WASHINGTON—Advanced HDR by Technicolor announced its participation in the Pearl TV NextGen TV Converter Box Program.
Unveiled at the 2026 CES Show, the program aims to support the development of affordable, ATSC 3.0-enabled converter boxes for the U.S. market.
To help advance the program, Advanced HDR by Technicolor said it is adjusting its intellectual property (IP) offering to ensure affordable viewing experiences can be delivered without compromising picture quality.
In addition, Advanced HDR by Technicolor said it is helping lower the cost of devices through a single-stream transmission architecture that carries dynamic range metadata at standard definition bandwidth. Since the vast majority of TV viewers do not require UHD features to enhance their viewing experience, the capability to add high dynamic range (HDR) to Full HD video resolutions through Advanced HDR by Technicolor gives viewers the best possible video quality at the lowest possible converter box cost.
It also helps broadcasters avoid the infrastructure investment required to transmit parallel SDR and HDR streams for different display capabilities, while device manufacturers (including TV, tablet and mobile phone makers) can meet HDR compliance at lower bill-of-materials cost.
As a result, end users automatically receive picture quality scaled to the capability of any display, regardless of whether they own a standard definition (SD), high-definition (HD), or ultra-high definition (UHD) device. This helps to deliver on NextGen TVs promise of further improved viewing experiences while at the same time continuing to support legacy SDR video streams at the best possible quality.
“The unique combination of single stream distribution and dynamic management of HDR and SDR provided by the Advanced HDR by Technicolor solution creates an economically beneficial situation across the ecosystem,” said Rick Dumont, head of business development for Advanced HDR by Technicolor. “We optimize the NextGen TV viewing experience for consumers with HDR or SDR displays, delivering premium video quality in full HD HDR. With Advanced HDR by Technicolor being designed for a low memory footprint implementation, it also relieves part of the tremendous pressure that consumer device makers are under with today's memory device shortages that drive up memory pricing.
For a converter box program targeting price-sensitive households, the combination of backward compatibility and transmission efficiency also means that HDR can be included as a baseline feature rather than an upgrade offered for those who can afford to pay for premium services.
"Getting NextGen TV into every American home starts with making the converter box affordable, and that takes industry leaders willing to step up. Advanced HDR by Technicolor's commitment to special IP pricing does exactly that, lowering the barrier for manufacturers and accelerating the transition. We're grateful that they've joined the growing coalition turning this device from a concept into a reality for store shelves and ultimately for consumers throughout the U.S,” said Pearl TV managing director Anne Schelle.
