Evoca Debuts First 4K Broadcast Channel in the U.S.

[comfortably_numb]

Insight TV is now available to Evoca users in Boise via ATSC 3.0

Looks like this is a pay service. Guess the predictions about OTA going behind a paywall might have some truth to them.

 

[c-spand]

I remember they did that here in the Bay Area. Channel 26 i think it was back in the 80's. It might have been this one. ONTV (pay TV) - Wikipedia

 

[c-spand]

I recall if you just adjust the signal with the dial it would come in for free.

 

[comfortably_numb]

What is unclear to me is whether their 4K UHD channel is coming over the air or via broadband with their receiver.

It also appears to be a total ripoff, considering almost all of their "premium" channels are available elsewhere for free.

 

[TNGuy84]

Antenna Man did a good video explaining the service.

 

[comfortably_numb]

Antenna Man did a good video explaining the service.

Do you have the link?

 

[TNGuy84]

Do you have the link?

 

[comfortably_numb]

Very interesting. I'm still suspicious of the price when almost all of their channels are available for free either OTA, on Pluto, on a media streamer, or elsewhere.

If it worked without a broadband connection it might be appealing to people in rural areas without internet.

 

[primestar31]

Evoca tv is finished, end of December. Frankly, they had crap channels, and charged $25 a month for them. Less viable than Orby was, IMO. Lack of Capital May Force Evoca TV Shutdown

Important Notice to Evoca Customers - Evoca

To our valued subscriber, Thank you for being part of the Evoca family. We are grateful for your support as we challenged the media monopolies to make regional sports and local content more accessible and affordable. Unfortunately, we could not secure the funding that we need to continue...

evoca.tv

 

[Radioguy41]

Not surprising since it was a "carrot dangler" from the start. Their "Up to 4K" blurb was very misleading since virtually none of their source content was 4K to begin with. As mentioned earlier most of the channels were free elsewhere and I also suspect they over valued the sports content, especially considering the geo-market. NY, Phila, Chicago, LA sports teams might have enough of a following to be an attractive offering but Portland? Here's the real problem with ATSC3 as I see it. ATSC3 does not have the broadcast range to reach many (most?) rural markets (where the largest numbers of antennas are going up) so the target audience would be those closest to the towers which generally means urban and suburban where the least number of antenna are being erected.

Now look at their offering. Their broadband offerings are mostly a bunch of garbage channels while the diginets and network channels are antenna only and then as quoted on their website "– OTA (Over the air) channels vary based on location / setup." meaning you could get all, some, or none of them. Imagine if this were a cable provider and they listed all the channels and then said "You may or may not receive any or all of them but the monthly cost is the same.". Gee, I can't imagine why they failed.

 

[N5XZS]

Yep, I seen too many so called pay channels broadcasters on FTA OTA bands comes and go over river of times!!

Evoca, failed in 4 areas starting on low power stations, lack of HBO, Showtime and adult channels and guess what?

Too many G-rated contents and not much sports contents the price for the channels is still too high.

The picture quality must be pretty poor by cramming in 1 signal carrier with HEVC codecs!

You see history is repeating itself again, just dropping like flys over 4 decades now.

What a waste of time and money that will never work in the free OTA world ecosystem.

 

[Justin Hill]

Another thing I've noticed, is a lack of popular channels with a kids/family focus, like Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network, for example...

 

[Justin Hill]

Evoca tv is finished, end of December. Frankly, they had crap channels, and charged $25 a month for them. Less viable than Orby was, IMO. Lack of Capital May Force Evoca TV Shutdown

Important Notice to Evoca Customers - Evoca

To our valued subscriber, Thank you for being part of the Evoca family. We are grateful for your support as we challenged the media monopolies to make regional sports and local content more accessible and affordable. Unfortunately, we could not secure the funding that we need to continue...

evoca.tv

Evoca is now officially a failed subscription TV service experiment...

 

[primestar31]

I wonder if their ATSC 3.0 receivers will be usable if they are out of business? Can they "zero key" them?

 

[N5XZS]

I believe what they said in their press release saying soon to be former subscribers will get to keep their Evoca ATSC 3.0 STB tuner and will get only local FTA OTA TV stations.

Unless otherwise noted.

 

[primestar31]

I believe what they said in their press release saying soon to be former subscribers will get to keep their Evoca ATSC 3.0 STB tuner and will get only local FTA OTA TV stations.

Unless otherwise noted.

That's fine, IF that also includes ATSC 3.0 stations being receivable.

 

[N5XZS]

Primestar31, Yes that's depending on which TV markets you are in.

 

[Phil T]

I actually enjoyed having Evoca. I subscribed to them in March for baseball season. It was a good option for my RSN's, AT&T Rocky Mountain (Rockies) and Altitude that Xfinity doesn't carry. $30.00 a month including equipment was not bad.

It was my first ATSC 3.0 receiver, but in July I got a Sony 77" A80CJ that also has ATSC 3.0.
Right now ATSC 3.0 is a big dissapointment.

Decided to go with DirecTV stream for now but my cost for TV has tripled.

 

[primestar31]

I actually enjoyed having Evoca. I subscribed to them in March for baseball season. It was a good option for my RSN's, AT&T Rocky Mountain (Rockies) and Altitude that Xfinity doesn't carry. $30.00 a month including equipment was not bad.

It was my first ATSC 3.0 receiver, but in July I got a Sony 77" A80CJ that also has ATSC 3.0.
Right now ATSC 3.0 is a big dissapointment.

Decided to go with DirecTV stream for now but my cost for TV has tripled.

You wouldn't happen to have a photo of the receiver you used? If you no longer subscribe, I assume you had to send it back? Was it ONLY a single tuner?

 

[Phil T]

I actually have 2 a Scout and a Pilot. I have them boxed up if they want them back and didn't want to unbox them again. Their e-mail said we could keep them and service would be active until 12-31. I went ahead and disconnected them last week so I could use the HDMI ports for DirecTV Stream.

The Scout worked well. The Pilot had some bugs they were still working out. They are both single tuner. Recording of sporting events was available in the cloud but not on the box.