NEW YORK—Pearl TV has secured new pricing from patent owners, technology licensors as well as testing and security providers necessary to one day making affordable accessible NextGen TV converters available to consumers.
The broadcast business group made up of seven of the nation’s largest station groups made the announcement on the eve of NAB Show New York, which opens Oct. 21 in Manhattan at the Javits Center.
“A successful transition to NextGen TV requires more than advanced broadcast technology. It requires affordable products that enable all consumers to continue enjoying free over-the-air television,” said Anne Schelle, managing director of Pearl TV. “Our work with technology licensors, manufacturers, testing organizations and the consumer technology industry is focused on reducing costs for consumers and establishing a clear market path for NextGen TV converter boxes to advance the ATSC 1.0 to ATSC 3.0 transition.”Affordable converter boxes will enable all consumers to access this content without buying a new television.
Pearl TV’s Converter Box Program brings together organizations from across the broadcast ecosystem to support the development of affordable devices. Participating patent owners through the Advanced Broadcast licensing platform, along with Dolby and Advanced HDR by Technicolor, are supporting the initiative through licensing arrangements tailored to qualifying converter boxes. Discussions are also continuing with additional intellectual property licensors and component manufacturers.
Testing provider Resillion and the ATSC 3.0 Security Authority have also established special pricing for the program, lowering the cost of both certifying and securing qualifying products.
Together, we’re making meaningful progress toward affordable devices that connect to existing televisions through an HDMI connection, so that consumers can receive NextGen TV without needing to buy a new TV set.
Anne Schelle, Pearl TV
“This is what industry collaboration looks like. Patent owners, technology licensors, testing and security providers, and manufacturers are all contributing to a shared goal of making affordable NextGen TV converter boxes a reality,” said Schelle.
“Together, we’re making meaningful progress toward affordable devices that connect to existing televisions through an HDMI connection, so that consumers can receive NextGen TV without needing to buy a new TV set. Millions of these receivers will be needed to complete the transition, and this collaboration is helping lay the groundwork,” she said.
Pearl is working with several manufacturers developing low-cost ATSC 3.0 converter boxes, with new products expected to be unveiled in early 2027. The group is also working with the Consumer Technology Association to help consumers easily identify qualifying products at retail.
“As the transition continues apace,” Schelle added, “consumers and broadcasters alike can have confidence in converter boxes using the famous NextGen TV logo and meeting its testing requirements.”
Converter Box Program specifications now require qualifying converter boxes to support ATSC 3.0 Advanced Emergency Alerting recommended User Interface requirements that aim to ensure a consistent user experience in the delivery of richer, more accessible, geo-targeted emergency information delivered in the over-the-air broadcast signal.
“The emergency information experience supported by the Converter Box Program is built on a user interface and user experience framework developed by Sinclair and ONE Media through the NAB NextGen TV News Technology Lab, an NAB initiative supported by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation,” said Mark Aitken, president of ONE Media and senior vice president of Advanced Technology for Sinclair Broadcast Group.
“The framework sets a common standard for how NextGen TV emergency information looks and behaves, so viewers get the same clear, predictable experience on any channel, any device, and any screen. It was shaped by input from about 300 emergency managers and focuses on what people need most under stress -- what is happening, where, how urgent it is, and what to do,” he said.
More than 600 NextGen TV services (or channels) are currently on-the-air from broadcasters throughout the U.S. Broadcasters are sharing transmission facilities to maintain both ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0 services during the transition period, ensuring continued access to free over-the-air television.
“As the industry prepares for an eventual transition involving more than 1,600 commercial television stations, affordable consumer equipment, improved broadcast services and a clear transition timeline will be essential,” Schelle said.
