As ATSC 3.0 Standard Rolls Out Across the Country, 10,000 NEXTGEN TV Sets Are Now Sold Daily; More Upgrade Accessory Receivers Arrive at Retail
Pearl TV, the consortium of U.S. broadcast companies leading the nation’s transition to NEXTGEN TV, and its network partners today spotlighted new milestones for NEXTGEN TV receivers and announced details of Pearl TV broadcasters’ national holiday advertising campaign. On the eve of the Pepcom Holiday Spectacular!, where the consumer benefits of NEXTGEN TV will be highlighted, Pearl also applauded the collaborative efforts of New York City broadcasters launch of NEXTGEN TV, expanding the nationwide reach of NEXTGEN TV to 70% of American viewers and underscoring its momentum for broadcasters and consumers alike.
“NEXTGEN TV is meeting exciting milestones as it approaches the end of 2023, solidifying its trajectory for 2024 which includes more TV manufacturers expected to add NEXTGEN TV as a feature, more accessory options for consumers at retail, more market launches, and more unique and interactive content from broadcasters,” said Anne Schelle, managing director of Pearl TV. “We’re excited to be at Pepcom Holiday Spectacular! in New York City to help promote and educate consumers on the many options they have when it comes to NEXTGEN TV. And we praise New York City broadcasters for their collaboration and technical determination in bringing the standard to the country’s largest television market.”
A feature built into select TV models manufactured by Hisense, LG, Samsung, and Sony, NEXTGEN TV is widely available to consumers at retail across more than 100 models, starting at $599, and viewable at www.watchnextgentv.com. While features may vary by device and broadcaster as commercial service expands in local markets, NEXTGEN TV is designed to be future proof, enabling a viewer’s television set to advance with technological improvements. NEXTGEN TV, powered by the IP-based ATSC 3.0 standard, is also a complement to streaming platforms, as it doesn’t compete for household bandwidth with over-the-top content, but instead, is provided as a free over-the-air service.
Consumers are also accessing NEXTGEN TV service using an antenna. As antenna technology and look has significantly modernized, the Free TV Project is an organization that helps consumers discover the benefits of free over-the-air (OTA) broadcast television. TheFreeTVProject.org website provides relevant and user-friendly content, including free online tools that will help consumers discover the right TV antenna and see how many and which OTA channels are available in their areas. In recent years, new OTA channels have launched at a rate of one new network every two to three months, according to Screen Engine/ASI. And antenna usage continues to climb as 35 million U.S. households have an antenna and 50 million are expected to have one by 2025, according to the Consumer Technology Association.
NEXTGEN TV was at Pepcom Holiday Spectacular!, Oct. 19, in New York City, showcasing select new NEXTGEN TV models from Hisense and Samsung, new upgrade accessory devices, and educating media about the new standards’ features and benefits. Products that are certified with the NEXTGEN TV logo come with the latest technologies and content security protection, and they provide amazing entertainment options. Devices on display included Hisense, LG, Samsung, and Sony NEXTGEN TVs; Atlanta DTH accessory receiver; and Zapperbox and Zinwell NEXTGEN TV upgrade accessories, with select details and features listed below.
Broadcasters and stations will promote and engage with their local viewers on the new standard through the NEXTGEN TV Holiday Marketing Campaign. This 13-week, multi-channel, nationwide campaign in NEXTGEN TV’s top 40 on-air markets kicks off in November and enables broadcasters to accelerate the NEXTGEN TV groundswell through social media and creative ads. Highly curated, the campaign equips TV stations with educational content for their viewers driven by consumer research by Magid. Following the 2022 Holiday Marketing Campaign, Magid found that when aware of the campaign’s ad and social spots, 74% of consumers who did not yet own a NEXTGEN TV are likely to purchase one.
Devices Available Now and Staged for Retail: ADTH, Zapperbox, Zinwell
The Atlanta DTH Box is industry’s first NEXTGEN TV-certified receiver that is also verified for content security features a dual-mode TV tuner for reception of both ATSC 3.0 and ATSC 1.0 television signals. The ADTH receiver fully supports High Dynamic Range (HDR), Dolby AC-4 audio, broadcast applications sent by TV broadcasters and features a Bluetooth-powered remote control.
After an initial sell-out, ADTH will soon start shipping pre-orders of its NEXTGEN TV receiver box with a suggested retail price of $89.99. The unit is equipped with dual-band Wi-Fi for software updates and security verification to ensure seamless playback of protected broadcast TV content.
Zinwell “NEXTGEN TV BOX” (Model ZAT-600B) is a stand-alone single-tuner ATSC 1.0/3.0 tuner that accepts a standard digital TV antenna and is designed to decode/tune ATSC 1.0 and 3.0 broadcast signals. The Zinwell NEXTGEN TV Box is an ideal accessory for consumers with TVs that do not have built-in ATSC 3.0 tuners. It supports 4K broadcasts, enhanced Dolby audio, and access to broadcaster applications.
Certified to carry the NEXTGEN TV logo, the Zinwell ZAT-600B will be security verified to operate without needing an internet connection. Working alongside Channel Master, Zinwell’s products will soon be accessible through participating antenna installers and retailers nationwide by year-end.
The Zapperbox NEXTGEN TV Digital Video Recorder (DVR) is the first NEXTGEN TV DVR available as single tuner receiver to record or watch one channel at a time ($249.95 suggested retail price) or a dual tuner receiver to record or watch up to two channels at a time ($274.95 suggested retail price). Both models provide Dolby AC-4 audio playback and are expected to be NEXTGEN TV certified and security verified by year end.
Zapperbox models support both ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0 broadcasts, with new secure Digital Video Recording added as a recent update. DVR functionality, which includes recording and skip-forward functions, is available on both single-tuner and dual-tuner Zapperbox models.
NEXTGEN TV Now in New York City
Broadcasters have launched NEXTGEN TV service in New York City and surrounding areas — the number one television market in the county encompassing approximately 7.73 million TV households according to industry rankings. New Yorkers will get the most out of live local news, events, and sports programming, while giving its broadcasters a more compelling and interactive way to deliver their content. New York City viewers can now access six additional channels over-the-air (OTA) for free with NEXTGEN TV: PBS stations WNET and WLIW; WMBQ; CBS’ WCBS; NBC’s WNBC; and Telemundo’s WNJU.
The New Standard in Over-the-Air Television
NEXTGEN TV, a free over-the-air service, is the first major overhaul to the Advanced Television Systems Committee’s standard for receiving over-the-air signals in 25 years. Now broadcasting in more than 70 markets, NEXTGEN TV powered by ATSC 3.0 is expected to reach over 70% of U.S. television households in 2023.
NEXTGEN TV makes possible 4K and High Dynamic Range (HDR) video, consistent volume across channels, added voice clarity with Dolby’s Voice +, movie theater-quality sound, enhanced internet content on demand, advanced emergency alerts and information, expanded and hyperlocal news, and dual language capabilities
Consumers can learn more about NEXTGEN TV by visiting www.watchnextgentv.com, which offers a guide to cities already on the air, where signals will soon be rolling out, and available television models.
Related: NEXTGEN TV is for Real…Really! Here’s What You Need to Know
