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BeckTV's VP of Engineering, Brendan Cline gives his input on NextGen TV and the rate of rollout for NCS Industry Insights.
Q. Which parts of the ATSC 3.0 rollout have progressed faster than expected, and which have stalled?
Brendan Cline: From the system integrator perspective, the fastest part of the rollout has been deploying necessary MPEG encoders and antennas capable of transmitting ATSC 3.0 and getting channels over the air in this format. I have also seen broadcasters leverage the ability to add more channels than they could have with ATSC 1.0, leading to 24-hour weather channels, radio-over-TV channels, and additional digi-net subchannels. Some of these can even be delivered in 4K when the content is easy to generate — such as a looped graphic — though this is rarely the case for a network or primary channel. In some cases, this is also used for marketing purposes, allowing stations to say, “We were the first to broadcast in 4K using ATSC 3.0.”
What has not progressed much at all is broadcasting primary network channels in 4K or HDR. This is mainly because upgrading an entire plant from HD to 4K is a very expensive undertaking. HDR is more feasible, as many facilities can use most of their current infrastructure, especially those prepared to move from HD to 3G. Networks will also experiment with HDR using 3G for major events, and local broadcaster can create a special air path for these feeds.
Regarding 4K, nearly all infrastructure — production, transmission, and related systems — would need upgrades that cost significantly more money. Until the major networks choose to deliver their feeds in 4K, I doubt we will see local stations upgrading their facilities to make 4K the new standard. I believe that 4K, along with targeted marketing, will be the ultimate goal of ATSC 3.0.
Upgrading to 4K HDR will likely occur in phases that either lag behind or follow the lead of what the major networks choose to deliver to local stations.
Full Article: https://www.newscaststudio.com/2026/02/16/industry-insights-where-nextgen-tv-stands-as-deployment-meets-reality/
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