NextGen 4K OTA TV is almost here and soon you will have the ability to watch free 4K TV with your antenna. But there has been a major hold back as the FCC required broadcasters to maintain the current-gen OTA TV for 5 years after they launch NextGen 4K OTA TV. But now ARK Multicasting has found a possible solution to that issue by broadcasting both current-gen OTA TV and NextGen 4K OTA TV from the same equipment. And because they are Low Power TV, they can move to ATSC 3.0 immediately and begin offering NextGen TV services without the simulcast requirement.

With this test that was completed last week, ARK Multicasting means that TV stations could use this tech to broadcast both the current ATSC 1.0 standard and the new ATSC 3.0 NextGen OTA TV. So when they’re ready to move to the new ATSC 3.0, they can just switch between the two standards without changing equipment in the stack. This could help many TV stations move forward with plans to launch ATSC 3.0 NextGen OTA TV.

“We remain excited about the many opportunities NextGen TV represents, and will continue to play our part as leaders in the new technology given the vast network of broadcast assets we control and our ability to be nimble as Low Power TV (LPTV) operators,” said ARK CEO, Vern Fotheringham. “ARK’s business applications for the standard will very shortly be tested in the rural city of Crockett, TX where we will deploy in concert with local Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to improve rural broadband services. This recent test is just the beginning of many firsts that we intend to be able to announce.”

“We are proud to be involved in yet another successful follow-on set of extremely important ATSC 3.0 tests with ARK Multicasting,” said Hitachi Comark President & CEO, Dick Fiore. “Our DTV equipment, integration, and field service capabilities for NextGen TV, formerly known as ATSC 3.0, are unparalleled in the marketplace. We have made a significant investment in the NextGen TV market over the last few years, lining up several key technology partnerships, and the result is a single source for fully integrated and tested end-to-end solutions.”

What is ATSC 3.0 NextGen TV?

ATSC 3.0 is a new standard that will bring a long list of new features to over-the-air TV. Two main features that will really excite cord cutters are 4K HDR picture with better sound and better over-the-air TV coverage.

There are other great features such as detailed custom weather alerts and internet active news stories.

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