BREAKING NEWS: FCC Approves Next-Gen TV for OTA Broadcasting

This becomes a scheme for TV manufacturers to get people to junk 4k sets and buy new sets with improved tuners. The HDTV thing happened because broadcasters could simulcast for a number of years. with the new bandwidth grabbing scheme, there isn't going to be any spare bandwidth available for simulcast and since ATSC 3.0 isn't backward compatible, stations need a significant base before they abandon the current ATSC 1.0 market.

I have looked at this, and simply don't see a way forward for 3.0 adoption.
 
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I'm not a fan of "government mandates" as a general rule. However, that's how the current digital standard came about, and like it or not, it IS a standard. So unless broadcasters and TV makers are in cahoots, I don't see how ATSC 3.0 will ever become a "standard" in the US.
To my thinking, the "repack" has totally screwed ATSC 3.0 adoption. Cramming all the channels together in a much smaller spectrum leaves little room for ATSC 3.0 channels. Forcing broadcasters to give up their profitable sub-channels to relocate their ATSC 1.0 signal while setting up a ATSC 3.0 signal that no one can receive won't work.
 
The difference is that the last transition allowed for 5 years of simulcasting to get the new standard going. There were also perceived incentives in noticeably better picture and more importantly subchannels. Most markets greatly increased their OTA offerings.

They need to show these sorts of improvements. The improvements need to be sold to a community that is largely satisfied with the current HDTV and subchannel arrangement on their 50" LCD set.
 
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The improvements need to be sold to a community that is largely satisfied with the current HDTV and subchannel arrangement on their 50" LCD set.

Yep. And the way most current OTA antennas are martketed and sold, most people believe OTA is already 1080p and 4K. Oh, and that your antenna has a 150 mile reception radius. ;)
 
Anyway, once they start broadcasting ATSC 3, doesn’t that start a ticker to when they can then stop broadcasting in ATSC 1? Five years, is it?
 
I got to admin, I am looking forward to being able to play with it.

The way we are watching television is changing, and the technology needs to change with it. I will be excited to see a cell phone that has a built in ATSC 3 tuner.
 
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I got to admin, I am looking forward to being able to play with it.

The way we are watching television is changing, and the technology needs to change with it. I will be excited to see a cell phone that has a built in ATSC 3 tuner.

I like playing with new technology too, but what incentive do stations have to do this?
 
Anyway, once they start broadcasting ATSC 3, doesn’t that start a ticker to when they can then stop broadcasting in ATSC 1?
Nope. Like uptake with DTV, it comes when the statistics show that some relatively large percentage of the population has access to ATSC 3.0.

Of course since VHF is typically going to be a bigger part of the OTA landscape, it will take both tuners and a new antenna for many.
 
If they could only force cable and satellite to carry subchannels..then every station in the country would upgrade
 
If they could only force cable and satellite to carry subchannels..then every station in the country would upgrade

But they didn’t and it is looking like they won’t. It will be a huge capital expenditure for stations, many of whom are investing money to repack. I’m skeptical.
 
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