NAB 2016: Both ends of the upper level South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Centre will host demos on the topic of ATSC 3.0.

Described by Accenture global broadcasting industry lead Gavin Mann as “broadcasters’ big disruptor”, ATSC 3.0 is an over-the-air broadcast standard built upon an IP backbone. The first end-to-end broadcast using the standard took place in Korea in February.

The ATSC 3.0 Broadcast Pavilion, in the NAB Futures Park in upper level of South Hall, will highlight broadcast equipment and systems from nearly 20 companies and research institutions looking to introduce ATSC 3.0 services.

A live transmission will take place, along with kit on show including signal analysers, multiplexers, transmission equipment for HDR (High Dynamic Range) content, encoders for SFN (Single Frequency Network) transmissions, audio encoders, watermarking software and interactive TV applications.

The consumer experience exhibit, near the entrance to the upper level of the South Hall, will show new broadcast TV capabilities including interactive advertising, advanced emergency alerting, expanded audio, and “vivid” 4K video with high dynamic range.

ATSC 3.0 gateway receivers that will feed existing tablets and mobile devices with Wi-Fi signals eill be on show along with live ATSC 3.0 transmissions originating from the Futures Park.

Mann says that ATSC 3.0 “offers the best chance for competing with digital-savvy providers such as Netflix and technology companies including Apple that dominate the digital market…the technology delivers vast improvements over antiquated transmission standards that providers have previously used. Using this standard they have a flexible medium for delivering a wide range of digital services ranging from 4K to mobile streaming.”

Standardisation of ATSC 3.0, which was described as a “monumental effort” by ATSC president Mark Richer, is nearing completion and should take place this year.

Meanwhile, chairman of the Advanced Television Systems Committee Technology Group on ATSC 3.0 and chief science officer at Triveni Digital Dr Richard Chernock (pictured) will be given the 2016 Television Engineering Achievement Award from the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) at the show.

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