LAS VEGAS--To drive home the significance of ATSC 3.0 for mobile reception, attendees of this year’s NAB Show will be able to watch live ATSC 3.0 broadcasts from the comforts of an 11-seat self-driving vehicle while it shuttles them between the busy Central and South Halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
During the ride, passengers will see live over-the-air ATSC 3.0 broadcasts—displaying on LG Electronics ATSC 3.0 TV receivers and monitors—as they’re sent from an experimental Sinclair Broadcast Group Next Gen TV transmission facility over 10 miles away.
Supporters of this “Next Gen TV Autonomous Transport” exhibit include: ATSC, LG Electronics USA, NAB, PILOT, Sinclair Broadcast Group, the Nevada Center for Advanced Mobility, and Keolis North America, a Boston-headquartered provider of transportation services nationwide.
[Read: ATSC 3.0 To Take Center Stage At NAB Show]
“This is the first time an autonomous vehicle and Next Gen TV have been combined to provide a powerful glimpse of the future,” said NAB Chief Technology Officer Sam Matheny. “Riding in a driverless vehicle is a revealing moment for people to see where the future of mobility is taking us, and viewing live HD broadcasts while doing so really highlights one of the great opportunities that broadcasters have in deploying the ATSC 3.0 standard.”
Sinclair Broadcast Group’s Vice President of Advanced Technology Mark Aitken calls mobile video the cornerstone of his company’s Next Gen TV efforts, adding, “Mobile TV will help jump-start the transition to ATSC 3.0, and this demonstration will show how broadcasting to moving vehicles is a practical and commercially viable proposition.”
An identical but stationary shuttle will be featured in “The Road to ATSC 3.0” exhibit in the Central Hall Lobby, co-sponsored by NAB, the Consumer Technology Association and the Advanced Television Systems Committee. In addition to highlighting the mobile reception capabilities of ATSC 3.0, the exhibit will showcase demonstrations of Next Gen capabilities, including Ultra HDTV, High Dynamic Range video, immersive audio, and personalized and addressable content.
“One of ATSC 3.0’s key benefits is mobility, giving broadcasters who deploy the new service reach far beyond the living room screen,” said ATSC President Mark Richer. “We fully expect ATSC 3.0 to be entertaining passengers in self-driving vehicles, and for this technology to be used for providing other data services to riders, whether in an autonomous vehicle or on-the-go with future mobile devices.”
For a comprehensive list of TV Technology’s ATSC 3.0 coverage, see our ATSC3 silo.
