In her speech at NAB, FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel outlined a new plan called the “Future of TV.” While working with NAB, the FCC will look to establish a plan for the transition to the Next Gen TV transmission system (ATSC 3.0.) A press release issued by the Media Bureau states:
“Today, we are announcing a public-private initiative, led by the National Association of Broadcasters, to help us work through outstanding challenges faced by industry and consumers' said Chairwoman Rosenworcel in her speech today at the NAB Show. 'This Future of Television initiative will gather industry, government, and public interest stakeholders to establish a roadmap for a transition to ATSC 3.0 that serves the public interest. A successful transition will provide for an orderly shift from ATSC 1.0 to ATSC 3.0 and will allow broadcasters to innovate while protecting consumers, especially those most vulnerable.'”
According to the FCC Media Bureau:
“The Future of TV initiative is a public-private partnership led by NAB and working closely with the FCC, consumer groups, and others.”
The working group will address issues such as backwards compatibility. Next Gen TV transmissions cannot be received by existing digital tuners in TV sets. Consumers may need to obtain a dongle, similar to other digital components, for the set to continue to receive over-the-air TV signals. Of course, this will not be an issue with reception via cable, satellite, or OTT.
This is an important step in moving forward with Next Gen TV. We hope the private/public partnership will provide the industry with a roadmap to move forward with this important new technology.
You can see the full press release here.