Home Theater
ATSC 3.0: The next major broadcast standard explained
By Kris Wouk — Posted on September 25, 2018 - 8:44AM


Various television stations have been conducting test broadcasts of ATSC 3.0 since 2014, but this was before the standard was even fully finished. Voluntary rollouts are expected to begin in 2019, but it will likely be a while longer before the new standard is anything resembling common.
Is anyone already broadcasting in ATSC 3.0?

In the U.S., test markets have begun rolling out using the finalized version of the standard. In November 2017, the National Association of Broadcasters was granted a license to begin operating a “living laboratory” in Cleveland, broadcasting ATSC 3.0 in full power. Similarly, seven broadcasters are preparing to launch a “model market” in Phoenix. More recently, a single station has begun broadcasting the standard in Chicago and another will soon come to Dallas.

Outside of the U.S., the standard is already being adopted. The three major local broadcasters in South Korea — MBC, KBS, and SBS — began broadcasting ATSC 3.0 in May 2017. The 2018 Olympic Winter Games in South Korea will be broadcast using the new standard.
So when will I be able to use it?

As mentioned above, we won’t begin to see many broadcasters initiating voluntary rollouts beginning in 2019, especially since the standard was only accepted by the FCC in November. TVs, DVRs, and converter boxes with support for ATSC 3.0 will trickle out slowly at first, with early adopters likely able to start watching ATSC 3.0 signals by 2020. For the rest of us, it might be a while.

As for a full switchover, that will be a long time if and when it even happens. Since this isn’t a mandatory switch, broadcasters can continue to use ATSC 1.0 for as long as they like. Even on a station-by-station basis, with the mandatory five-year period that stations must offer ATSC 1.0 signals, a station that started broadcasting the new standard in 2018 wouldn’t be able to drop ATSC 1.0 entirely until 2023.

In addition, there is always the possibility that something else may come along and replace ATSC 3.0 before it gains a foothold. This has happened before: You might have noticed that this article doesn’t mention ATSC 2.0, which was superseded by ATSC 3.0 before it even had the chance to be finalized, as it was already quickly becoming out of date.

Assuming it does take over, the adoption of ATSC 3.0 will likely be a slow one. If you’re jumping at the chance, you don’t have to wait for too long, but if you’re put off by the idea, it’s something you can safely ignore for at least a few more years.

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]