The interest in ATSC 3.0 in the United States is so strong, that one might assume that it is being reflected in other parts of the world. 

However, the standard has only officially been adopted by Korea, Jamaica and the Republic of Trinidad-Tobago. But as other larger countries including Brazil, Canada and India illustrate, each nation has its own approach to next-generation broadcast TV. (Note: “NextGen TV” is the U.S. brand of ATSC 3.0.)

Brazil Designing Transmission System
Although Brazil has not selected ATSC 3.0 or any other predefined advanced terrestrial TV standard, a group of Brazilian broadcasters, manufacturers and academics called the Fórum do Sistema Brasileiro de TV Digital Terrestre (“SBTVD Forum”) has launched the “TV 3.0” project. This made-in-Brazil, custom-designed, next-generation terrestrial digital TV system uses a hybrid broadcast/wireless broadband delivery approach, which the SBTVD Forum is promoting to the Brazilian federal government for adoption.

“The intention is to design a new state-of-the-art terrestrial TV system that improves upon the current Brazilian DTV system, via a non-backward-compatible transition,” said Skip Pizzi, chair of ATSC’s Brazil Implementation Team. “TV 3.0 is being designed to provide greater OTA robustness and spectrum efficiency, higher audio and video qualities, greater flexibility for broadcasters and more choice for Brazil’s TV consumers, improved accessibility and emergency information features, along with expansion of the current Brazilian TV system’s interactive capabilities.”

This being said, the SBTVD Forum has already recommended using some core elements of ATSC 3.0 in its made-in-Brazil platform. They include ATSC 3.0’s ROUTE/DASH Transport system, its MPEG-H Audio system, IMSC1 Captions system, and the ATSC 3.0 Advanced Emergency Alerting system, along with some elements of ATSC 3.0’s Video-HEVC system. 

“The Forum continues to evaluate proposals for TV 3.0’s OTA Physical Layer and its Application Coding system, for which ATSC 3.0’s proposals remain in the running,” Pizzi added. “ATSC is assisting Brazil in the ongoing development of its TV 3.0 system. Like all proponents to the TV 3.0 process, ATSC has agreed that if any of its proposed technologies were selected by the SBTVD Forum, we would assist in the drafting of the TV 3.0 standard specifications, operational guidelines, and conformance documentation, which we are currently engaged with on the Audio, Video and Captions specifications.”

Pizzi said that an end-to-end demonstration of the complete TV 3.0 system is expected by August 2024 and expected to launch in 2025, “although spectrum allocations for the new service remain TBD,” he added.

The popularity of over-the-air Brazilian TV makes this a worthwhile investment for broadcasters. “It’s essentially the opposite of the U.S. situation, in that Brazil’s OTA TV usage accounts for about 85% of viewing, while pay TV’s penetration is only around 15%,” Pizzi explained. “As well, the overall market size is quite large, at around 70 million TV households and growing, with Brazil’s per-capita TV viewing second only to the U.S. in the Western Hemisphere, and fifth-ranked among all countries in the world.”

Canada: Integrating 3.0 and 5G
To support research into ATSC 3.0 multi-sectoral applications in Canada, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) has awarded a C$4.5 million grant (US$3.34 million) to Humber College to create Canada’s first Broadcast-Broadband Convergence B²C Lab in Toronto. It is headed up by Humber B²C Lab Director Orest Sushko.

“We are a 100% front-facing industry research lab,” said Sushko. “We are able to provide insights through ATSC 3.0 innovations in our lab that can inform and support new provisions in broadcast regulatory policy.”

To pursue its ATSC 3.0 research, the Humber B²C Lab has been equipped with an ATSC 3.0 IP-based broadcast ecosystem and a 5G core network, allowing its personnel to explore convergence of these two data delivery systems. The lab also has an RF anechoic chamber to support the development and testing of a wide range of wireless devices and prototypes.

As well, having been granted the first and only ATSC 3.0 experimental broadcasting license in Canada, the Humber B²C Lab has deployed a custom multiple transmitter/antenna ATSC. 3.0 over-the-air test bed covering the Toronto area.

As for the role of Canadian broadcasters in this process? “They can help advance research using the television spectrum that could be supported by government regulators,” Sushko replied. “This could bring forth new conversations about developing more efficient use of that spectrum through ATSC 3.0.”

“Our broadcasters are very supportive of the research work that we’re undertaking, as they continue to learn more about the standard,” he added. “They’re watching the U.S. rollout and still determining what sort of resources they’re prepared to put into ATSC 3.0.”

South Korea: a True ATSC 3.0 Pioneer
The Republic of Korea (aka South Korea) was the first to launch ATSC 3.0 in 2017 to deliver better video and audio quality to OTA viewers in its largest urban areas, using the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang to promote its 4K capabilities. Today, this country is extending ATSC 3.0 coverage to medium and small cities, according to Dr. Sung-Ik Park, the Republic of Korea’s Project Leader of ATSC 3.0 Physical Layer, for the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), a government-funded research organization.

“Korea is the most advanced country in terms of SFN [single frequency network] design and optimization,” he said. “For example, KBS [Korea Broadcasting System], the largest broadcaster in Korea, constructed a national SFN with more than 20 transmitters and is installing more transmitters for better coverage and field strength. Furthermore, Korea is testing MIMO and Channel Bonding technologies for future applications such as 8K-UHD delivery and multiplex businesses.”

To date, South Korea’s interest in ATSC 3.0 has been for broadcasting 4K-UHD video and enhanced audio. However, “ATSC 3.0 is a toolbox that can do more than just TV,” said Dr. Park. “Korea primarily focuses on UHD broadcasting but has prepared several new services such as high-quality mobile for D2M (direct-to-mobile) and D2V (direct-to-vehicle), enhanced GPS for centimeter-level accuracy, high-quality audio-only service, targeted advertisement, emergency alert, and others.”

(Read also: ATSC Seeks to Converge Global DTT Standards)

At present, the popularity of South Korean OTA TV is being undercut by Netflix and other streaming platforms. “However, OTA will be stronger than now due to the several new ATSC 3.0 services mentioned above,” Dr. Park said. “In particular, datacasting services like emergency alerts and enhanced GPS will be killer applications for terrestrial broadcasters.”

Meanwhile, government and industry support for ATSC 3.0 is strong in this country. “Korea commercially started UHD broadcasting in 2017 thanks to a great effort from broadcasters, industries, academics, and the government,” explained Dr. Park. “Due to this effort, major TV manufacturers support the ATSC 3.0 function in their models. Korean broadcasters plan to install ATSC 3.0 in all major cities by 2023 and cover the whole territories of South Korea, including medium/small cities, by 2027.”

India Focuses on d2m
The world’s most populous country has also been considering ATSC 3.0 as its next generation terrestrial television standard. In 2021, the ATSC signed an agreement with the Telecommunications Standards Development Society, India (TSDSI)—the government agency responsible for developing telecommunications standards in the country—to transpose ATSC 3.0 as a possible next generation broadcast standard. That work is now complete.

Mark Aitken, senior vice president of advanced technology with Sinclair Broadcast Group—which has been working with broadcasters in that country to build an SFN for ATSC 3.0 trials in Bangalore—says that rather than adopt the standard as a whole for TV, the country is considering certain aspects of ATSC 3.0—in particular its mobility elements—in a “direct to mobile” (D2M) strategy. 

“The ministry in broadcasting [MIB] has explicitly asked for proposals to build out direct to mobile infrastructure,” he said. “So there’s activity underway with both private and government parties working together to figure out building out marketplaces with direct to mobile [services].”

In a country where only 2% of the population watches television over-the-air, using broadcast to transmit to mobile devices could go a long way towards closing the digital gap, Aitken said. He added that more than 800 million people in India don’t have access to high-speed broadband, and yet the country is the largest per capita consumer of digital video services on mobile devices in the world, “by a fairly large margin.”

Aitken says the Indian Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), the government agency responsible for approving telecommunications standards in India, is expected to make a decision on whether to make 3.0 the D2M standard by the end of the year. 

If TEC gives its approval, it’s very likely that the government could mandate support for 3.0 chipsets in mobile devices sold in India, giving ATSC 3.0 an enormous boost (and argument for) adding support for 3.0-enabled mobile devices in other parts of the world. 

NEUBEUERN, Germany—A new report from Speedcheck finds that the U.S. is lagging way behind other countries in terms of 5G, with South Korean 5G download speeds 10 times faster than the U.S.

Overall, the U.S. ranked 16th in Speedcheck’s list of the fastest 5G speeds in countries around the world. 

“South Korea ranks No.1 with 449 Mbps in 5G median download speeds, based on tests conducted during February-March 2021 by Speedcheck,” the report noted. “On the other hand, 5G operators in the U.S. provide only 43.4 Mbps, ten times slower than Korean operators.”

The report also noted that U.S. consumers are paying slightly lower prices per Gigabyte than South Korea but that U.S. consumers are willing to pay higher prices if it meant faster speeds.

The average price per Gigabyte in the U.S. is around $1.5 compared to $2.3 in South Korea, the report noted but “our study also indicates that affordability is not a constraint; US citizens could pay more if they can get faster speeds.” 

One major factor in the speed gap between the two countries is that the South Korean government quickly made mid-band spectrum available to telcos. “The huge gap….could have been avoided by allocating a mid-band spectrum in the range of 3.5 GHz and following an aggressive rollout strategy by covering a more extensive U.S. population, with much more 5G sites,” the report noted. 

The report also noted that U.S. telcos have been misleading and confusing in their marketing of 5G, which has lowered consumer expectations and reduced pressure on the telcos to deliver faster speeds. 

“The US operators have misled Americans since 2019 about the capabilities that 5G can offer,” the report complained. “Remember AT&T claiming 4G as 5G, with its new logo and icon 5GE. Still today, the U.S. carriers are confusing the public with different names of 5G. For instance, AT&T uses three different nomenclature for 5G, such as 5GE, 5G and 5G plus. The same is the case with Verizon, which has two flavors of 5G, namely 5G Ultrawideband and 5G Nationwide. These are all the marketing tactics to hide U.S. operators' incapability, which still fail to provide fast and seamless 5G like South Korea.”

The full report is available here.  

OTTAWA—Ross Video has announced that its new Customer Experience Center in Seoul, South Korea, has been completed. Dubbed RCK III, the facility is designed to showcase Ross’ range of technology. It was developed with Ross Video’s Korean partners to specifically serve the customers in the region.

At the RCK III Facility, customers can receive in-depth demonstrations, product training and workflow consultancy. Among the facility’s highlights is the video wall production solution, which uses either the Voyager graphics rendering platform or the XPression Tessera graphics system to generate high-resolution graphics on LED video walls.

The hub also features solutions specifically built to support IP, 4K/UHD, 12G-SDI and hybrid workflows. There is also an Ultrix routing/AV processing platform as part of RCK III’s infrastructure rack.

“The investment in this new facility by Ross Video and our partners demonstrates our continued commitment to customers, both existing and potential, in South Korea and the surrounding region,” said Mark Cooke, director of sales, Asia. “This place will really give us the opportunity to demonstrate the power of the Ross ecosystem, and I know everyone will benefit greatly from the enhanced technical support, training and consultative capabilities it will provide.”

For more information, visit www.rossvideo.com.  

SEOUL—South Korea’s Korea Radio Promotion Association (RAPA) has planted an ATSC 3.0 flag on Jeju Island as it will open an ATSC 3.0 testing facility that will be open to international broadcasters, telecoms, broadcast equipment vendors and more in 2020.

Thus far, RAPA has taken steps to set up the testbed on the island, earning approval for an experimental license from the Korean Communications Commission to permit ongoing testing; acquired NextGen TV transmitters and other RF equipment for trials; rolled out some single frequency network sites; and secured a variety of 3.0 consumer receivers.

“We want to offer facilities to enable evaluation of future-oriented service models that can be tested and verified,” said Jay Kangok Jeon, RAPA communications manager.

Back in November 2019, Jeon described this testbed as an “ATSC 3.0 Theme Park” and revealed that mobile telecommunications service providers, three TV broadcasters, consumer electronics companies and South Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute have already utilized it.

As the testing facility looks to expand, including the addition of two more SFN transmitter sites, RAPA is now inviting interested parties from around the world to use its facilities.

“If you are broadcaster—from a U.S. stations group, for example—you are welcome,” Jeon said. “If you are a consumer electronics company, even one that’s not a Korean company, that’s fine. If you are a technology supplier not originally from Korea, the facility is open to you … If you are involved in non-commercial R&D and want to test and verify technology, we want you to use this facility.”

According to RAPA, it’s goal is to offer a world class, open testbed that proves out NextGen TV service models, test interoperability of 3.0 equipment, allows for 3.0 researchers to verify their work and helps the overall 3.0 ecosystem with current and future standards.

RAPA is not charging for the use of the facility on Jeju Island, but all interested parties must pay for their own flights as well as arrange for any broadcast equipment required other than the existing 3.0 transmission equipment.

More information is available at RAPA’s website.

For a comprehensive source of TV Technology’s ATSC 3.0 coverage, see ourATSC3 silo.

SEOUL—The global development of ATSC 3.0 continues with an announcement over the weekend that South Korea has launched a UHD Emergency Alert Service that is based on ATSC 3.0 technology. The Korean Ministry of Information and Communication made the announcement during the 2019 Broadcast Industry Promotion Week.

The new system uses a terrestrial UHD broadcast network to deliver disaster related information, but at this time it will work in tandem, not as a replacement, for Korea’s existing telecom-based alert system. The Korea IT Times reports that the addition of ATSC 3.0 signals is meant to enhance the country’s alerting process by offering backup and covering “blind spots” not covered by telecom signals.

The EAS will be placed in bus, subway and multi-use facilities with large outdoor display screens. The system also has voice guidance based on text-to-speech technology to support hearing impaired citizens, as well as beacons and vibrometers for the visually impaired.

According to BusinessKorea, ATSC 3.0 receivers and displays were activated in bus and subway facilities in Seoul on the day of the announcement. There are plans to expand the new emergency service to other cities by 2021 and to be nationwide in 2022.

“These alert services, based on ATSC 3.0 next-generation broadcasting and communications technology, are expected to change the paradigm of information transmission,” Korea IT Times reported. “The Ministry of Science and ICT is planning to overcome the limitations of the current emergency alert and broadcasting services by refining the initial pilot services in cooperation with the Korea Communications Commission, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Korea Meteorological Administration.”

“We applaud our colleagues in South Korea for their continued leadership in ATSC 3.0 deployment and, now, their activation of the UHD Emergency Alert Service," said John Lawson, AWARN Alliance's executive director. “Their deployment in Seoul of an end-to-end use case from the alert originator, to TV station transmission, to dedicated receivers on outdoor displays is really impressive. It’s a powerful, real-world implementation of Next Gen TV alerting—the first in the world.

“One of AWARN’s founding members, LG Electronics, remains an invaluable bridge for us to developments in South Korea. The AWARN Alliance has a memorandum of understanding with RAPA, the South Korean trade development organization, for a global alliance around advanced alerting. And we continue our dialogue with DigiCAP and other Korean tech companies about ways to work together. A leading possibility is interoperability testing with AWARN Alliance member companies and organizations.

“On our end, we focused on user experience (UX) development with emergency managers last year, and this year we’ve launched our initiative with TV news thought leaders to develop a framework for on-going emergency news and information. Consumer UX testing is also on our agenda. And our members continue their tech development for advanced alerting. I hope 2020 is the year we can put it all together and launch AWARN alerting on some stations here in the U.S. The leadership from our Korean colleagues sets a benchmark for all of us.”

Korea’s UHD Emergency Alert Service will be the center of a panel discussion during the 2019 NAB Show New York—“The Nationwide ATSC 3.0 Emergency Alert Service Now Being Built in Korea.” Peter Han, president and CEO of DigiCAP, who worked as a technology supplier for the EAS project, will participate in the panel with Lawson and Joonyoung Park, DigiCAP’s vice president and Fellow. The panel will take place on Oct. 17 during the conference.

“It's an extremely timely opportunity to learn more about the Korean launch and compare notes with our AWARN timetable," said Lawson.

For a comprehensive source of TV Technology’s ATSC 3.0 coverage, see ourATSC3 silo.

The opening ceremony of Korea’s 2019 Broadcast Industry Promotion Week included a launch ceremony for an ATSC 3.0 emergency alert system. At the ceremony, The Korean Ministry of Information and Communication announced the launch of a UHD Emergency Alert Service for delivering disaster response information for earthquakes, heavy rains, and fires. The Ministry predicts the new system will be able to deliver information more quickly using a terrestrial UHD broadcast network.

The new system will not replace Korea’s existing telecom-based alert system, but will work with it to improve performance and coverage. Korea IT Times reports, “South Korea already has an emergency alert system based on telecom technologies. The addition of using ATSC 3.0 signals from broadcast spectrum is designed to enhance the alerting process, offer backup to the existing telecom networks if they are compromised, and finally cover blind spots that telecom signals do not reach.”

New coverage will include use of large outdoor display screens placed in bus, subway, and multi-use facilities such as nursing homes. The large screens will more dramatically and graphically communicate emergency information. The new service will also include innovations to support hearing impaired citizens with voice guidance based on text-to-speech (TTS) technology, and support the visually impaired by using beacons and vibrometers as guides to safety.

According to BusinessKorea, part of the alert plan was put into place the day of the announcement. ATSC 3.0 receivers and displays were activated in bus and subway facilities in South Korea’s capital city of Seoul. The Korean government has plans to expand the new emergency service to other cities in 2021 and go nationwide in 2022.

While the announcement of an ATSC 3.0-based emergency alert system surprised some in the US, Pete Han, CEO of DigiCAP, a technology supplier for the project, thought it was inevitable, “In Korea we are starting our third year working with live ATSC 3.0 broadcast networks. When you work with this technology day in and day out, you realize how much room for innovation there is. You can see evidence of this in this new EAS system.”

According the Korea IT Times, “These alert services, based on ATSC 3.0 next-generation broadcasting and communications technology, are expected to change the paradigm of information transmission…The Ministry of Science and ICT is planning to overcome the limitations of the current emergency alert and broadcasting services by refining the initial pilot services in cooperation with the Korea Communications Commission, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Korea Meteorological Administration.”

At NAB New York October 22

Pete Han, who attended the Korean emergency alert system launch in Korea will be a part of a panel discussion at NAB NY about the system. He will be joined with John Lawson, Executive Director of the AWARN Alliance, and Joonyoung Park, VP and Fellow at DigiCAP.who worked on key technology for the project. Link to NAB NY Korean EAS Session

Petaluma, Calif. — Point Source Audio (PSA) announced that it has appointed China’s EAD and South Korea’s Capstone Pro to be distribution partners for its SERIES8 and EMBRACE™ microphones as well as its CM-i series of patented in-ear headsets. The appointments come on the back of an expansion effort in response to increased sales and product awareness outside of the USA for Point Source Audio. These partnerships further expand the company’s worldwide reach, which now includes international partners in the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan Italy, Norway, Finland and France, among others.

“We’re excited to be working with both Capstone Pro and EAD,” said James Lamb, President of Point Source Audio. “The creative community in these regions is massive and our products fit their needs. Our goal is to continuously improve our customers’ experience around the world in every aspect and we are confident that our new partners will help achieve that.”

Integral to achieving this growth trajectory in the Asia Pacific region is also the appointment of AS Audio APAC Pte. Ltd. as the manufacturer’s representative in the territory. Based in Singapore, the company, led by Alex Schloesser, will support the Asia Pacific business and develop its distribution network. AS Audio will also handle all technical and sales support for Point Source Audio throughout the APAC region.

Schloesser comments, “Developing and growing the PSA business is a rewarding and enjoyable task. Wherever we take the products, they shine and stand their ground with the competition. I very much look forward to be taking PSA into APAC.”

Point Source Audio is a manufacturer of specialty sub-miniature body-worn style microphones and patented lavalier mounting systems specifically designed for theatre applications. The company creates value-added solutions through intelligent designs, driven by market demand — examples include their IP 57 rated waterproof models and unique headsets which retain the position of the microphone capsule regardless of performer activity.

About EAD
Established in 1997, Guangzhou Donghui Digital Technology Development Co, Ltd is a professional audio and video integrator and distribution company. The company is headquartered in Hong Kong with branches in Guangzhou and Beijing. For more information, visit their website at www.ead.cn.

About Capstone Pro
CAPSTONE PRO, led by founders Kevin Kim and Jesse Park, both veterans of the professional audio industry, was established in 2018. The company distributes pro audio brands including Point Source Audio throughout Korea. For more information visit their website at www.capstonepro.co.kr.

About Point Source Audio
Point Source Audio (@PSA_audio) manufactures and distributes worldwide their SERIES8, EMBRACE, and CONFIDENCE collection of miniature microphones—a unique line of headset, earworn and earmounted microphones known for their robust bendable boom and waterproof features. The company also holds two patents for the EMBRACE concealable microphone as well as the patent for the world’s first modular in-ear comms headset that is supporting the hearing health for audio, lighting and camera techs using headsets everywhere from sports to space. Founded in 2004, Point Source Audio is headquartered in Petaluma, Calif. For more information call (415) 226-1122 or visit www.point-sourceaudio.com. Follow the company on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PSA_audio.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—TVU Networks and KT Corp., a major South Korean telecom, are partnering to offer UHD broadcast over KT’s 5G enterprise network, a 5G UHD broadcast network deployment considered to be among the first in the world, TVU Networks announced today.

The agreement sets the stage for TVU Networks and KT to work together to establish the enterprise 5G network and related broadcast facilities in South Korea.

“We’re thrilled to be part of such a pioneering effort that reflects our own continued commitment to the power and possibility of 5G,” said TVU Networks CEO Paul Shen.

“Video is now what most people watch on their smartphones, but to take the quality of services offered and accessibility of video to the next level requires the low latency, high speed and ultra-connectivity that 5G provides. The backbone of the 5G network pairs perfectly with our ability to acquire, manage and deliver the ultimate 4K video over IP,” he said.

KT is an early 5G backer. In February 2018, it conducted one of the world’s first 5G trials during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Then in early 2019, it delivered a live broadcast of K-pop group Wanna One via its Olleh TV IPTV service to set-top boxes and mobile devices using KT’s 5G network. Next month, the telecom is expected to launch its 5G network as a full-scale commercial offering.

TVU Networks will provide 4K UHD broadcast technology and services to meet KT’s 5G device standards, the company said. KT will provide device standards, a testing environment and other technical support.

Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS), a TVU Networks customer, is working with KT to develop the broadcast capabilities of its new 5G network. Seoul-based TVU Networks reseller iCRAFT will assist SBS.

“We’re clear that 5G networks will be critical as we provide our customers with the optimal mobile video experience,” said KT 5G Business Unit SVP Park Hyun-Jin.

“The data capacity, speed and low latency in the network will enable innovations unlike anything we’ve seen before,” he said. “We know that TVU Networks is the ideal partner to take this next step in our company’s evolution. And we’re positive our customers will agree.”

More information is available on the TVU Networks website.

LAS VEGAS—South Korean telecom provider SK Telecom and Sinclair Broadcast Group have signed a joint venture agreement to develop and provide ATSC 3.0-based solutions to all U.S. broadcasters and explore other opportunities for the Next-Gen TV standard around the world, the companies jointly announced in Las Vegas on the eve of the 2019 International CES.

Together, the companies will fund and manage the new joint venture company sometime during the Q1, the companies said.

“Sinclair is excited to partner with SK Telecom, a wireless technology leader, to explore and commercialize solutions that optimize the economic value of our spectrum, our broadcast infrastructure, our programming ventures and our emerging OTT platforms,” said Sinclair President and CEO Chris Ripley. “Bringing these assets together in a converged broadcast/broadband platform environment will be a significant value multiplier.”

The joint venture will create new services leveraging aspects of the 3.0 standard, such as personalized advertising and in-vehicle terrestrial television broadcasting, the companies said.

SK Telecom is the largest mobile operator in Korea in terms of subscribers and revenue. South Korean broadcasters, including KBS, MBC and SBS launched ATSC 3.0 broadcasts in 2017 and expect to provide nationwide coverage by 2021. 

The announcement comes one year after SK Telecom and Sinclair signed a memorandum of understating (MOU) at last year’s consumer electronics extravaganza to work together to develop 3.0 technology.

“SK Telecom will work closely with Sinclair Broadcast Group to gain leadership in the next-generation broadcasting solutions market in the U.S.,” said Park Jung-ho, President and CEO of SK Telecom.

For comprehensive coverage on ATSC 3.0, visit TV Technology's ATSC3 silo.

WASHINGTON—NAB CTO Sam Matheny will deliver the opening keynote of the Advanced Television Systems Committee 2018 Next-Gen TV Conference, May 23-24 in Washington, D.C., at the Ronald Reagan Building.

Following Matheny’s opening of the “Road to ATSC 3.0” conference, there will be reports on Next-Gen TV deployments in various U.S. cities, including Phoenix, Raleigh, N.C., Dallas, Cleveland and East Lansing, Mich., ATSC said today in announcing the conference agenda.

Other agenda items on the opening day include a report on the successful launch of ATSC 3.0 in South Korea and updates on the Advanced Emergency Alerting, Personalization and Interactivity and Conformance Implementation Teams.

The second day of the conference will begin with a keynote on the evolving role of TV from Dr. Jeffrey Cole of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and Director of the Center for the Digital Future.

Abby Auerbach of the Television Advertising Bureau (TVB) will present on the current state of advertising and will be followed by an industry panel of experts, including representatives from Nielsen, Verance, Ad-ID, SMPTE and Kantar Media, who will discuss Next-Gen TV’s enhanced audience measurement.

[Read: ATSC 3.0 Marches On]

Shashi Shekhar Vempati, CEO of Indian public broadcaster Prasar Bharati, will discuss the relevance of Next-Gen TV for India.

After lunch, there will be a special recognition to mark the 25 anniversary of the Grand Alliance, which ushered in the technologies at the heart of the ATSC 1.0 DTV standard.

APTS President and CEO Patrick Butler will discuss the future opportunities ATSC 3.0 offers public broadcasters. John Hane, CEO of Spectrum Co will follow.

Other afternoon agenda items include an AI session by Keith Chandler of IBM and a panel discussion, with representatives from Comcast, Charter, DirecTV and Sony, on the impact of Next-Gen TV on MVPDs.

A broadcasters’ panel focused on the impact of Next-Gen TV in the United States, and a presentation on augmented and virtual reality by CTA Senior Director of Market Research Steve Koenig will round out the day’s formal presentations.

The day will conclude with the presentation of the Bernard J. Lechner Outstanding Contributor Award to recognize an ATSC member who has made a remarkable contribution to the organization and its mission.

To register, visit the ATSC website. 

For a comprehensive list of TV Technology’s ATSC 3.0 coverage, see our ATSC3 silo.

SEOUL, S. KOREA—TVLogic—a manufacturer of LCD and OLED high-definition monitors, has acquired Nexto DI, a South Korea-based provider of portable field backup storage units for digital cameras.

According to Jin Lee, spokesman for TVLogic USA, in Burbank, Calif., “When the acquisition was completed in January 2018, Nexto DI moved its operation to TVLogic’s Seoul, Korea headquarters, bringing the total number of employees there to over 100. Charlie Shin, vice president of TVLogic’s Broadcast Monitor Division, is  now the CEO of Nexto DI.

[Read: TVLogic Monitors Pass The My Eye Media Test]

TVLogic designs and manufactures LCD and OLED HD displays—from 5.5" to 55"—designed specifically for broadcast, production, postproduction, digital signage and multiviewer applications. TVLogic’s advanced display portfolio includes: the XVM Series of precision LCD monitors, the LEM Series of OLED monitors, the LUM Series 4K/UHD monitors, and SRM Series Sunlight Readable monitors.

Nexto DI manufactures high-performance backup systems, which provide data security, even in the most challenging environments, by integrating the company’s patented “Xcopy” technology, as well as M‑copy, which copies to multiple drives simultaneously.

“This is a very exciting development for both companies, as well as for our partners and our clients,” said Denny An, TVLogic’s Director of Worldwide Sales. “The synergy created from TVLogic’s reputation as a pioneer in advanced display technology, combined with Nexto DI’s experience in the portable storage area, will result in greater efficiencies all around, and a position of greater strength in the broadcast equipment market.”

STAMFORD, CONN.—Each time NBCOlympics presents coverage of the Olympics, it tasks its logistics and creative teams with designing studios that capture the essence of the country hosting the games, said Michael Sheehan, Coordinating Director for NBC Olympics.

Coverage of the just-concluded Winter Games from PyeongChang in South Korea, was no different. “There were so many large, impressive mountains in the region of PyeongChang that we developed our concept around that,” said Sheehan.

GEODESIC DOME CONCEPT

The concept for the set was a carved-out geodesic dome with the structure affixed to the raw stone of a mountain and a large window looking out upon the valley and mountains of PyeongChang. Central to the design was a massive LED video wall from Leyard, which created the window. “I think it was the largest display we’ve ever done on the Olympics,” said Sheehan.

The 43-foot-wide-by-13-foot-high video wall, which consisted of 196 individual Leyard TWS Series LED displays, served as a seamless canvas for the custom content created by NBC’s graphics team. However, feeding visuals to the wall took a bit of “head scratching,” said Sheehan. While the games were produced in 1080i, a video wall of this size required 4K content to avoid any appearance of stretching.

The solution was to playback 4K content created by NBC’s graphics staff from a ChyronHego Prime Graphics platform to a Barco E2 presentation system and ultimately onto the Leyard LED video wall.

Originating video in 4K to be displayed on this wall wasn’t a concern because nearly all of the content was graphically rendered. “This workflow worked perfectly for us,” Sheehan said, “from the graphics standpoint to the Chyron, to the Barco and to the displays inside the Leyard wall.”

[Read: NBC To Broadcast 2018 Winter Olympics Live Across U.S] 

However, a separate 16-foot-wide, 8-foot-high Leyard LED video wall consisting of 36 displays did display 1080i video. To be consistent with the overall look of the set, this wall was used as a scenic with “a fabrication” placed in front of the monitors that essentially cut off the edges of the overall display, according to Sheehan.

That meant there was a sweet spot for the video content displayed on the wall. “We were careful not to use content where really critical things were happening on the outside edge,” he said.

THREE SEPARATE LOOKS

At the back of the studio where the stone wall met the geodesic dome, three 4-foot-wide, 7-foot-high Leyard LED video walls hung from pipes so they could be easily moved and set up in different ways. This part of the studio served as NBCOlympics’ main interview area, where the network wanted to have a large, impressive look, he said.

“We set up three templates for use on these walls,” said Sheehan. One configuration had the three side-by-side to create a large display; another had two pushed together with a separation from the third; and still another separated all three for different types of content.

“The beauty of this approach was it gave us three separate looks in that area,” said Sheehan. “It made us look gigantic.”

“They [the LED video walls] were much larger than any monitor could possibly be,” he said. “We never even thought about going glass or plasma. We knew that would have to be LED and Leyard.”

One alternative could have been virtual sets and augmented reality, but that option was never given much serious consideration. “I tend to gravitate towards organic scenery,” said Sheehan. “I’m not really big into augmented reality with the exception of it being a secondary support.”

There is a lot of value in having talent sitting at real desks and stand in front of real things, he said. “I want the crew and people to walk into an actual environment and fall in love with it and be a part of that environment for the entire time.”

One of the first uses NBC made of this LED display technology was about four years ago when it built its “Football Night in America” studio in Stamford, Conn., he said. “There has been a consistency of this technology [since that first use] and out of the box it goes together and works.”

Having confidence the LED walls are reliable and will deliver the quality and high resolution needed for an event watched by so many people is a real comfort, especially given the hectic setup and size of a project like covering the Olympics, Sheehan said.

“We do the biggest television show in the world from an area that was a year ago a parking lot,” he said Sheehan. “We need to be sure there is reliability.”

MUNICH—While the move for ATSC 3.0 is being pushed for here in the U.S., South Korea is already utilizing the next-gen TV standard. Broadcasters Seoul Broadcasting System, Korean Broadcasting System and Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation are behind the country’s terrestrial ATSC 3.0 broadcast network and are currently relying on Rohde & Schwarz transmitters to help operate it.

THU9

In total, R&S will supply 31 of its transmitters across 11 locations in South Korea to support the network. For phase one, the company delivered its R&S THU9 liquid-cooled high-power 5kW and 2kW transmitters in customized 1+1 standby configurations to four SBS stations in Seoul at the end of 2016.

The broadcasters are now heading in to phase two, which will see all three broadcasters expand their networks to cover metropolitan areas and the Olympic region. This will see the deployment of 27 high-power 5kW and 2kW transmitters in customized 1+1 and 2+1 standby configurations, all of which will be put into operation by the end of 2017, in time to watch the 2018 Winter Olympics in UHD.

By 2020, South Korea expects to provide ATSC 3.0 coverage to 90 percent of the country.

For a comprehensive list of TV Technology’s ATSC 3.0 coverage, see our ATSC3 silo.

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA—The age of ATSC 3.0 is ready to get underway in South Korea, as the country’s three major local broadcasters—MBC, KBS and SBS—will begin offering UHD through the next-gen TV standard. According to the Ministry of Science, ATSC 3.0 broadcasts will begin on Wednesday, May 31, at 5 a.m. local time.

The ATSC 3.0 broadcast will be available in Seoul, Incheon and other areas. Expanded coverage is expected to be added in December, with the hope of broadcasting throughout the country by 2022. To receive the ATSC 3.0 signal, viewers will need a separate set-top box.

The initial plan was for ATSC 3.0 to begin broadcasting in February of this year, but the broadcasters were delayed due to difficulties in purchasing equipment.

For more on this subject, visit ourATSC 3.0 silo.

MUNICH, GERMANY — South Korean broadcaster SBS will be building out its ATSCo 3.0 network on Rohde & Schwarz transmitters, the vendor said today. The countrywide network will be expanded by adding stations on Namsan, Yongmoon and Gwanggyo Mountains. Rohde & Schwarz said SBS would be using the German manufacturer’s technology to set up a terrestrial TV network and broadcast the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang in UHD.

SBS decided to go with R&S after doing its first 3.0 broadcast last month. The broadcast, which featured world-cup, short-track speed skating,was terrestrially broadcast from the transmitter station on Kwanak Mountain where Rohde & Schwarz installed a liquid-cooled R&S THU9 transmitter system.

In August 2016, SBS decided on an SFN-based transmitter network from Rohde & Schwarz featuring a 1+1 passive standby configuration with ATSC 3.0. During the evaluation phase, SBS also used Rohde & Schwarz transmitters to conduct SFN trials with the new ATSC 3.0 standard.

South Korean broadcasters and consumer electronics providers LG and Samsung have been instrumental in developing ATSC 3.0. South Korean broadcasters announced last February that they would start ATSC 3.0 broadcasts as of this February. SBS and KBS did live transmissions of the emerging standard at NAB 2016 in April. In July, The Korea Herald reported that South Korea would officially adopt the standard, and at the Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas earlier this month, LG rolled out its first TV sets equipped with ATSC 3.0 tuners.

For more TV Technology coverage, see our ATSC 3.0 silo.