amount of TV viewing time and the total audience with younger viewers,” Collette said. “Run3TV is working to improve the consumer experience, ensure robust privacy practices, and also give broadcasters a better idea of which types viewers are actually watching and when.”

Run3TV continues to search out new developers to assist in identifying customers and building their businesses, he said.

See Run3TV applications at CES in the ATSC booth in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, booth 20340.

More information is available on the Run3TV website.

LAS VEGAS—Tolka and Advanced HDR by Technicolor at this week’s CES are showcasing their software on the new NextGen TV receiver from Atlanta DTH (ADTH), which allows viewers with legacy DTVs to access the latest live and streaming high dynamic range (HDR) content from NextGen TV broadcasters.

Powered by Montage system-on-chip (SoC) and enabled with Advanced HDR by Technicolor technology, the new receiver allows HDR television owners to receive premium HDR broadcasts from Sinclair and other major broadcasters, including PBS, Gray Television and Capitol Broadcasting. Consumers with SDR televisions also benefit from enhanced SDR picture quality when using the receiver to access NextGen TV services, the companies said.

“The implementation of a NextGen TV receiver, powered by Tolka and Advanced HDR by Technicolor, broadens access to HDR and SDR content for a growing audience,” Tolka Vice President Alex Day said. “This device makes it possible for more viewers to enjoy NextGen TV broadcasts with exceptional picture quality.”

The receiver will deliver live NextGen TV broadcasts, including HDR content, across more than 100 channels nationwide.

“With the new NextGen TV receiver powered by Tolka, we’re delivering Advanced HDR by Technicolor’s optimized viewing experience to a wider range of consumers. Whether live or on-demand streaming, the solution ensures consistent, high-quality content on any screen,” Rick Dumont, head of business development for HDR at Philips, said.

[Also Read: More TV Tech Coverage of News From CES]

The growing availability of both live and on-demand content is driving increased consumer demand for HDR-capable TVs, the companies said.

“As broadcasters, we’re seeing increased demand for HDR-quality content as consumers become more aware of the difference it makes,” Matthew Goldman, vice president of strategic and technical initiatives at Sinclair, said. “Our ability to deliver live and on-demand programming in HDR ensures we meet these expectations and provide an exceptional experience across a wide range of devices and viewing environments.”

See new NextGen TV receivers and demos at ATSC’s CES 2025 booth in Central Hall, booth 20340.

More information is available on the Tolka and Advanced HDR by Technicolor websites.

PHILADELPHIA—The Xumo streaming joint venture of Comcast and Charter Communications said Sharp will introduce a new line of QLED 4K UHD TVs featuring the Xumo TV operating system. The TVs will launch in the U.S. this spring.

Sharp is now the fourth manufacturer producing Xumo TVs, joining Element, Hisense and Pioneer.

The TVs will be available in 50-, 55-, 65-, 75- and 85-inch screen-class sizes and are designed to make it easier for consumers to find content.

“Xumo’s platform is all about making streaming easy for customers—getting them to the content they want to watch faster and spending less time searching across apps to find something new,” Stephanie Cassi, senior vice president, sales and marketing, Xumo, said. “We believe that combining our intuitive user interface with Sharp AQUOS QLED creates a best-in-class viewing experience.”

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“As we continue to expand our presence in the U.S. TV market, we're looking to pair Sharp AQUOS QLED with an operating system that delivers a streaming experience that meets the demanding needs of today's viewers," added Jim Sanduski, president of Sharp Home Electronics Company of America. “Xumo is the perfect partner because they help unlock the overall immersive experience we'd like our customers to enjoy when watching our AQUOS QLED TVs.”

The Xumo TV experience is built on the entertainment operating system that powers tens of millions of devices from Comcast and partners worldwide. Key features include seamless content discovery, voice search and personalization.

In addition to the Xumo operating system, the Sharp AQUOS QLED TVs will offer a frameless, 4K UHD screen with Quantum Dot Wide Color Gamut technology, which enhances Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10 content to look lifelike with near-perfect color reproduction.

The TV will also enable the pass-through of Dolby Atmos sound from supported content sources when connected to a compatible audio device.

LAS VEGAS—With the annual CES tech trade show underway, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) projects record retail revenues as the U.S. consumer technology industry grows 3.2% over 2024 to $537 billion in 2025.

This signals growth in consumer spending on tech products and services, according to CTA’s U.S. Consumer Technology One-Year Industry Forecast. But the CTA has also updated its “How Proposed Trump Tariffs Increase Prices for Consumer Technology Products” report to indicate that tariffs on technology products could lead to a $90 billion to $143 billion decline in U.S. consumer purchasing power.

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According to the CTA, purchases of laptops and tablets could decline by as much as 68%, consumption of gaming consoles could fall off by as much as 58% and consumption of smartphones could drop by up to 37%.

“The tech sector is America’s economic engine, driving global innovation and job creation,” CTA CEO Gary Shapiro said. “Our positive forecast reflects the industry’s strength, but proposed tariffs threaten the deflationary power of tech in the global economy. Tariffs are a tax on American businesses and consumers. We urge the incoming administration and Congress to prioritize an Innovation Agenda that fosters growth.”

LAS VEGAS—At CES 2025, Google TV is offering a preview of new AI capabilities that use Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence models to make interacting with TVs more intuitive and helpful, the company reported in a blog post.

The new features include the ability to generate a summary of news stories that could directly compete with TV news outlets.

[Also Read: More TV Tech Coverage of News From CES]

In one demo, TechCrunch reported that by asking Gemini to play a “News Brief,” the AI assistant “will scrape news stories from across the internet and YouTube video headlines posted by trusted news channels, and will produce a brief summary to catch you up on the day’s events.”

The new features for the latest version of its TV operating system will begin rolling out later this year on select Google TV devices.

They will allow “you and your family … to gather together and have a natural conversation with your TV. This will make searching through your media easier than ever, and you will be able to ask questions about travel, health, space, history and more, with videos in the results for added context.”

“The Gemini model on Google TV also enables you to do other things like create customized artwork with the family, control your smart home devices while your TV is in ambient mode and even get an overview of the day’s news,” the blog said.

LAS VEGAS—At this week’s CES here (Jan. 7-10), the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) is showcasing a number of new NextGen TV/ATSC 3.0 receivers, gear, services and improvements to the broadcasting standard at its booth in Central Hall 20340.

The group reported that a host of new ATSC 3.0 receivers and enhanced broadcast services will reach U.S. consumers this year, with RCA launching a lineup of NextGen TV sets and new ATSC 3.0 accessory receivers from ADTH, MyVelo, Stavix, Vbox, Zapperbox and Zinwell among the new consumer products showcased at ATSC’s booth.

Expanded High Dynamic Range, interactive gaming, and digital signage options are also on show this week, as local stations and networks take advantage of the key benefits of next-generation broadcasting—including the ability to launch virtual channels with internet connections, the group said.

The displays come at as the ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard is now widely deployed in the U.S., South Korea and Jamaica, with Brazil also recommending ATSC 3.0 to power its DTV+ service. Additionally, tests of ATSC 3.0 broadcasts are on the air in Trinidad and Tobago, India, Mexico, and Canada, the group said.

“More than three-quarters of U.S. viewers now have access to NextGen TV broadcasts, and at CES we’re very pleased to see the addition of RCA as a sixth TV manufacturer to join the roster of those offering NextGen TV sets, a list that now includes nearly 100 different receiver models,” Madeleine Noland, president of ATSC, said. “The first affordable USB-style receivers will also soon be available from ADTH for Android and Fire TV devices. These new products will reach even more consumers, with millions already enjoying NextGen TV receivers at home.” Panasonic recently returned to the U.S. television market with several OLED models powered by Fire TV equipped with NextGen TV electronics, and the addition of RCA in 2025 will bring even more choices to consumers planning a display upgrade.

More specifically, the group said that technologies from six TV and six accessory device manufacturers are on display this week at the ATSC booth at CES, including more than a dozen different types of NextGen TV products, device software offerings from Tolka and Mirakulo, the Run3TV broadcast application, and Advanced HDR from Technicolor. NextGen TV displays from Hisense, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, RCA, and TCL are in the ATSC exhibit, as are ATSC 3.0 accessory receivers from ADTH, MyVelo, Stavix, Vbox, Zapperbox, and Zinwell.

In addition, ATSC’s NextGen TV “Wall of Champions” in its booth highlights growing investment across the ecosystem. “We invite CES attendees to experience all these innovations in person at the booth. Plan your visit for 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7, to join us for a much-deserved coffee break sponsored by Rohde & Schwarz,” Noland said.

ATSC will be showcasing NextGen TV’s ability to transmit digital data for new purposes such as digital signage. ATSC will feature a new signage kiosk equipped with everything necessary to offer messaging—including an antenna for over-the-air reception, a receiver and on-board storage and playback. In the ATSC booth, the signage kiosk managed by USSI Global will feature local headline news, traffic and weather updates, emergency alerting and advertising messages and promotions from KTVN-TV, the Las Vegas ABC affiliate owned by E.W. Scripps.

Also on display will be enhanced services from broadcasters for HDR and interactivity.

More than 200 NextGen TV services in the U.S. now include HDR, with many also adding immersive Dolby Atmos audio to daily broadcasts, the group said.

At CES, Sinclair is showing a side-by-side demonstration of the eye-popping consumer benefits of HDR, highlighting the enhanced picture quality made possible with ATSC 3.0 HDR broadcasts compared to standard ATSC 1.0 digital TV broadcasts. Local stations started adding HDR to sports broadcasts in 2024, greatly expanding offerings that take advantage of what the ATSC 3.0 standard makes possible. Today, more than 80 million viewers have access to NextGen TV with HDR.

In terms of interactivity, ATSC said that many stations are enhancing local content with the Run3TV broadcast app, which offers on-demand programming from local stations and opens the door for interactive content such as program restart and hyperlocal weather forecasts. The ATSC exhibit will also demonstrate gaming over NextGenTV by GameLoop, which is launching a new channel and its “Play Now” feature, which allows NextGen TV viewers to instantly play games showcased on the channel by using their TV remote or mobile phone.

In addition, broadcasters are also using the ATSC 3.0’s internet protocol backbone to add channels and local content streamed through internet connections, the group said.

For more information, visit www.atsc.org.

LAS VEGAS—In advance of CES 2025, the HDMI Forum has announced the upcoming release of Version 2.2 of the HDMI Specification, which delivers enhanced options for the vast HDMI ecosystem, with more advanced solutions to create, distribute and experience the best end-user outcome.

New technology enables higher quality options now and in the future for content producers such as TV, movie and game studios, while enabling multiple distribution platforms. Higher 96 Gbps bandwidth and next-gen HDMI fixed-rate link technology provide optimal audio and video for a wide range of device applications. An end user can be assured their displays will support a native video format in the best way possible and can deliver a seamless and reliable experience, the Forum said.

“The HDMI Forum’s continuing mission is to develop specifications to meet the HDMI ecosystem's growing demand for high-performance capabilities and features,” Chandlee Harrell, president of the HDMI Forum, said. “This new specification supports the fast-evolving landscape for amazing new technologies and products entering the markets now and in the future.”

Higher resolutions and refresh rates will be supported and more high-quality options will be provided. Faster 96Gbps bandwidth improves demanding data-intensive, immersive and virtual applications such as AR/VR/MR, spatial reality and light field displays as well as various commercial applications such as large scale digital signage, medical imaging and machine vision.

Also included is Latency Indication Protocol (LIP) for improving audio and video synchronization, especially for multiple-hop system configurations such as those with an audio video receiver or soundbar.

The specification includes a new Ultra96 HDMI Cable supporting 96Gbps bandwidth and enabling all the HDMI 2.2 Specification features. It is part of the HDMI Cable Certification Program requiring each model length to be tested and certified and display a Certification Label.

The new specification will be available to all HDMI 2.x adopters and they will be notified when it is released in H1 2025.

WASHINGTON—With 76% of U.S. households now able to receive a NextGen TV broadcast signal, Pearl TV and the broadcast stations who back the group have announced that a wide variety of new NextGen TV a.k.a. ATSC 3.0 technologies will be shown at this week’s CES in Las Vegas, taking place Jan. 7-10.

The show will see the introduction of new ATSC 3.0 receivers, ranging from high-end NextGen TV sets to affordable accessories that can transform Android and Fire TV devices already in consumer homes into 3.0 receivers. New interactive channels using NextGen TV broadcast, expanded support for HDR and other developments will also be on display.

“We are very excited about the expanded offerings from accessory device manufacturers for NextGen TV,” Pearl TV managing director Anne Schelle said. “The new, low-cost ADTH USB receiver, powered by Tolka, is built for existing Android and Fire TV televisions and will, at a very affordable price, expand the reach of NextGen TV into homes who already have those sets. ADTH is also about to introduce a new model that works without an internet connection and will be doing a software update for deployed ADTH devices to give them the same functionality. In addition, Zinwell is adding pause functionality to their accessory device, with an add-on hard disc drive. In 2025, RCA is also coming to market with two new NextGen TV sets that will join TV options already available from Panasonic, Sony, Samsung, Hisense, and TCL. We congratulate all of the manufacturers who are selling thousands of receivers each day to consumers looking for the best possible video and audio quality from local stations.”

During the show, attendees will also be able to see how broadcasters are loading up new services with new features for NextGen TV viewers, including interactive gaming options that will be launched by GameLoop.

GameLoop TV launches in Las Vegas on local NextGen TV channel 3.2 and will bring gaming directly to viewers with no additional hardware or subscriptions required. At the heart of GameLoop’s innovation is the channel’s exciting “Play Now” feature, which allows NextGen TV viewers to instantly play games showcased on the channel simply using their TV remote or mobile phone.

“We also salute TV broadcasters Gray and Sinclair, who are working to bring fun, interactive gaming to the living room through GameLoop—a service that utilizes NextGen TV for web-based family fun that will work seamlessly with millions of installed NextGen TV sets. Easy interactivity is literally going to be a game-changer for viewers,” Schelle predicted.

Pearl TV also reported that HDR functionality is now live on more than 200 local NextGen TV services throughout the country, with more being added to enhance viewing of key sports games and other spectacles.

Broadcasters are promoting the advantages of NextGen TV this sports season on stations throughout the country and plan to continue these promotions as they continue to rollout HDR and Dolby Atmos services nationwide.

A holiday promotion effort in NextGen TV markets that began before December continues through early February, with broadcasters now indicating onscreen to viewers when local NextGen TV programming is available in High Dynamic Range (HDR).

"We're very excited to announce that broadcast stations throughout the country are adding HDR10+ capability in their NextGen TV broadcast services to accommodate a broad array of TV manufacturers,” Schelle said. “With other flavors of HDR that also may be present in the service, this allows every receiver to present the best picture possible, showing that local television just keeps getting better and better, which is exactly what we promised with the rollout of NextGen TV services.”

In addition to providing better video quality through HDR, many markets are also adding Dolby Atmos audio coding, which delivers immersive audio capabilities.

"HDR began for sports with the Kentucky Derby last spring,” Schelle said. “It really made the Olympic Games pop with brilliant video. We know that sports is a big driver for buying new TV sets as well as for enjoying broadcast services—your favorite games look even better in High Dynamic Range.“

Pearl TV also stressed that local stations are also using ATSC 3.0 to add more channels through broadcast internet protocol, or broadcast IP. These additional channels, available as NextGen TV channels, have added more choices for viewers in a range of markets, from public to commercial broadcasters who now have their programming available for NextGen TV viewers.

Pearl TV is backed by Cox Media Group, Graham Media Group, Gray Television, Hearst Television, Nexstar Media Group, Sinclair, E.W. Scripps and Tegna.

More information is available at https://pearltv.com/for-broadcasters/.

LAS VEGAS and TORONTO—Over-the-top video solutions provider Quickplay today launched Quickplay Shorts, a tool to create and syndicate vertical short-form content from live and video-on-demand video with support for an infinite vertical scroll social media experience on the eve of CES 2025, Jan. 7-10.

Quickplay Shorts integrates seamlessly into existing OTT ecosystems and apps and enables streamers to reach and engage younger audiences to maximize monetization, the company said.

The solution makes it easier for streamers to offer short-form content. Its Shorts Creator & Syndicator tool enables OTT providers to identify, create and distribute bite-sized vertical content originating from traditional live streams and VOD content with the assistance of generative AI, it said.

The Quickplay Shorts Creator & Syndicator tool offers:

• Plug-in extensions to existing AV pipelines and workflows.
• Custom models for specific content types, such as sports and entertainment.
• Audio and video transcoding.
• Smart aspect ratio conversion to vertical format.
• Syndication to owned, third-party and social platforms.
• Automated workflow triggers.

The Shorts Frontend plug-in provides a social-like consumer experience that integrates easily into existing streamer apps. It offers:

• Vertical infinite scroll.
• Personalized feeds leveraging AI and deep learning models.
• Interactive consumer/fan engagement tools, such as likes, comments and reposts.
• “Story” formats.
• AI-powered moderation tools.
• Ad-optimization, shopping and gamification integrations.
• Optional UGC/Creator tool enablement of graphics and overlays.
• Integration with current platform analytics.

“We could see that the trend in OTT consumption has been leaning heavily towards short-form content for some time across all demographics, but with Gen Z in particular redefining new viewing habits. This change in viewing behavior requires a strategic reimagining of audience engagement,” said Paul Pastor, Quickplay co-founder and chief business officer. “Quickplay Shorts brings to market a solution that Tier 1 operators and streamers can quickly implement to captivate this evolving audience, while driving strategic promotion of long-form content and subscriptions and unlocking new revenue streams within their ecosystems.”

Quickplay has partnered with GluedIn, combining its shorts technology and personalization engine with GluedIn’s expertise in delivering dynamic, interactive solutions.

Quickplay shorts products are available in both AWS and Google Cloud (GCP) marketplaces.

More information, as well as setting up a demo at CES, is available by emailing the company.

LAS VEGAS—RCA will introduce new 55- and 65-inch NextGen TVs here at CES 2025 (Jan. 7-10) with spring availability, the company said today.

“Now that 76% of American households have access to over-the-air NextGen TV from local broadcasters RCA is proud to launch two new NextGen TV models that come fully equipped with ATSC 3.0 reception electronics,” company president Tony Bozzini said. “Broadcasters across the country are now enhancing their signals with high dynamic range [HDR], and the new sets from RCA will deliver Advanced HDR from Technicolor to provide rich, vibrant colors that will make favorite shows pop like never before.”

The 65-inch RCA NextGen TV features up to 1,500 nits of peak brightness from its 664-zone Mini-LED QLED screens and will be offered at a suggested retail price of $949.99. The 55-inch model also features up to 1,500 nits of peak brightness from its 240-zone Mini-LED QLED screen and will carry a suggested retail price of $699.99, the company said.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with RCA as they bring their new TV products to market, featuring Advanced HDR by Technicolor technology,” Rick Dumont, head of business development for HDR at Philips, said.

“This integration underscores the growing adoption of our single-layer distribution mechanism, which streamlines production and distribution while delivering a superior viewing experience,” Dumont added. “As the most widely deployed HDR format in broadcasting, especially within NextGen TV through partnerships like Sinclair, Advanced HDR by Technicolor continues to set the standard for innovation.”

The new NextGen TVs offer a 144-Hz Game Mode PRO mode and allow gaming in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, as well as HDR10+ gaming. The sets include a built-in 2.1 speaker system with a built-in subwoofer and speaker audio system that supports Dolby Atmos and DTV Virtual-X, the company said.

Both models include hands-free voice control, including Google Assistant, and are smart-home-ready with Apple Home and Google Home. Chromecast and Airplay support are built-in.

Also at CES, RCA will show its new lineup of weatherproof, durable outdoor televisions designed to operate from minus 22 degrees to 122 degrees Fahrenheit.

More information is available on the company’s website.

LAS VEGAS—Move over a step Ryan Seacrest. There’s now more to “Wheel of Fortune” than simply watching and playing along with contestants spinning the big wheel.

Thanks to GameLoop TV, local Las Vegas broadcasters and the ATSC 3.0 standard, viewers can begin playing their own “Wheel of Fortune” matches from NextGen TV sets with either their remote controls or mobile phones, GameLoop TV said.

At CES 2025 from Jan. 7-10, GameLoop TV will demonstrate interactive games from its premier partner Play Works, such as “Wheel of Fortune,” “Pac-Man” and “Tetris,” transmitted via ATSC 3.0 on channel 3.2 and being played on NextGen TVs in the ATSC booth. New games, such as “Planet Crossword,” a collaborative crossword experience designed for TV, will also be available.

Viewers accessing the channel’s “Play Now” feature can instantly begin playing games with TV remotes or via their mobile phones. Games hosts will introduce viewers to each game and invite them to begin playing.

GameLoop anticipates rolling out NextGen TV-based interactive game play in more than 50 U.S. markets this year, it said.

“We are excited to be bringing this groundbreaking ‘Play Now’ innovation to TVs nationwide,” said Zane Vella, chairman and co-founder of GameLoop TV, “and thrilled to be doing it with the innovative leaders at Sinclair and Gray.”

GameLoop TV blends the television viewing experience audiences expect with interactive game play by leveraging the ATSC 3.0 standard’s interactive support.

“GameLoop TV demonstrates the unmatched power of the NextGen TV platform to seamlessly integrate streaming video and interactive gameplay in ways that were previously unimaginable on traditional broadcast television,” Pearl TV Managing Director Anne Schelle said. “This is a game-changer for broadcasters and viewers alike.”

See GameLoop TV at the ATSC booth (20340) in the Las Vegas Convention Center Central Hall.

More information is available on the company’s website.

LAS VEGAS—Virtual production tech provider Disguise has announced that it will be working with Nikon and its subsidiary MRMC on a “Studio Extreme” demo that will showcase a turnkey virtual production studio.

Studio Extreme will take participants on a journey into virtual production, the companies said. As they step into the activation, participants will be transported to a location just outside Vegas, where they will be tasked to deliver a live news report. As a twist, the showcase will see if they are prepared for all the weather conditions that Vegas can offer.

Designed for brands looking to tell powerful stories through immersive content, the showcase or “activation” will leverage Studio Pro by Disguise, a preconfigured solution. Studio Pro combines the most advanced virtual production technology with best-in-class creative and technical services, including 24/7 support, training and installation, enabling brands to shoot commercials, social media content, internal training material or important keynote or investor presentations — all from one stage on the same day, Disguise said.

“We’ve helped deliver 400 virtual production studios in more than 100 countries, and know just how transformational they can be for brands,” Alexandra Coulson, vice president of marketing at Disguise, said. “Traditionally, however, LED technology required significant upfront training and investment, making it reserved for Hollywood studios. We are changing that. Together with Nikon and MRMC we are showcasing the possibilities at CES 2025. Attendees will experience firsthand how they can take their brand’s story to the next level, producing a versatile offering of content with our comprehensive powerhouse solution, Studio Pro.”

The technology behind the Studio Extreme activation will include:

• Studio Pro — a turnkey studio solution by Disguise
• Studio Bot LT — MRMC’s most compact robotic camera arm solution
• RED Komodo 6K camera
• Lighting by Kino Flo
• L-Acoustics spatial audio

Once they complete their weather report, visitors will receive a personalized video downloadable via a QR code.

"MRMC Broadcast is proud to be leading the development of robotic camera solutions alongside the ongoing growth of virtual production technologies,” MRMC Deputy Head of Marketing Amanda Dixon said. “The Studio Extreme activation at CES will be a fantastic demonstration of how broadcast studios can seamlessly integrate robotic solutions into their virtual and augmented reality workflows while providing precise and repeatable motion. We are excited to once again be working with Disguise to deliver this immersive experience."

The virtual production activation takes place at the Nikon booth 19504 in the Las Vegas Convention Center.

LAS VEGAS—The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) has released its final attendance data for CES 2024 that showed a 15% growth in the number of senior-level executives attending the show compared to the previous year and record participation by startups. 

Overall the third-party audit reported that the show 138,739 participants from across the globe converged in Las Vegas and a record 1442 companies exhibited on the show's startup floor, Eureka Park.

"Our annual show audit proves CES is where business gets done," said Gary Shapiro, CEO, CTA. "Executives and business decision makers see the value in face-to-face meetings and access to global media, which only a show like CES can provide. Nothing can replace these moments of serendipity."

Additional attendance numbers include:

• 56,432 (40%) international attendees, representing 161 countries, regions and territories
• 4312 registered exhibitors, a more than 10% increase year over year
• 5355 members of the media
• 302 of the Fortune Global 500 companies represented
• 191 government guests from across the globe participated in CTA's Leaders in Technology program

"We were thrilled not just to welcome more than 138,000 people to CES 2024, but to back up those numbers with an independent audit," said Kinsey Fabrizio, president, CTA. "Transparency is part of our ethos as an association, and it is a best practice for the events industry as exhibitors and attendees evaluate value and impact. By every measure, CES provides an unparalleled experience."

ARLINGTON, Va.—As technologists gather in Las Vegas for CES2024, the Consumer Technology Association is projecting that retail revenues for the U.S. consumer technology industry will grow modestly by 2.8% in 2024 to $512 billion (up $14 billion from 2023). 

The CTA is also predicting that consumers will spend $14 billion (up 6% over 2023) on audio streaming services and $48 billion (up 4%) on video streaming in 2024.

“Despite inflation in most sectors of the U.S. economy, it’s noteworthy that consumer tech products like TVs, smartphones, and gaming hardware are being bought at lower prices by consumers,” said Richard Kowalski, senior director of business intelligence at CTA. “Technology by nature is deflationary as innovation leads industries to find newer, more efficient ways to compete. Looking ahead to 2024, I expect developments in artificial intelligence will accelerate growth for consumer and enterprise technology companies as they become more efficient and find more ways to meet consumer needs.”

In its new projections for 2024, the CTA highlighted a number of trends. 

• The Year of the Megabundle: Content providers will increase their promotion of “service bundles” to draw more consumer interest. Megabundles have the potential to offer consumers discounted rates on their favorite services while also simplifying their payment process.
• Streaming Up: Consumers will spend $14 billion (up 6% over 2023) on audio streaming services and $48 billion (up 4%) on video streaming in 2024.
• Believe the AI Hype: Over 230 million smartphones and PCs shipping to the U.S. this year will tap the powers of generative AI through mobile apps, browsers and on-device software. AI is being deployed in mobility safety systems, fitness tracking apps on smartwatches and picture quality improvements on televisions.
• Gaming Hardware Boom: Product refreshes in tablets, augmented and virtual reality headsets and gaming (Major brand console refresh in 2024/2025) will boost gaming revenues in 2024. Gaming will also be amplified by 12% growth in subscription services (growing to $3.5 billion in 2024). Generative artificial intelligence is expected to improve the gaming experience while also helping developers bring games to market faster.
• Devices and Services Go Hand-in-Hand: Services continue to be an essential part of product purchase, as seen through growth in the services segment. CTA estimates that 25% of all consumer spending on tech was for various software and subscription services in 2019. In just 5 years to 2024, CTA projects the same services to be just under one-third of all consumer spending.

LAS VEGAS—In the run-up to the start of CES2024, the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) has announced that another prominent television manufacturer is joining the NextGen TV bandwagon, with TCL planning new TV models equipped with integrated NextGen TV capability.  

The group also reported that more than 100 NextGen TV products will be available for U.S. consumers this year and highlighted growing sales of 3.0 capable gear. 

The Consumer Technology Association announced industry results for 2023 sales and projections for the coming year, with the cumulative U.S. installed base of NextGen TV receivers topping 10.3 million and consumer sales of NextGen TV products expected to increase by 45% in 2024.  

In addition to TV models from Sony, Samsung, Hisense, and TCL, the number of available accessory receiver models is expected to double in 2024, to offer consumers with existing TV sets several affordable options for upgrades.

“ATSC is delighted to have more than two dozen broadcasters, technology companies, and networks supporting our CES exhibit this year,” said Madeleine Noland, president of the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC).  “With U.S. NextGen TV market launches in 2024 coming soon for Chicago, San Diego, and Tucson, we’re projecting that NextGen TV will cross the 75% household reach milestone in February – a significant achievement that also will mark 75 Nielsen broadcast markets with service. 

“Now that broadcasters have reached this important milestone, attention turns to strengthening the number of available consumer receivers and improving the viewing experience  – both of which are being showcased at the ATSC exhibit this year at CES,” she continued. “We are delighted to add TCL to the list of TV makers offering NextGen TV, joining Sony, Samsung, and Hisense. And with ADTH, Stavix, Zapperbox, and Zinwell planning to offer NextGen TV certified and security verified receivers, including some with digital video recording capability, this year is shaping up to be a big one for consumer choice,” Noland said.

“ATSC 3.0 has a global impact, too. South Korea and Jamaica are both on-air with ATSC 3.0. Trinidad & Tobago will transition in 2025. Both Brazil and India are evaluating ATSC 3.0 as a technology that can handle different technological challenges, and discussions are underway in a number of other countries that are looking for the most flexible broadcast system that easily adapts to changing needs and behaviors,” Noland added. 

The group also noted that in terms of Upgrade Accessory Receivers, four models are on display at the ATSC booth, offering a range of affordable options to consumers as they reach retail availability in 2024. Those include: 

• ADTH introduced its set-top receiver certified to use the CTA’s NextGen TV logo and verified for A3SA content security last summer, and recently expanded retail availability of its receiver through Walmart.com.
• Stavix is new to the receiver market, planning a device that will be available later this year.
• Zapperbox offers both single-tuner and dual-tuner models, including a digital video recording features with the addition of a memory card in the device.
• Zinwell is showing the first NextGen TV upgrade receiver that will operate without needing an internet connection for security verification.

The group also highlighted several features driving ATSC 3.0 adoption and outlined some of the demonstrations that will be available at CES. Those include:   

• Immersive Entertainment Experiences: Dolby Laboratories is showcasing the power of immersive entertainment through the broadcast experience. Dolby Atmos, via NextGen TV, features fully immersive accessibility, including audio description and dialog enhancement, along with High Dynamic Range (HDR) video like Dolby Vision, delivering spectacular experiences from dramas to live sports. 
• Expanding Over-the-Air OTA Sports: Local stations are now carrying games from more favorite sports teams, underscoring the popularity of live sports viewing where every screen feels like the best seat at the stadium.
• High Dynamic Range (HDR):  With broadcasters expected to offer more natively-produced HDR sports programming in 2024, the exceptional picture quality of HDR will be showcased with ATSC exhibit demonstrations from Dolby, Technicolor and HDR10+:
• Advanced HDR by Technicolor brings NextGen TV viewers the ultimate experience with vibrant, live video in HDR. At the ATSC booth, attendees will see a demonstration of Advanced HDR by Technicolor content and its innovative single-stream HDR/SDR distribution, now available all day, every day from Sinclair on NextGen TV. 
• HDR10+ Technologies LLC, an industry group with more than 150 adopters, is showing HDR video enhanced with HDR10+ Dynamic Metadata. This is shown with sports programming from FOX SPORTS encoded using a real-time ATEME encoder. HDR with dynamic metadata can be broadcast today, even with material originated in Standard Dynamic Range (SDR), without impact on workflow or bandwidth.
• Better TV with Broadcast IP: A key capability of NextGen TV is the flexibility of using the ATSC 3.0 standard’s interoperability with internet-delivered content. Demonstrations at the ATSC booth will show how broadcast IP can be used by local stations to offer more choices to viewers, advanced emergency information, unique broadcast “start over” functions, and more navigation services such as enhanced weather and additional streaming choices launched from the broadcaster’s own application platform.  
• Using the broadcast and broadband functionality of the ATSC 3.0 standard, a suite of new music video channels will be announced at CES that bring app-like interactive music features to broadcast TV for the first time with the support of one of America’s largest broadcasters.
• Global Reach:  Regulators in Brazil are evaluating the physical transmission layer of ATSC 3.0 this coming spring, having already chosen many other ATSC 3.0 technologies for their new system. India is looking at ATSC 3.0 as a potential method of transmitting television to mobile devices – by far the most prevalent way that people watch TV in that country.
• At CES, Saankhya Labs is announcing several new TV accessories, powered by the company’s demodulator. Saankhya is working closely with the government of India for a nationwide rollout of Direct-to-Mobile video services that would utilize ATSC 3.0.
• Jamaica’s new consumer-facing advertising campaign for NextGen TV will be on display as the country embarks on a broad-reaching consumer awareness campaign for its ongoing launch of ATSC 3.0 services. The campaign will include TV, radio, print and outdoor messaging.
• Future Forward: ATSC 3.0 promises to revolutionize more than just the television viewing experience. Sinclair will showcase the capabilities of ATSC 3.0 to deliver advanced and personalized audio services to the automobile, highlighting the mobile capability of the broadcast standard. 
• The Nexus Connect Connect exhibit features a dynamic marketplace ecosystem where industry players come together, discover exciting new intelligent applications and services, and deliver immersive, interactive, and personalized television experiences to viewers. 

ATSC exhibit sponsors for CES 2024 include: Sinclair, Dolby, Nexus Connect, Pearl TV, A3SA, ADTH, Alticast, Amlogic, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, LG, MediaTek, Public Media Venture Group, Rohde & Schwarz, Roxi, Saankhya Labs, Samsung, Sony, Stavix, Advanced HDR by Technicolor, Televes, Zapperbox, Zinwell, and television networks ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC.

ATSC is exhibiting in booth 19744 of the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center between Jan. 9 to 12 at the annual CES technology event.

NEW YORK—In advance of the Consumer Electronic Show (CES), NBCUniversal has unveiled new details on how it is working to redefine cross-platform, audience-based advertising for the media industry with the full-scale launch of its One Platform Total Audience. 

As part of the full launch, NBCU reported that One Platform Total Audience is now using AI-driven planning and activation technology as well as new investments in automation and data to provide brands unduplicated reach through a single media buy across platforms for  linear and streaming.

“From day one, NBCUniversal has evolved its business to connect with consumers where they are, while giving advertisers a seat at the table,” said Mark Marshall, chairman, NBCUniversal Global Advertising & Partnerships. “2024 will be a watershed year for change. Seismic shifts in measurement will throw everyone’s media mix models up in the air, presenting a singular opportunity to transact on strategic audiences and measure real KPIs for marketers. With One Platform Total Audience, we are empowering our clients to supercharge their media schedules in a whole new way and maximize the effectiveness of their ad dollars to achieve their business goals.” 

NBCU said that One Platform Total Audience was developed for marketers to create new opportunities to find scale, drive incremental reach, and keep brand safety top of mind in their cross-platform campaigns.

More specifically, the technology uses machine learning and predictive analytics to produce a single media plan across linear and streaming that targets a brand’s specific audience segment and strengthens their effectiveness. 

In addition, One Platform Total Audience has access to NBCUniversal’s entire content portfolio. The technology leverages the company's first party data, along with advertisers’ data sets, to better reach the consumers who matter most to brands at scale, NBCU reported. 

The company also noted that nearly 60% of NBCUniversal’s advertising clients use audience-based buying to drive incremental value, and there has been a continued shift to strategic audiences, with +25% growth compared to a year ago. 

NBCUniversal announced it will transact 50% of its business on strategic audiences instead of traditional demographics in 2024, meeting industry demand and enabling brands to effectively engage viewers wherever they consume content. 

The company also noted that the platform is seeing broad industry adoption. For Q1 2024, One Platform Total Audience has sold out across all major categories including tech, auto, and retail. As a result of this broad industry adoption across brands and agencies, the company will expand access to One Platform Total Audience in Q2 2024. 

New features and tech advances that are now available with the full launch of One Platform Total Audience include: 

• NEW AUTOMATION: One Platform Total Audience will utilize machine learning to automate budget allocation across linear and streaming, identifying an optimized media mix to engage marketers’ precise audience segments. NBCUniversal will also add programmatic guaranteed for media buys with One Platform Total Audience, leading to more automated and turnkey streaming activation. And to make transacting against strategic audiences simple, the company will add new buy-side automated order and workflow management.   
• ENHANCED DATA INTEROPERABILITY: With interoperability integrations across the media ecosystem, advertisers and agencies have more flexible and efficient paths to onboard their data than ever before, all built with privacy top of mind. As NBCUniversal’s streaming footprint has grown, marketers now have better match rates and more scale to reach their target audiences. 

SAN JOSE, Calif.—In the run-up to CES 2024, Roku has expanded its line-up of TVs with the announcement that it will begin offering Roku Pro Series TVs in the U.S. in the spring of 2024. 

The move expands the existing Roku-branded television lineup beyond the Roku Select and Plus Series TVs.

The Roku Pro Series, which will be available in the U.S. in spring 2024, are being offered in three sizes, 55”, 65”, and 75” and will be priced at under $1,500. 

“Roku Pro Series’ picture and audio quality, polished design, unique features, and ease-of-use bring the market leadership and innovation that Roku is known for to a TV made for streaming,” said Chris Larson, vice president, retail strategy, Roku. “As we hit 10 years of the Roku TV program, we believe this new line of TVs will set a new standard for an elevated streaming experience.”

Roku also announced that Roku Smart Picture, a new set of features, will come to the Roku TV program in spring 2024. 

Created by Roku’s Picture Quality Tuning Team for all Roku TV models, including the Roku Pro Series, Roku Smart Picture identifies what type of content is on a screen through methods including artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data from content partners to automatically adjust the picture for an optimized viewing experience – ensuring that consumers are getting the best presentation of their favorite content every time, the company said. 

For more information, visit: https://go.roku.com/pro-series. 

ARLINGTON, Va.—The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) has announced that the upcoming CES 2024 will include U.S. Senators, FCC Commissioners and other senior government officials discussing a host of policies during the tech confab in Las Vegas between Jan. 9-12. 

“We are thrilled to welcome a very impressive and influential group of government officials to CES 2024,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CTA. “We look forward to these conversations about how the tech industry can work together with key government officials to ensure that innovation continues to thrive in the United States.”   

On Friday, January 12, the CES program will feature U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) discussing the status of and outlook for key legislation affecting technology companies and American consumers. 

In addition, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, FCC Commissioners Brendan Carr and Anna Gomez, and FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter will participate in the “Conversation with a Commissioner” session, a series of one-on-one conversations, beginning on Wednesday, Jan. 10, at 10:20 a.m. PST. 

Another panel with federal officials will occur on Thursday, Jan. 11 at 10:20 a.m. PST. It will feature Anne Neuberger, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Tech, Alexander Hoehn-Saric, Chair of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and Paul Rosen, Assistant Secretary for Investment Security at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. 

Other federal officials scheduled to discuss tech policy at CES 2024 include: 

• Laurie Locascio, Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and Director, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 
• Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director, United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) 
• Dimitri Kusnezov, Under Secretary for Science and Technology, U.S. Department of Homeland Security 
• Alan Davidson, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and Administrator, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) 

These speakers join more than 160 international, federal, state and local government officials and staff who will participate in the Leaders in Technology Program and attend the Innovation Policy Summit (IPS) at CES, which convenes top innovators and policymakers to discuss the future of policy around a range of pressing technology issues, including privacy, health innovation, trade policy, competition, artificial intelligence, self-driving vehicles, and more.  

As CES 2024 is a major international event with over a third of participants coming from outside the United States and more than 150 countries represented, international policy will again be a point of significant focus. 

Owned and produced by CTA, CES 2024 will take place in Las Vegas on Jan. 9-12 with Media Days taking place Jan. 7-8. 

WASHINGTON D.C.—In the runup to CES 2024, the Pearl TV consortium of U.S. broadcast companies has released new data showing that NextGen TV broadcasts, aka ATSC 3.0, expanded dramatically in 2023 by 22% and announced that it would be demonstrating new 3.0 feature, new devices, and insights into the NextGen TV rollout at CES 2024. 

CES 2024 will be a pivotal one for NextGen TV given concerns that patent disputes could reduce the amount of NextGen TV-capable TV sets and consumer devices.

The group also announced that ATSC 3.0 broadcasts would begin in Chicago in early 2024 before the Super Bowl. 

The group noted that since the NEXTGEN TV rollout commenced in 2020, broadcasters have driven nearly 18% year-over-year growth in U.S. household access and spiking 22% in 2023 boosted by the launch of six top 20 markets. As the rollout and delivery of new features continues, NextGen TV broadcasts are on track to reach 75% of American viewers in January 2024.

Broadcaster collaboration, technical expertise and visionary investment enabled NextGen TV to reach 12 new markets in 2023 and deliver 83 free channels to viewers. Top 20 media markets launched include New York, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, Minneapolis, and Miami. NextGen TV has changed the landscape of broadcast TV to provide viewers with a future-proof and innovative way to enjoy local news, sports, and entertainment.

“2023 was a key year for major markets in their NextGen TV transition, as these six metros represent significant opportunities for viewers to enjoy the benefits of NextGen TV while also enabling broadcast innovation to flourish and preserve the role of local news and entertainment in American homes,” stated Anne Schelle, Managing Director of Pearl TV. “As 2024 approaches, it’s all about the consumer and more—more interactive features, more accessory options at retail, more broadcaster applications enabled by the RUN3TV platform, and more new markets and second sticks. CES is the perfect place to showcase what’s new and in store for consumers who are excited to be on the NextGen TV wave.”

Multiple NextGen TV features and advantages will be showcased within the Advanced Television Systems Committee booth, #19744 in the Central Hall. In addition to standalone upgrade accessory receivers, new integration options for consumer electronics manufacturers will be shown, including a new platform offered by Sony Semiconductor, Alticast, and Amlogic, a global leader in system-on-chip platforms for the smart TV market. 

Pearl TV describes highlights of demos and technologies on display at the the exhibit  as follows:

• Thrilling Over-the-Air Sports: Every game feels like a front-row seat with favorite sports teams whose games are delivered from local stations. Understanding the overarching popularity of live sports viewing, broadcasters throughout the country are expanding the range of free, over-the-air sports matchups.
• More Accessory Devices at Retail: While millions of NEXTGEN TV sets will be sold in the coming year, a new crop of NEXTGEN TV upgrade accessory receivers that are both certified to carry the NEXTGEN TV logo and also verified for content security are now available to consumers – with more options on the horizon in 2024.  A wide variety of affordable devices enable easy upgrades of existing TV sets.
• Better Picture, Better Sound: In addition to an immersive audio demonstration, the outstanding picture quality delivered by HDR through NEXTGEN TV will be highlighted as an ideal way to add color depth and brightness to broadcast images.
• Broadcast Internet Protocol (IP): Another benefit for NEXTGEN TV viewers is the availability of more viewing options through IP connections, enabling broadcasters to add services that aren’t able to transition due to spectrum constraints and opening the door to more viewing choices with the same innovative features of NEXTGEN TV.

Also on display during CES, James Xie, senior vice president of corporate business strategy at Amlogic said that “Amlogic has joined forces with Sony and Alticast to offer a high-performance reference design solution to enable faster time-to-market for ATSC 1.0/3.0 smart TVs. This turnkey solution is integrated with Sony Semiconductor’s market leading tuner/demodulator chips, as well as Alticast’s ATSC 1.0/3.0 software stack that has been validated through industry conformance testing. This collaboration ensures a seamless and high-performance foundation for next-generation smart TVs.”

In addition, the Pearl Group reported that more large markets are coming online with 3.0 broadcasts. 

“The Chicago market—a top three media market in the U.S.—will be one of the first NextGen TV launches in 2024, bringing the free service to approximately 3.6 million television households according to industry rankings, and just in time for Super Bowl LVIII, especially as live linear television has never been stronger in sports,” continued Schelle. “Unique in 2023 was the rise of second sticks in markets that have previously launched, like New York, Minneapolis, and Miami, underscoring the demand for NextGen TV from viewers, and embrace by broadcasters. These second sticks enable more stations in those markets to deliver NextGen TV services and we’ll continue to see this in 2024, when San Antonio and others launch.”

CESSON SEVIGNE, France—Broadpeak will show its video streaming lineup that ensures a high quality of experience (QoE) for live sports, better monetization for video services and reduced energy consumption at CES, Jan. 9-12, 2024, in Las Vegas.

"Enhancing monetization of video streaming services, elevating streaming quality and optimizing energy efficiency are of the utmost importance for video service providers," said Broadpeak CEO Jacques Le Mancq.

"At CES 2024 we'll showcase Broadpeak's pioneering video delivery innovation, with cloud-native solutions that allow streamers and pay-TV operators to seamlessly adapt to the ever-evolving landscape and maximize their revenues."

At CES, Broadpeak will feature its next-generation dynamic server-side ad insertion solution, which is available as a SaaS platform. It enables greater monetization, is easy-to-use and makes it fast to go to market with targeted ad delivery, the company said.

Broadpeak also will demonstrate FAST 2.0, highlighting solutions for accelerating the deployment and performance of FAST channels in partnership with OKAST, it said.

The company will demonstrate advanced solutions that deliver a superior video streaming experience to sports fans. Broadpeak will feature its CDN and nanoCDN multicast ABR solutions to show how video service providers can stream popular live events to millions of viewers with low-latency and without making extra infrastructure investments, it said.

Broadpeak also will highlight how its high-performance, energy-efficient video servers leverage multicast ABR to reduce the infrastructure required for streaming one-time, popular events, eliminating the need to dimension the network at peak, the company said.

Using Broadpeak's open CDN solution, direct-to-consumer (D2C) streamers can mutualize the use of networks, working directly with ISPs to improve sustainability, reduce video delivery costs and enhance QoE for end users, it said.

See Broadpeak during CES at The Venetian, Suite #29-116.

More information is available on the company’s website. 

LAS VEGAS—Consumer electronics manufacturers at the 2023 CES exhibited several new products that support the ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard, including televisions, set-top boxes and dongles. The products were shown at individual exhibits, private venues, and at the ATSC booth.

About a dozen products were shown at the ATSC booth that are either available, under development, or in certification. Companies involved included DigiCAP (Korea), Gaian Solutions (India, U.S.) “Mobius,” LowaSIS (Korea), Tolka (U.S.), VBox (Israel), ZapperBox (U.S.), and Zinwell (Taiwan). All of these are in the pipeline to be certified as “NextGen TV” products (more on that later). 

A Variety of Options
These products, listed as “NextGen TV accessory receivers,” are intended to provide a backward-compatible solution for existing non-ATSC-3.0 televisions. The solutions vary, with some being fully-integrated set-top boxes, and others being smaller form-factor dongles. All of the units accept an RF input from a separate antenna, by means of an F-connector, and provide an audio/video output by means of either an HDMI jack (for a box) or a USB plug (for a dongle). 

It could not be determined whether any of the devices could provide a WiFi connection to other nearby devices; such a connection is understood to be available on other devices not in the ATSC booth. The dongles would, of course, interface with a PC, which then requires an appropriate app for display of content.

Unofficially, the products were described as having expected street prices of “sub-$100” for dongles, and “sub-$200” for set-top boxes. The price difference comes from the increased functionality of some of the set-tops, which often include two tuners plus storage for time-shifting.

Also shown or described at the ATSC booth were similar products from CeWi Networks (U.S.), and Saankhya Labs (India). At its own exhibit, Hisense—which joined the ranks of 3.0 television manufacturers LG, Samsung and Sony supporting NextGen TV in 2022—announced new products carrying the NextGen TV logo.  

Among the new products announced at the show was the “TennaTV,” a turnkey ATSC 3.0 and ATSC 1.0 tuner solution based on combined technology from China-based chipmaker Geniatech and Bitrouter, a Des Moines, Iowa-based software developer. The ATSC tuner is certified for Dolby MS12v2 and Dolby AC-4. It uses Geniatech's ATV698 MAX set-top box platform running Android 11 and BitRouter's ATSC 3.0/1.0 TennaTV system. The TennaTV system includes a full-featured app with back-end cloud support for software updates, device management and subscription management, according to the companies.

The ATV698 MAX platform with TennaTV is expected to be available with support for DVR and ATSC copy protection during the second quarter of 2023.

Certification Promises Feature Uniformity
By now, many readers will have seen the term “NextGen TV,” but may not know what that literally means. The NextGen TV logo is licensed by the Consumer Technology Association, and its use on a product is strictly controlled by the CTA, which owns that trademark. 

In 2019, the ATSC asked CTA to implement an ATSC 3.0 nomenclature and logo development program. Through extensive collaboration with the consumer electronics and broadcasting industries, and after several rounds of consumer research, the CTA’s Video Division Board approved the NextGen TV name and logo for consumer technology products optimized for the new ATSC 3.0 standard; example products now include 4K Ultra HD TVs, gateway receivers and portable devices.

In order to carry out logo certification and conformance testing, a specification has been developed by CTA, which worked with numerous parties including ATSC through its “Conformance Implementation Team.” It should be noted that neither CTA nor ATSC are performing device or system testing, which is being carried out by one or more third-party laboratories. The test suite currently includes over 135 tests covering 150 unique requirements across audio, video, captions, interactivity, service changes and more, and is available from CTA to manufacturers interested in participating in the logo licensing program. It is expected that the test suite will be updated over time, as the standards and deployed implementations evolve.

Jamaican Interest
In late 2021, the government of Jamaica announced that they would convert their analog NTSC  broadcasting infrastructure to ATSC 3.0—bypassing ATSC 1.0 entirely. One consequence of this decision is that the availability of low-cost ATSC devices is extremely important to the transition, since some proportion of Jamaican citizens will be strained to purchase a new integrated television that supports ATSC 3.0. 

Such was the case in the United States during its analog-to-digital transition with ATSC 1.0, when Congress authorized (and NTIA executed a program to define and distribute) a Coupon-Eligible Converter Box that was subsidized by taxpayers in the form of a $40 discount coupon.  With some boxes available at that time at that price, the coupon could essentially subsidize a free box.

Although it is not known whether the Jamaican government—or broadcasters—can or will subsidize a similar converter box, the target of low cost remains critical, and work is underway to define the minimum features required in such an initial product.

‘Chicken and Egg’
The transition to ATSC 3.0 shares many of the hurdles of the previous analog-to-digital transition, especially in the U.S., including the proverbial chicken-and-egg situation, vis-a-vis broadcasting deployment and consumer electronics product marketing. 

Set-top boxes and dongles may fill a need that addresses the desirability or affordability of a new television receiver, but there is one key factor in the U.S. NextGen TV transition that makes it different from the one a decade and half ago: The FCC has not mandated an end date to ATSC 1.0 transmissions—and thus there is no coupon program—and that means there is no hard incentive for U.S. consumers to shell out for a new ATSC 3.0 set or adapter, other than the advanced features it would provide. 

And despite December FCC figures touting signal availability in 68 markets reaching half of all U.S. homes, the only CE manufacturer currently putting ATSC 3.0 decoders in all of its sets remains Sony. (I did hear from a reliable source that at least one of the other majors is planning “a big splash” at NAB; too bad it wasn’t done at CES.)

Bundled into this conundrum is the relative lack of consumer awareness, which means a stronger message must come from both broadcasters and CE manufacturers, but the latter suffers from the problem of innovation without causing legacy product cannibalization. The situation was different in 2009, because the FCC had mandated two years earlier that all new TV receivers must include digital (i.e., ATSC) tuners.

With at least one major broadcaster in the New York City DMA having announced its plans to transition to ATSC 3.0, the tipping point may be imminent.

LAS VEGAS—For the first time since 2020, I was back attending the CES in Las Vegas and once again on the lookout for all things related to NextGen TV. But while my mission was to investigate NextGen TV, I had no expectations of seeing banners and displays at any manufacturer’s booth touting ATSC 3.0.

I had a discussion with ATSC President Madeleine Noland at its booth, which was designed to act as the source of all things ATSC. Over the years, CES has greatly expanded its focus, showing all kinds of technologies and while there may be a theme to the overall show, it is unusual to have any single technology permeate the event—which is why having an ATSC presence at the show is vital. My experience has been that even if there is a hot technology at the show, that doesn’t guarantee it will be a hit or last…3DTV comes to mind.

On day one of the show, I, along with my colleagues Merrill Weiss, Karl Paulsen, set out to look at displays. This is kind of the habit that the three of us got into pre-pandemic and I was happy to pick it back up. While we all know that NextGen TV capabilities can and will extend beyond the traditional TV set, there is no doubt that the initial first impact will be through the television whether it is by true UHD or 1080p with HDR and immersive sound.

New Wireless Tech
Our first stop was LG where the big item was the 97-inch LG Signature OLED M Wireless TV. This 4K display was absolutely beautiful when it came to delivering picture quality but what set it apart was the separate AV interface box that wirelessly connected to the display eliminating all of the HDMI, RF, and audio/video cabling. The control head can be placed in a discrete location and only a power connection needs to be run to the display, certainly simplifying and enabling a very clean installation. Judging from all the accolades that this display received, I am not alone at being impressed.

LG wasn’t the only “wireless” television offering on the floor. Displace, a smaller manufacturer was showing a true wireless television that not only removed all the signal cables but also the power cable as well. The 55-inch display is powered by up to four large hot swappable batteries located at the corners of the display. The control head wasn’t on display but is essentially a computer that connects to the set using Wi-Fi 6e.

The display incorporated a camera and uses hand gestures for remote control as well as seamless transitioning from one Displace display to another as one travels around the home. According to the booth personnel that I spoke with, assuming one watched the TV for six hours a day, the batteries would last 30 days. The set will also work with only one battery.

Probably the standout display technology from my CES experience was Hisense. They had a wide array of mini-LED televisions that had amazing visual performance. Obviously, the content shown was designed to demonstrate the exceptional performance of the mini-LED’s as were all of the other manufacturers, but there was just something about their displays that made them noticeably more vibrant. I spent time in their living room showcase where, in addition to demonstrating Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision IQ, and Technicolor Advanced HDR, they were also showing NextGen TV reception of the local Sinclair station in Las Vegas.

New in NextGen TV
I have a personal and professional interest in wanting to know more about NextGen TV gateway devices and set-top boxes. The Des Moines market is getting ready to turn on ATSC 3.0 in March and Iowa PBS’s KDIN is one of the stations slated to participate. As with the DTV conversion, many viewers will want to have a way to receive NextGen TV and display it on their existing television and wireless devices. 

At home I have a pair of Silicon Dust HDHomeRun units (which support 3.0), feeding into my home network, but these devices do not have HDMI outputs for connecting directly to a set which I think is critical to widespread adoption. In the ATSC booth it was good to see several working set-top boxes as well as some true dongle devices, all selectable on a real display. While not all the units on display were shipping, there didn’t appear to be any science experiments in the case, just well thought-out products.

Immersive Audio
Two of the tangential demonstrations that I got to experience were demonstrations of both Atmos and MPEG-H immersive audio in vehicles. The first was the Dolby Atmos demonstration which was amazing. In many of the audio journals and magazines I have read about recording studios converting to Atmos and creating immersive mixes, but this was my first chance to experience the finished product. 

Sitting in a Mercedes EQS listening was a little overwhelming, so I didn’t think of my questions until much later. Towards the end of the day, I had a demonstration of immersive MPEG-H audio in an Audi at the Fraunhofer exhibit. Again, the demonstration was impressive, but I was a little more prepared to ask questions. 

Talking with the Fraunhofer engineer I was amazed to find out that an MPEG-H immersive audio feed like the one I had just experienced consumed about 300 kilobits of data capacity. While I know there are back-office data businesses that are under consideration for NextGen TV, perhaps among the services to be considered might be some immersive audio. Classical music has never drawn a huge audience, but it has drawn a small but loyal listenership that may not want to subscribe to a paid service, but they do send in thank you gifts. 

For me personally, I am hoping for an Atmos or MPEG-H remix of Dark Side of the Moon. "There is no dark side of the moon really. Matter of fact it's all dark."

DALLAS—Over the past seven years, U.S. households with broadband subscriptions have increased ownership of smart TVs from 38% to 63%, illustrating the trend towards TVs with integrated operating systems and away from peripherals. 

That’s according to the latest research from Parks Associates, which released its OTT Video Market Tracker at CES 2023 last week. The report highlights how companies like Roku and others have transformed the role of the TV in the home by marrying entertainment with connected home functions. Roku announced at CES 2023 it would manufacture its own line of smart TVs this year, and many companies showed off new TV technologies.

(Read also: Sharp Plans to Enter U.S. Smart TV Market With New Sets Based on Roku's New 'OLED Reference Design')

"Smart TVs are part of the modern home; this device will be a key element of an integrated whole-home entertainment vision going forward," said Elizabeth Parks, President, Parks Associates. "New applications and integration are bringing together the smart home and entertainment ecosystems to further monetize its user base and have more control of the data in the home."

Parks Associates research shows 87% of U.S. Internet households have at least one streaming service. At CES, many companies announced new smart TVs and seek to  leverage the operating system as much as the hardware for future applications. TV manufacturers and tech giants, such as Amazon, Apple, Google, and Samsung, are building smart home controls into the TV, transforming this device into a home control platform.

Parks notes that the trend will only accelerate. “Connected device owners now have an average of 16 connected devices in the home, and the desire for a single access control point is at the top of their wants,” the researcher said.

LAS VEGAS—CES 2023 ended with total attendance topping 115,000 industry professionals, making it the largest audited global tech event since early 2020, the Consumer Electronics Association (CTA) reported. 

The organizers also reported that the event attracted more than 3,200 exhibitors, including 1000 startups.  

CES will return to Las Vegas, January 9-12, 2024.

"CES 2023 was the great reconnection and rocked by every measure - from attendance to the keynote stage to press conferences and product debuts on the exhibit floor – showing the entire world that in-person events are BACK!" said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CTA. "The innovation unveiled this week will drive economic growth and change in meaningful ways to improve our lives and create a better future for the next generation."

Other key numbers from the event included:

• Nearly 2.2 million net square feet of exhibits (70% larger than CES 2022).
• 3200+ exhibitors, including 1000 new exhibitors.
• Over 115,000 attendees (pre-audit figures).
• Over 40,000 international attendees from more than 140 countries (pre-audit figures).
• 4800 global media from 69 number of countries (pre-audit figures).
• 60% of Fortune 500 companies represented.

LAS VEGAS—Amino announced a long-term deal with Xperi to supply Android TV certified set top boxes to operator customers of Xperi's TiVo Managed IPTV Service (formerly MobiTV). 

As part of the agreement, Amino has integrated its certified Android TV operator tier set-top box with the TiVo service to offer a managed device alternative and support for North American customers.

TiVo Managed IPTV Service enables broadband and cable providers to cost-efficiently deliver a next-gen video service while offering competitive features and the opportunity to roll out new video strategies, the companies said. 

Operators can build their service based on the Amino Amigo 7X Android TV set-top, which gives them a sleek, compact device that provides access to linear channels and streaming apps, the companies reported. 

The integrated solution is backed by Amino’s SaaS platform for centralized device management, Amino Engage, combined with its highly regarded customer support and maintenance services.

“The TiVo Managed IPTV Service continues to be a popular option for tier II and III operators because of its fully featured, end-to-end capabilities. So it makes sense that we’d integrate our managed Amigo 7X set-top to provide operators best-of-breed options when launching new video services,” said Donald McGarva, CEO of the Amino Group. “Amino has been a trusted brand in the region for nearly 25 years, so we are excited to broaden our footprint in North America.”

The TiVo-Amigo 7x integrated solution is available to all existing customers and to operators looking to meet current consumer demands through a cost-effective video platform. Amino’s managed device and support offers a sustainable upgrade path to support the latest service features to help operators maintain a competitive edge.

Amino is demonstrating its Amigo 7X set-top features at CES 2023.

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Xperi’s TiVo subsidiary and European TV manufacturer Vestel have announced a multi-year, multi-country and multi-million-unit agreement to create the first "Powered by TiVo" smart TVs. 

The new TV are expected to ship as early as spring 2023 featuring chipsets from MediaTek, a global fabless semiconductor company. The TVs will be sold to consumers in the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Turkey under such brands as Vestel, Daewoo, Regal, Hitachi, Telefunken and JVC.

During IFA 2022, Xperi announced the launch of its independent media platform and selected Vestel as its first original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partner. 

Vestel will be utilizing the new TiVo OS that provides OEMs significantly more control over the user experience to drive brand awareness, engagement and monetization at scale. 

"At Xperi, we have built a platform that can deliver better viewer engagement with an unbiased, content-first user experience, where Live Hybrid TV and streaming services fully integrate in a personalized way that makes it easy to find, watch and enjoy content across siloed ecosystems," said Jon Kirchner, chief executive officer, Xperi. "Unlike existing platforms, which are largely built around walled gardens, we enable TV OEMs to brand the experience, retain customer ownership and participate in the long-term CTV monetization throughout the lifecycle of TV ownership. We are pleased to partner with Vestel to bring smart TVs to market that enable consumers to cut through the clutter of streaming and linear content options with a simplified, universal discovery."

"As the number of available video services continues to increase, content discovery remains a top pain point for consumers when searching across different video content services," said Turan Erdoğan, chief executive officer, Vestel. "We're excited to partner with a company that shares our customer first values and to introduce our new line of Powered by TiVo smart TVs to provide consumers the experience they want."

TiVo OS will incorporate TiVo+, a free content network that provides consumers access to more than 160+ free channels and 100,000 hours' worth of content. 

The company also announced that it will add Stingray to the content lineup now available on a global basis for TiVo OS and beyond - adding 26 channels from Stingray to the TiVo+ content network.

"Stingray is very pleased to be a launch partner with TiVo and Vestel as part of this dynamic platform. The breakthrough TiVo user experience makes our premium music and lifestyle content more accessible to our viewers. Discovery has never been simpler, and recommendations put the right content in front of the right audience," said David Purdy, chief revenue officer of Stingray. "In a world of increased streaming services, TiVo delivers content in a personal way to consumers so the experience is about what they like and what they will discover next." 

LAS VEGAS—Although TV has been “wireless” since the inception of over-the-air broadcast TV, a new kind of “wireless” is grabbing the attention of CES 2023 attendees. The new wireless technology involves truly wireless in house reception, with the goal of reducing wire clutter and eliminating the growing number of HDMI inputs in today’s large flat screens. 

India-based startup Displace TV previewed its new wireless TV in a press release in December, when it announced its debut at this week’s CES. 

“Unlike any other TVs currently available in the market, the Displace 55" 4K TVs are powered by a proprietary hot-swappable battery system, lightweight at under 20 lbs., transportable and can be easily secured to any surface with no mounting required, using Displace TV's proprietary active-loop vacuum technology… which with a slight push will magically stick to the wall,” the company said in its press release. 

The company said its new design would help eliminate or reduce the problems of mounting flat screen TVs that can create wire clutter and even damage walls. It also does away with physical remote controls in favor of hand gestures and even facial recognition to control the TV so it can operate seamlessly when viewers move from any one room with a Displace TV. A button on top of the Displace TV also enables the feature to be switched off for privacy. 

All Displace TVs wirelessly connect to a base unit that can be plugged into an electrical outlet and kept inside a closet or anywhere within the home. To connect, it uses the newly released Wi-Fi 6E protocol, which operates 6-gigahertz (GHz) band, a new swath of unlicensed spectrum. 

"Displace completely reinvents the television with its hardware and software technologies, and user interfaces that will not only change the way people enjoy entertainment in their homes, but will also advance the entire television industry," said founder and CEO Balaji Krishnan. "We envision a world with multiple displays on walls delivering significant value to the consumers wherever they are inside their homes. To achieve this vision, it's important to re-architect television by eliminating all common frustrations and making it extremely easy to secure televisions on any surface inside homes. By realizing this vision, Displace is effectively creating the next computing platform and the potential applications are limitless."

The 55-inch display is also modular, which means it can be used in combination with multiple Displace displays to form any size TV, the company said.

Displace TVs also eliminate the power cord with multiple rechargeable batteries that can be popped in and out individually. Batteries can also be charged one at a time while the TV remains fully operational using Displace's proprietary hot-swappable battery system. Each Displace TV averages about a month of total battery life for an average usage of six hours of active TV time per day, the company said.

Reservations for Displace TV are available now on the Displace website, with a fully refundable deposit. They will be available to ship by late 2023.

For an up close and personal view of the Displace TV, check out TV Tech sister brand Tom's Guide's coverage.

Also at CES, LG is showing a wireless 97-inch OLED TV that uses a base station that can be placed up to 30 feet away from the display. The top of the box can be rotated according to where the TV is placed in the area, according to CNET. 

The box includes standard TV inputs including HDMI, Ethernet, USB, antenna and serial port and the signal can handle up to up to 4K, 120Hz resolution. Unlike Display’s battery setup, however LG retains the traditional power cord.

While both Samsung and LG announced in 2021 that their high-end TVs would be certified for Wi-Fi 6E, this year's model from LG is believed to be the first out of the gate from a major TV manufacturer to implement it as part of a wireless TV product.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa.—Xumo Enterprise, the business-to-business arm of the streaming platform joint venture between Comcast and Charter, has announced an expanded suite of tools and services to simplify the creation, management and monetization of free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST).

The launch of the expanded FAST channel tools from Xumo come at a time when more streamers are looking to supplement their subscription services with free programming and the launch of FAST services is becoming becoming an increasingly popular way for content owners and advertisers to reach new viewers.

“Since 2016 we have powered many of the leading FAST channels and services globally, and today’s announcement provides the growing industry with even more tools to maximize an existing FAST offering or create a new one,” said Stefan Van Engen, vice president of content acquisition and programming, Xumo.

As part of the new solution suite, Xumo Enterprise is now offering content owners the ability to manage their own FAST channels within its reimagined content management system (CMS) designed to make channel management for the emerging FAST business simple and intuitive. 

Xumo announced that the PGA Tour is the first content partner to utilize Xumo Enterprise’s CMS to manage its FAST channel across available platforms. Capabilities of the CMS include building a programming schedule, managing ad loads, and gaining viewing and engagement insights.

“Our FAST channel has seen rapid growth over the past year – we’ve added more programming from our archives, expanded to new platforms and increased overall engagement,” said Tom Jeffs, vice president of media business development, PGA Tour. “Xumo Enterprise’s CMS solution has been a great asset for us, giving us a simple way to nimbly program and manage our FAST channel as an extension of our broader storytelling efforts.”

Xumo Enterprise’s CMS offering enhances and extends the company’s existing enterprise solutions, which saw unprecedented growth in 2022 as FAST adoption within the industry soared. Xumo reported that the company delivered 65% more streaming hours to its enterprise customers in 2022 than it did the year prior.  

Xumo Enterprise’s existing suite of software and technology solutions include:

• FAST channel syndication. Global ad-supported and subscription-based streaming services can partner with Xumo Enterprise to distribute FAST channels within their experience, choosing from Xumo’s library of 250+ premium, quality content partnerships.
• Linear channel creation and distribution. Xumo Enterprise’s CMS enables content owners to create, program and distribute their own branded FAST channels. Its best-in-class linear play out technology reaches 30+ countries.
• Monetization and optimized ad insertion. The proprietary ads management system (AMS) and server-side ad insertion (SSAI) solutions offered by Xumo Enterprise ensures content owners and streaming platforms can successfully reach new and larger audiences while building their respective businesses.
• Yield management and data insights. A new solution from Xumo Enterprise, content partners can now directly control and manage the ad load and frequency alongside engagement for their linear channel.
• White-labeled streaming service. Xumo is the only FAST solution provider that has the tech stack to develop white-labeled streaming services for OEMs and distributors customized to individual audiences and business needs.

ATLANTA & LAS VEGAS—Cox Communications announced the successful national launch of Cox Mobile, the company's new mobile phone service available to Cox Internet customers in Cox markets nationwide at this year’s CES.

With unlimited talk and text and no term agreements, Cox Mobile offers consumer two data plans—a Pay As You Gig and a Gig Unlimited plan. Customers also have access to a network with unbeatable 5G reliability, as well as the ability to stay connected with Cox Internet at home and with more than 4 million of Cox's on-the-go wifi hotspots, the company reported during a breakfast event in Las Vegas announcing the service and some of its other plans for the year..

"The convergence of wired and mobile communications has never been more important. Customers recognize Cox as a reliable provider of connectivity, so introducing a mobile phone offering was a natural extension of our services," said Mark Greatrex, president of Cox Communications. "With Cox Mobile, we are offering new mobile phone options for consumers; ones that offer flexibility, reliability and the opportunity to save money."

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. & WINSBORO, S.C.—Xumo and the Chinese manufacturer Element Electronics announced plans at CES 2023 to launch a new line of 4K Ultra HD smart TVs across the U.S. in 2023. 

Xumo is a streaming platform joint venture between Comcast and Charter and the new deal to create Element Xumo TVs is part of their plans to develop and offer a next-generation streaming platform on a variety of branded 4K streaming devices and smart TVs. 

“Element is proud to partner with Xumo to bring an advanced streaming platform to market and offer another smart TV solution to our customers and consumers,” said Vlad Kazhdan, president, Element Electronics. “We look forward to building our brand partnership and providing consumers access to amazing technology and content at an incredible value.”

“Element and Xumo share a common vision of delivering consumers premium, innovative entertainment experiences at a tremendous value,” said Marcien Jenckes, president, Xumo. "With the addition of Element to the lineup of Xumo-powered streaming devices and smart TVs later this year, we will provide consumers across the country another great, affordable way to enjoy all their favorite entertainment within our award-winning experience."

The companies said that Element Xumo TVs will be built on Comcast’s flexible and scalable global technology platform, which currently powers tens of millions of entertainment devices. The smart TVs will join a growing portfolio of products soon to be made available under the new Xumo brand, including XClass TV and Flex, a 4K streaming device Xfinity offers to its broadband customers, the companies said. 

Element Xumo TVs will launch in select U.S. retail locations in a range of sizes and price points later in 2023.

SAN FRANCISCO—Samba TV has announced a new multi-year research and development (R&D) venture with TCL that the companies say will focus on the development and deployment of  advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and content analytics to TCL TVs and make features of Samba AI, a suite of advanced AI and machine learning (ML) technologies available worldwide.

“From pioneering the first content recognition algorithms in Connected TVs, to innovating the next gen Smart TV experience powered by artificial intelligence, today’s announcement builds on Samba TV’s history of innovation and opens the door to an entirely new and exciting future where advanced AI will become the foundation of the television viewing experience," said Samba TV CEO and co-founder Ashwin Navin. "Together with TCL, we are committed to driving the industry into the future where the living room experience is personal, interactive, and immersive,” 

“TCL is excited to partner with an industry leader like Samba TV that continues to shape the future of television. Together we look forward to building a new generation of connected TV with a more seamless experience for viewers to drive deeper engagement,” said Shaoyong Zhang, CEO of TCL Electronics. “Samba TV’s transformative AI technology will provide tremendous new capabilities that will both delight the consumer and provide exciting new possibilities for TCL to deliver new experiences and new revenue streams."

The companies explained that the partnership will accelerate the development of Smart Screen — a next generation viewing experience for consumers with on-screen content information and recommendations, powered by Samba AI and content identification. 

Samba TV’s AI and ML technology intelligently deconstructs the on-screen content in real-time, identifying actors and actresses, brands, and products that appear as well as in-scene music and other viewing recommendations, the companies explained. 

In addition to content recognition advances, Samba TV and TCL will be unveiling Gesture Control at this year's CES. It allows viewers to seamlessly interface with the display by simply using hand movements launch a more interactive viewing experience. 

This underlying platform also powers an array of new consumer experiences, including Smart Screen, which enables TV owners to receive the benefit of new innovations over the lifetime of the device much like the continuous updates one expects from next generation automobiles that are connected and constantly learning and evolving with more usage data, the companies said. 

Samba TV and TCL will unveil the first version of these capabilities in a joint presentation with TCL at the Consumer Electronics Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center (Tech East, Central Hall, booth # 16915 and 16937).

LAS VEGAS—Hisense, Sinclair Broadcast Group and Advanced HDR By Technicolor are demoing technologies at CES 2023 showcasing high dynamic range (HDR) programming using NextGen TV, aka ATSC 3.0, broadcasts.  

Sinclair Broadcast Group is delivering high dynamic range content broadcast over the air to Hisense TVs that have integrated Advanced HDR by Technicolor solutions on display at the Hisense booth located at Tech East, LVCC, Central Hall – 16659. 

Currently 36 NextGen Broadcast (ATSC 3.0) stations owned by Sinclair transmit over-the-air content in HDR 24 hours a day, seven days a week, using Advanced HDR by Technicolor solutions. 

“The integration of Advanced HDR by Technicolor into Hisense TVs -- a brand that is rapidly growing in the United States -- means more viewers will be able to enjoy vibrant HDR content offered by leading broadcasters, such as Sinclair,” said Tony Bozzini, head of business development for Advanced HDR by Technicolor at Philips. 

The single-stream solution from Advanced HDR by Technicolor uses metadata to upconvert legacy standard dynamic range (SDR) content to HDR on devices like the U7K and U8K models of Hisense TVs, which can decode the metadata and display the enhanced signal, greatly increasing the viewing experience compared to SDR. Meanwhile, households that still need to purchase TVs capable of displaying content in Advanced HDR by Technicolor can continue to receive the highest quality SDR signal. 

“Hisense is committed to providing the best possible picture quality to consumers. With leading broadcasters, like Sinclair, offering a growing array of HDR content, especially live sports, Hisense ensures those in service areas of Sinclair’s increasing number of deployed NextGen Broadcast stations can access and enjoy the full visual benefits offered by the latest technological innovations”, said David Gold, President of Hisense USA. 

The companies noted that live sports remain a key differentiator for major broadcasters. Including Advanced HDR by Technicolor in the ATSC 3.0 standard ensures broadcasters remain the top choice for viewing live sporting events. 

“For broadcasters who put the customer experience at the top of the list, delivering the best visual image is essential. This is especially true when it comes to broadcasting live sporting events. That is why Sinclair Broadcast Group is ensuring that stations implementing ATSC 3.0 do so with Advanced HDR by Technicolor,” said Mark Aitken, senior vice president of technology for Sinclair Broadcast Group and president of ONE Media 3.0.

The demo is available at the Hisense booth located at Tech East, LVCC, Central Hall – 16659. 

LAS VEGAS—China-based chipmaker Geniatech and Bitrouter, a Des Moines, Iowa-based software developer, have announced the availability of TennaTV, a turnkey ATSC 3.0 and ATSC 1.0 tuner solution based on combined technology from the two companies. The solution, introduced at CES 2023, (Jan 5-8), includes hardware, software and back-end support that enable fast deployment of rich viewing experiences for ATSC tuner devices.

The ATSC tuner is certified for Dolby MS12v2 and Dolby AC-4. It uses Geniatech's ATV698 MAX set-top box platform running Android 11 and BitRouter's ATSC 3.0/1.0 TennaTV system. The TennaTV system includes a full-featured app with back-end cloud support for software updates, device management and subscription management, according to the companies.

The ATV698 MAX can be seen at Geniatech booth 52729 at the Venetian Expo Hall at CES. The ATV698 MAX platform with TennaTV is expected to be available with support for DVR and ATSC copy protection during the second quarter of 2023.

BitRouter's founder and president, Gopal Miglani, said, "The ATV698 MAX with TennaTV offers a path to NextGen TV logo-certified accessories for the existing installed base of over 300 million TV receivers within the United States. It offers unparalleled picture quality for 4K and upconverted 4K outputs."

Geniatech's founder and president, Jijun Fang, said, "The ATV698 MAX offers a flexible platform with single-, dual- and quad-tuner options, Dolby AC-4 audio and DVR with USB 3.0, USB 2.0, micro-SD card, Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth interfaces. This hardware, combined with BitRouter's TennaTV system is a powerful solution that enables broadcasters and product manufacturers to bring the ATSC 3.0 viewing experience to their customers."