SYRACUSE, N.Y.—NextGen TV has arrived in Syracuse, as three local TV stations have begun broadcasting the ATSC 3.0-powered digital broadcast technology. The stations now offering NextGen TV are WSYR-TV, WTVH and WSTM-TV.

WSYR-TV is Syracuse’s ABC affiliate and is owned by Nexstar. WTVH is a Granite Broadcasting station and serves as the market’s CBS affiliate. Sinclair’s WSTM-TV is the local NBC affiliate.

For local consumers, if they use an antenna they will need to rescan their TVs to ensure full service; instructions are available via fcc.gov/rescan. Cable and satellite subscribers do not need to take any action to continue accessing the three local stations.

This latest deployment of the ATSC 3.0 standard was coordinated with the help of BitPath.

NextGen TV has been rolling out all across the country, with Syracuse the 25th market to launch the next-gen television standard. Others include Buffalo, N.Y., Las Vegas, Seattle, Phoenix, Tampa, Fla., Salt Lake City and Detroit.

By the end of March 2022, ATSC President Madeleine Noland expects that 62 markets will be broadcasting NextGen TV. 

WOODBURY, N.Y.—Hitachi is showing off its college pride as its Z-HD5000 HDTV broadcast cameras are being utilized by Syracuse University to produce broadcasts of Syracuse Orange athletics for ESPN3, ESPN’s online streaming service. Some of the athletic events being covered with the Hitachi cameras include men’s and women’s basketball, and men’s lacrosse from the university’s Carrier Dome.

The Hitachi cameras were part of the recommended equipment from ESPN when Syracuse was first contacted about games being carried on ESPN3. The Z-HD5000s, as well as two Fujinon HA42x9.7 BERD box-style lens, were acquired and added to the Carrier Dome’s video production unit, which had five existing HD cameras that now support the Z-HD5000s with different angles for broadcast. Video feed is delivered to ESPN in real-time through dedicated fiber lines.

The pair of Z-HD5000 cameras Syracuse is now employing includes 7-inch color viewfinders, tripods, and the Fujinon lenses with 2x zoom extenders and Digi-semi-servo lens controllers. It also features 2/3-inch CCD imagers, advanced digital signal processing and picture controls.

Syracuse University employs a full video production unit to broadcast the games on ESPN3, including professional camera operators to handle the Hitachi cameras.