ATSC Invites Watermarking Proposals for New Broadcast TV System

WASHINGTON—The Advanced Television Systems Committee announced a Call for Proposals regarding audio and/or video watermarking technologies for Automatic Content Recognition to help enable interactive applications and other features of the ATSC 3.0 broadcast TV standard.

With ATSC 3.0, interactive applications and other features enhancing audio and video can be made be available by using an Automatic Content Recognition solution associated with transmitted material to identify key aspects of the material (e.g. content identification, content source, current time point in the content, etc.) This will allow the television to access the desired additional functionality via an Internet connection. The scope of this Call for Proposals is limited to a watermarking solution for Automatic Content Recognition. Respondents may propose either an audio watermark solution or a video watermark solution, or both.

Initial responses to the call for proposals are due on March 14, 2014. Detailed technical descriptions of proposals are due on May 2, 2014. Details on the ATSC 3.0 Call for Proposals can be found at the ATSC website.